"This is so exciting!"
"Exciting? He's gonna kill me when he wakes up!"
"Now don't be a stick-in-the-ground. You owe me for last week with - Shhh! He's coming."
Daniel stepped out of the elevator on the floor his quarters were on and stopped short. The lights were off in the hallway and the dim emergency beacons were casting an eerie red glow on the floor and walls. He had just returned from running errands in town and he knew the weather wasn't responsible because it was a beautiful day above ground. After more than ten years in the Star Gate program he had developed some pretty good instincts. Right now those instincts were telling him something was very wrong. Daniel cocked his head and listened for any out of place sounds. He caught a glimpse of himself reflected in a metal panel and his overactive brain thought, "Why do people turn their heads when they listen? It doesn't actually improve anything."
He continued moving down the hallway and slowed as he approached the intersection before his room. He peeked around the corner and was struck head-on by a zat blast. Daniel's eyes rolled back into his head and he crumpled to the floor.
"Quick", his attacker said. "We need to get him out of here before the lights come back on. How long are the cameras supposed to be off-line?"
The second attacker lifted Daniel's limp body over their shoulder. "We connected the cameras to the lights. They'll be back on together. Let's move!"
Daniel could see lights and blurry shadows. He groaned and blinked his eyes to clear them. He tried to speak and found that he couldn't open his mouth. After a brief second of panic he realized his mouth was held shut by a piece of tape. His eyes were still blurry and someone had stolen his glasses. He blinked to clear his vision and, when he pursed his lips and squinted, he could make out a strip of bright pink tape covering his mouth. He stood up, or tried to anyway, and found that he was tied, no, taped down to a chair with his hands taped behind his back. "Just great," he thought. "Kidnapped again and held captive by pink tape. Jack's never gonna let me live this down. And the week was going so well."
The door opened and closed behind him. A soft voice said, "Oh good. You're awake now. I thought you would be awake sooner though…maybe I used too much power."
"Unnghh," Daniel said against the tape. He wanted to scream but that's all he could manage.
"Oh hold still Daniel. Let me put your glasses on."
"Unnghh!"
"Well I wouldn't have poked you in the eye if you had held still! Why are you being so difficult?"
Daniel's glasses firmly on, the face of his captor suddenly became clear, none other than Vala Mal Doran. Daniel glared at her and then hung his head to his chest. She straddled his lap and softly ran a hand down the side of his face. Vala glanced away and took a deep breath. "Now I know this is a bit unorthodox, but I couldn't think of any other way to get you in one place long enough to have a serious talk and this method has always worked for me before." She paused, "I know you think I am never serious but this is very important to me and I wanted tell you everything without interruption." Vala met Daniel's eyes and he was shocked to see nothing but sincerity and truth in her eyes. Daniel struggled against the tape holding him in the chair. Vala glanced down and said, "You can't get free Daniel. Your planet has invented this wonderful material called Ducky Tape. It's very strong and it's even sold with the cutest little yellow ducky on the front. They even sell it in this wonderful bright pink! Can you get me one Daniel?" Daniel glared at her. "Oh, a little duck of course. I asked Teal'c but he only raised his eyebrow at me and I do not think he meant that in a good way."
"Mmngh."
"Daniel I can't understand you at all with that tape over your mouth. Just sit still and listen to what I have to say. You see, I have found myself in a bit of a predicament Daniel. It's my fault really and I have no one to blame but myself. I mean, I stole your ship, and stole you too since you were on it. So it's my fault I'm in this mess. I should have kept running once I got away but then I found myself walking through that gate into your world and I never wanted to leave. It was safe here. I mean, except for everyone trying to kill us and me getting kidnapped, which I don't blame you for at all, and all the dangers we face every time we go through the gate, and those lost fifty years which I still cannot believe he is being so secretive about….it became home. You became home." Vala wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. "The thing is Daniel, I love you. I am in love with you. I didn't mean it to happen but it has and you have become the one thing which I cannot live without. I know that you despise my past and I can't make any more excuses for it. I have tried to change my ways and fit in here as well. I am a different person now. Hopefully a person you respect and maybe even like. I needed you to know this Daniel and I need you to know that I am serious. In fact, I have never been more serious about anything in my life."
Daniel froze beneath her. He stopped breathing. He was hearing Vala's words and he didn't know if he could believe them.
"Say something Daniel…anything. Is the idea of me loving you that horrible?"
"Mmmnggh." He started breathing again.
"What?"
"Unnghh!"
"Oh!" Vala perked up. "You can't talk with that tape on your mouth. Now hold still while I take it off. This may hurt a bit as it's my first time using this ducky tape and I haven't perfected my technique yet." Vala grabbed the top right corner of the strip and slowly began to peel it off Daniel's lips. Daniel made faces and jerked his head back.
"Ow!"
"Don't be a baby Daniel. Now what were you saying?" Daniel struggled against the tape holding his body. "I'm not letting you up until you answer me Daniel. I've told you my deepest secret. Can you love me in return?"
Daniel leaned his face up towards Vala's. He gazed deep into her eyes and simply said, "Pocket."
Vala jerked back. "What?"
"Look in my pocket Vala."
Vala ran her hands down Daniel's chest and over his jacket pockets. She dug around in one of them. "Keys, papers, coins, gum wrapper. Daniel there is nothing in here."
Daniel sighed. "The other pocket Vala. This jacket does have two."
"Of course Daniel. I knew that." Vala leaned over to the other side and stuck her hand in the pocket. She leaned back and pulled something out. "Keeping secrets Daniel? What is it?"
"It's your answer Vala. I picked it up today before I was so rudely zatted and kidnapped. Open it."
Vala balanced the small box on her palm and tipped the lid back. A beautiful diamond ring stared back at her. "Daniel?" Vala whispered. "Is this a joke?"
"I love you Vala. I want you to stay here. In my world. With me. This is your home Vala. I thought I lost you twice and I never want to lose you again. Marry me Vala. Marry me and spend forever with me. I am serious Vala. In fact, I have never been more serious about anything in my life."
"Yes, Daniel. Yes, I will marry you. And I am never letting you go either." Vala's face broke into a huge smile. She bounced in his lap and said, "Now, I have seen you Earth movies Daniel. And tradition states that you are supposed to put this ring on my finger yourself."
"Vala", Daniel said quietly. "How am I supposed to do that with my hands taped behind my back?"
"Oh!"
In the base security office the rest of SG-1, plus one visiting general, watched as Daniel slipped the ring onto Vala's finger. As he bent to kiss her, Jack flipped off the camera feed. "I can't believe Danny-boy went out to buy a ring without any of you knowing. C'mon! You're supposed to be the flagship team."
"You didn't know either Sir", said Sam. "And you blindly agreed to this scheme of Vala's just like the rest of us."
"That's easy for you to say", groaned Mitchell. "I helped her kidnap him. He's gonna kill me." Cam leaned forward in his chair and dropped his head into his hands.
"You have nothing fear Colonel Mitchell", said Teal'c. "You were just the "hired muscle". Colonel Carter disrupted base power for this operation."
Sam glared at Teal'c. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't encouraged her."
"I did no such thing."
"I'm sure you gave her the encouraging eyebrow Teal'c", Jack said. "But not to worry cause it all ended happily anyway. Now, let's get out of here before he figures out it was a group effort and comes after us."