First off, I want to thank two people for inspiring me to write this, unknowingly: I.M. Frelling-Wonko and spacegypsy1.

I hope you enjoy this one! :)

Her heart was breaking. She had literally opened up her heart and soul, and poured out the truth to him, and yet he had spurned her, again.

She clutched the pillow in her arms, and sobbed into it. The sound of her cries filled the room, and she could swear she could hear her heart breaking with it.

A soft knock caused her sobs to quiet down, and she rushed to wipe her eyes, as she cleared her throat of any emotion.

"Come in." She called out, and sighed, when the door opened and Teal'c came through.

"I came to see if you were all right." He stated, entering the room.

Vala nodded, and lowered her gaze momentarily. "I'm fine, Muscles." She replied, with a wan smile.

Teal'c grumbled and lowered his head as he stepped closer. "You do not appear to be fine." He replied, stopping within a few feet of her bed.

Vala smiled, and stood up. "Well, thank you for your concern, but I've never felt better." She replied, patting Teal'c's right shoulder, while she walked around him.

Teal'c shook his head, as he turned around to face her. "I believe you are not." He stated, in a gruff tone.

Vala turned her head. "How do you know so much about me?" She asked, turning her body so she could gaze at him, as she leaned against the dresser of her room.

Teal'c clasped his hands behind his back. "Because I remember you as Quetesh." He stated, calmly.

Vala's eyes widened, and began to fill with fear. "What?" She asked, dropping her arms to her side.

Teal'c bowed his head for a moment before lifting it up once more. "I remember the day you were taken as a host. It was a ceremony with the Goauld leaders present. The rebirth of Quetesh." He stated, watching her carefully.

Vala nodded, and bowed her head. "Yeah." She whispered, moving to the small chair in the corner. "The day my life ended." She added, sitting down.

"You were the first human I saw who fought with so much strength until the end, Vala Mal Doran." He stated, with small pride.

Vala smiled. "My mother…" She paused, and cleared her throat. "She told me, never to forget who I was, to stay strong no matter what." She whispered, bowing her head.

Teal'c nodded. "A wise woman."

She smiled, and nodded. "She was." She whispered, leaning back into the chair. "She was the reason, I held onto who I was, even though Quetesh did her best to drown me out." She stated, drawing her legs up to her chest.

Teal'c nodded in understanding. "Have you told Daniel Jackson this?" He asked, tenderly.

Vala laughed, though it was a mocked laugh. "He wouldn't listen. He said I was trying to get him to feel sympathy for me, and that I was playing him again." She stated, feeling the tears burn her eyes once more. "I've done nothing, but tell him the truth, Muscles. Okay," She began, standing up, and beginning to pace in the room. "I may have done some questionable things in the past, but have I not proven myself to the team?" She ranted, glaring at him.

Teal'c nodded. "You have."

She nodded, curtly, and turned back to the chair to sit down. "I'm so tired, Teal'c." She whispered, shaking her head. "I'm tired of Daniel not seeing the truth, of him treating me like I don't have an honest bone in my body, of him rejecting the fact that I love him." She whispered, bowing her head.

Teal'c nodded, slowly. "You have grown since coming here, Vala Mal Doran." He stated, stepping closer to her.

Vala sighed, and smiled faintly. She didn't say a word, and her silence seemed to be enough.

"I shall leave you, but you should know that I do know the truth, Vala Mal Doran, and that is enough for me." He replied, turning to the door, and leaving her alone in the empty room.

Vala sighed, and bowed her head to her knees, after she pulled them to her chest; she let the tears fall down her face. She had to get out. Only Teal'c knew the truth about her, even then, she wished Daniel believed.

She heard the door open, but she kept her head down as the tears fell harder. She heard someone squat down in front of her, and felt hands touched her arms.

She knew without looking who it was. "Leave me alone, Daniel." She whispered, finally lifting her head, and moved to stand up.

Daniel sighed, and fell to the floor, when she pushed him backwards. He shook his head, and struggled to stand up.

Vala moved to the bed, and sat down. "Leave, Daniel." She stated, wiping her eyes with her hands.

Daniel shook his head. "I'm not leaving, Vala." He stated, sitting down beside her.

Vala shook her head. "I don't want you here, Daniel." She whispered, turning away from him.

Daniel closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Vala." He replied, softly. "I should have believed you."

Vala scoffed, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yeah, well, it's too late now." She remarked, keeping her back to him.

He closed his eyes at the pain in her voice. "I heard your conversation with Teal'c." He said, softly with remorse.

She nodded. "I figured you were outside the door." She stated, remembering seeing Daniel standing outside in the hall when Teal'c opened the door to leave.

"Vala, what I said…" He began, but stopped when she held up her hands to stop him.

"Don't." She replied, shaking her head with a mock laugh. "Don't even try to apologize." She replied, facing him.

Daniel swallowed, and pushed his hands in the pockets of his green BDU pants. He bowed his head, and sighed.

She dropped her hands, and closed her eyes, as she walked passed him towards the door.

"Vala, I didn't mean what I said." He replied, as she reached for the doorknob.

She shook her head, and wiped the tears falling down her face. "Don't." She whispered, her voice trembling.

Daniel moved towards her, and was relieved when she didn't move or open the door. Instead, she placed her forehead on the door. Reaching forward with his right hand, Daniel placed his hand over hers on the knob, and was relieved when she didn't move away from him.

Closing his eyes, he bent his head slightly to whisper in her ear. "I was upset, Vala. When people are upset, we say things we don't mean." He whispered, strongly.

Vala moved her head against the door, but still didn't move away from him. "But you believed them." She remarked, lowly, sniffing loudly.

Daniel sighed, and moved her hand from the knob gently, and turned her around to face him. With his right hand, he lifted her face to look into her grey eyes. "I believed them before I knew you, Vala." He whispered, watching her eyes hold a curious light. He smiled as he caressed her chin. "Those words were the ones I would have and actually did say before I knew you, and that was a long time ago." He replied, searching her eyes.

Vala swallowed, and blinked a few times. "What are you saying, Daniel?" She asked, fearing to hope.

He smiled, and leaned down a fraction. "I'm saying that I believe you, and I'm sorry for not telling you sooner that I…" He paused, brushing her dark hair away from her face as he held her right hand in his left. "I love you, Vala." He whispered, letting the feelings he had suppressed for almost two years finally out into the open.

Vala's heart skipped a beat, and her breathe caught in her throat. "Wh…what did you say?" She asked her voice hoarse and emotional.

He smiled, and this time he let the words flow naturally from his tongue and heart. "I said I love you, Vala." He replied, stronger than before. "I'm sorry that I haven't said it sooner, but the truth is: I was scared." He said, finally.

"Scared of what?" She asked, still having the emotion riding on her voice.

"Of love." He answered, lowly. "I was scared of opening my heart and letting anyone claim it, but without knowing it, you, Vala Mal Doran, thief extraordinaire, claimed it." He added, stroking her face, wiping away the tears on her face.

She sniffed, and bowed her face. "Why were you upset?" She asked, moving her left hand to his chest, absently.

He sighed, and pushed her dark hair behind her ear. "Because I wasn't ready to admit that I love you, until I saw the look on your face when I pushed you away." He answered after a moment. "I realized that when you walked away, I couldn't live without you that I felt empty, and I haven't felt that way in a long time, Vala." He whispered, smiling faintly.

Vala smiled, as she took in his words. "Neither have I." She whispered, sniffing.

Daniel smiled, and leaned forward. "I want to know everything, Vala. I want to know the truth about you, about your past, about your life, about everything, and this time I promise I won't ridicule you. I won't put you down. I won't push you away." He vowed, watching fresh tears slip from her eyes.

She smiled as she slowly nodded. "You were the first one to ever believe in me, Daniel, and you were the first I ever told the truth to." She stated, sniffing in between a few words.

He smiled, and kissed her forehead. "I hope I'm not the last." He whispered, watching and listening to her laugh.

She shook her head, and smiled. "You won't be." She replied, strongly.

He nodded, and closed the distance between them. He paused an inch away, and waited for her to make the decision to move forward.

Vala felt her heart beat faster, and she could have sworn that he could hear it. Making the decision to move forward, she softly placed her lips on his, and waited. She only had to wait a second or perhaps half a second, when he responded by taking her in his arms, and she slowly wound her arms around his neck, and tilted her head to the side as the kiss deepened.

Slowly, they separated, both panting heavily, and both wearing bright smiles on their faces.

She moved her left hand down from his neck, and touched his face lightly. "Second time's a ring." She whispered, smiling.

He let out a light laugh, and shook his head slowly. "Charm." He returned, watching her tilt her head. "Second time's a charm." He added, watching her bite her bottom lip.

She shrugged, and smiled. "I like mine better." She replied, watching him give her a playful glare.

He shook his head, but didn't say a word, only to place his lips on hers once more, silencing her for the time being.

Standing outside the room, Teal'c smiled and nodded. The truth shall set them free. He thought as he clasped his hands behind his back, and walked onward.

Please review!

I know I have another Stargate story for which I have not updated in like forever, Lost Love, but rest assured it will be updated very, very soon, and maybe even completed before next week, if my schedule holds.

I have a few other one-shots I'm currently working on, and I would like to know if I should post them with this story or separately. What do you think? Let me know!

Until Next Time...