Title: That Funny Shape Love Makes
Summary: Set in the middle of Ark of Truth. Vala and Tomin bring closure to their relationship, opening the door wide open for Daniel and Vala. Eavesdropping never really hurt anyone, right?
A/N: This was inspired by the recent Ark of Truth photos and trailer posted on I noticed that Tomin is quite involved in the movie. I figured why not explore a little of that here? You could probably count this as AU since I have no idea how the actual storyline will play out. Not sure if I'm going to continue this. It's a possible oneshot. We'll see if inspiration hits to add another chapter. BTW, the title is explained by the ending. Thanks for stopping by!
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He survived. And he had defected. Vala could not have been more relieved to see him alive and on her side. The details of how he had gotten here, though, were now irrelevant.
Tomin was standing nose to nose with her, a peculiar smile on his face. The forest sounds of this dingy little planet seemed to fade into the background. His hand drew up to Vala's cheek in the faintest of touches, something he had done a thousand times before.
"Vala, you don't know how overjoyed I am to see your beautiful face again."
"Tomin…"
"Shhh. Let us revel in this moment. We are together again at last." Tomin pulled her close. Vala hesitated, eventually bringing up her arms to return the hug.
She awkwardly pulled away. The look on her face made Tomin's smile shrivel into a thin line of uncertainty. "Tomin, I am happy to see you alive. I'm happy that you're safe." Vala paused. "But…"
"But you do not love me." Vala frowned. She opened her mouth to speak, but Tomin cut her off again. "I had always suspected, Vala." He looked away.
Tears welled up in her eyes. She never meant to hurt him. It was the last thing she wanted for Tomin. He had been so kind and generous to her. The man had saved her life more than once. 'I can't continue this charade. It isn't fair to him… or to me.' "Don't misunderstand me, Tomin. I am more grateful than you know for all you've ever done for me. And when I found myself on your planet, I was so very scared. You made me feel safe. I can't thank you enough for that."
"I know." He looked up at her again, tears in his eyes. Tomin knew this moment might come, but he would never be ready for it. "Who is it?"
"What?"
"You love another. You have always loved another. That is why I could never lay claim to your heart. Who is he?"
"Tomin…" she repeated his name again.
"Tell me. Please," he pleaded. She sighed. Vala didn't know why she tried to hide it. He had known all along that she belonged to someone else, even if that someone else didn't know it yet.
Her eyes avoided his. The answer came out in a ghost of a whisper. "Daniel."
A single tear ran down Tomin's cheek. He stepped back, as if she had stabbed him in his chest. She expected to see jealousy in his eyes, but instead she only found sadness. "I'm so sorry, Tomin," she whispered desperately.
He said nothing more as he turned and walked further into the forest. Vala stood frozen at her spot, watching him go. She glimpsed his shoulders heaving a little as he faded into the distance.
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Daniel went searching for Vala and Tomin. Well, really, only for Vala. He was wandering through the forest, away from the team's camp site, when he finally found them. The archaeologist didn't mean to listen in. Didn't want to listen in. This was obviously a private exchange between husband and wife. A shudder ran through his body at the thought. And that's why he stayed.
He witnessed their hug, and Vala's awkwardness. It didn't take a fool to read her body language. She was uncomfortable. And then it looked like she was about to cry. 'What really happened to you out there?' he wondered.
Daniel moved closer, curious to hear their conversation. He silently berated himself for eavesdropping, but something kept him from walking away.
"You love another. You have always loved another. That is why I could never lay claim to your heart. Who is he?" the man said with a shaky, uncertain tone.
He heard Vala try to avoid answering the question. Daniel squinted his eyes as if that would make his ears hear better. Though he couldn't hear the name that escaped her mouth, he could read her lips. "Daniel." And with that he watched Tomin turn away, leaving a guilty Vala in his wake.
"Me?" he whispered to himself. "Impossible." Daniel quickly and quietly left the scene, eager for some time alone.
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Vala later found him on her way back to the camp site. He was sitting with his back to a tree, eyes closed. But he wasn't asleep. "Hey. What are you doing all the way over here?"
He looked up. Dark, untamed locks framed her face. Worry lines creased her forehead as she looked down at him. "I was just trying to straighten things out in my mind."
"About the Ori," she offered.
"Yeah," he lied. How could he tell her that he had just eavesdropped on her and her husband?
"Well, it's getting dark soon. Maybe you can straighten things out better with a full stomach and a nice comfy sleeping bag." Vala held out a hand, which he grabbed to get up.
"Right." They silently walked side-by-side back to the campsite.
Tomin was already there. He was discussing strategy with the other members of SG-1 around the campfire they had started. His eyes flitted briefly to the image of Daniel and Vala together and then back to his other companions.
It was Mitchell who finally acknowledged their presence. "Hey, you two!" He stood up with his hands on his hips. "And where were you just now?" Cameron attempted to put on a stern face but his mouth was curved into a half-smile.
Neither of them answered. Vala sat down next to Sam, careful not to make eye contact with her estranged husband. Daniel headed straight for the tents. As he walked past, Mitchell grabbed his arm and teased playfully, "Necking with the girlfriend again?"
Daniel glanced at Tomin, who was watching him intensely. His gaze was discomforting. "No," he replied to Mitchell curtly. He disengaged his arm and continued on his path to his tent.
Bewildered, Cameron asked, "What's up with him? He get up on the wrong side of bed this morning?" He looked to Vala, who just shrugged her shoulders.
Daniel chose to ignore the Colonel's offhand comment. He settled into his sleeping bag, the need for food also ignored. 'She doesn't really love me. She's just using me to get out of her marriage to him,' he justified to himself. Part of him wanted to believe that. But a larger part of Daniel knew that it was pure hogwash. He turned onto his side. The memories came flooding back all in one moment.
Vala had traveled a long way to find him on Earth. She even brought something that would interest him, that tablet. He had believed in her, even after those insane Kormak bracelets bound them together. She nearly sacrificed herself when she destroyed that Ori SuperGate, a testament to her good soul. He remembered her reddened eyes when he had absorbed Merlin's memories on that strange planet. She'd saved his life more times than he cared to admit. Hell, she'd saved Earth. Vala was always around, always ready to jump into action with him. Always begging him to take her to dinner.
And it clicked. The pieces fell together and it clicked. She loved him. Why hadn't he seen it before? Because he couldn't get past his first impression of her – the conniving thief who was only out for profit and pleasure. As much as he had come to trust her professionally, and as a friend, she still hadn't proven herself in that other way. 'You never even gave her the chance to prove herself,' he realized. 'You would write her off every time she showed you affection.'
Daniel noticed that said affection had become toned down. Over time, her sexual innuendos had turned into genuine displays of friendship. She was less eager to get into his bed than to simply be near him.
The tent flap opened. Vala stood there hesitantly, not knowing whether to enter. Daniel turned his head to her and sat up on his elbows. "Hey."
"Hey."
"Come in." An awkward silence passed between them.
Vala unrolled her sleeping bag next to his. "Well, Cameron, that funny guy, decided it would be fun to assign us to the same tent." She sounded uncomfortable. "What with there being an intergalactic tent shortage and all." She laughed nervously. Daniel expected her to be jumping with joy and smiling a seductive smile for him. But he already knew why she wasn't.
Once settled in, Vala turned away from him. The tension was killing them both.
"Vala." "Daniel."
"You go first."
"No no, you go"
"It's alright. Just say what you were going to say."
"No, you go ahead."
Vala cleared her throat. "Okay. Well… I broke it off with Tomin today." He waited for her to go on. "He still thinks we're married, and I guess we still rather are actually. How does one go about divorcing someone from another galaxy? Anyways, I thought you should know. In case his behavior seems different. Not that you'd really know what his behavior was like before. But you know."
"Yeah."
"Now what was it you wanted to say?"
"Umm, it was more of a question, really." Vala turned to face him and nodded for him to go on. "Why did you go to Earth after we met on the Prometheus?"
Her eyes widened in slight surprise. "Daniel, you know. I was looking for buried treasure, which we eventually found and that your government wouldn't let me keep."
He sighed. "Is that all?"
Vala hesitated. She put on a playful smile. "Well, I was interested in seeing whether or not the rest of the Tau'ri males were as handsome as you. A planet full of Daniel Jackson-look-alikes was just too tempting to resist."
He smirked. "And what did you find?"
"Oh, darling, just count yourself as one of the lucky ones."
"That bad, huh?"
"Hmm." They smiled at each other. A moment of silence passed. "Can I ask you something?"
"The fact that you have to ask makes me want to say no. But go ahead."
"Why are you asking?"
"Oh, no reason. Was just thinking back."
"I thought you were thinking about the Ori."
Daniel's mouth turned down into a frown. "Oh. Uhh, yeah that, too."
"Daniel." He looked at her with innocent eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, actually. Things couldn't be better." She eyed him skeptically. "Seriously."
After a moment, Vala gave up. She shifted closer to him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Then, goodnight, Daniel." The woman laid down on her back and turned her head to the side, ready to let sleep claim her.
He raised his hand to his cheek. She'd done that before, but now it somehow felt different. More special. It was probably due to the knowledge of her true feelings. He couldn't be sure unless…
"Vala." She turned to him as he raised himself up on one elbow. Leaning down to kiss her forehead, he whispered, "Good night." He let his nose brush hers as he slowly pulled away. Slow enough for her hand to catch his jawline. This small touch encouraged Daniel to stop and let her lips feel his. It was a small kiss, yet in some way very significant.
They hadn't kissed since Prometheus. That was hot and lustful. This was tender and sweet. She wanted more. So did he.
His hand covered hers as he leaned in closer to kiss her again. She parted her lips, allowing his tongue to explore her mouth. Daniel shifted his weight closer, so that they could continue to kiss with both their heads resting on their sleeping bags. Her hands cupped his face as his began to trail up and down her back.
Still locked in his embrace, Vala pulled back. "What are we doing?" she asked quietly.
He grinned. Even in the dark, she could tell. "Kissing."
Vala smacked him playfully for his smartness. He laughed out loud. "No, silly, what are we doing?"
"I told you," he started as she smacked his arm again. When he finally settled down, his grin had turned into a softer smile. He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm tired of…"
"Of what?" she asked after he paused.
"Of… of denying this chemistry between us." Panic rose up in his chest. To say it out loud was to never turn back. If she didn't really love him, then she could hold this over his head forever. Then again, kissing her may have been the real turning point. He waited for her smart comment.
"You don't know how happy I am to hear that."
In the faint moonlight streaming through the tent, she felt his eyes lock with hers. "You are?"
Now it was Vala's turn to grin. "Of course, I am, darling. I've been waiting for you to come around. I was almost afraid you wouldn't."
"Then… then what does this mean?"
"Anything you want." She kissed him sweetly, lips closed. "But maybe we can discuss it after we finish our mission. We're going to need our sleep for tomorrow."
Vala surprised him with her logic. "Mitchell really got to you, didn't he?"
She chuckled. "No, Daniel Jackson. You did."
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Daniel could feel Tomin's eyes burning holes in the back of his head as he trudged ahead through the forest. The team had been walking in a tense silence for nearly two hours now. The location of the Ark had yet to reveal itself. Daniel willed it to happen as soon as possible. If not to defeat the Ori, then to at least get him out from under the other man's scrutiny.
"Perhaps we should rest, Daniel Jackson."
He turned around to make eye contact with Teal'c. He nodded and the whole team plopped down in a circle facing each other. Mitchell engaged Teal'c and Sam in some chatter about securing the perimeter. Tomin's intense gaze never left Daniel. Vala looked between them uncomfortably. Daniel kept his eyes on the ground, not knowing how to deal with such tension.
"Jackson." His head snapped up to his CO. "You, me, and Teal'c are going to check out the perimeter." He didn't object. Daniel jumped up and quickly walked away from the maddeningly silent scene.
When they were far enough away, Mitchell took the opportunity to question him. "She's a regular Miss Piggy."
"Huh?" Daniel kept his eyes scanning the trees and underbrush. "Vala. She's like Miss Piggy." Mitchell turned at the sound of some native animal scurrying away. "And you and Tomin are part of her twisted love triangle."
"Excuse me, Mitchell?" Jackson directed his indignant look at the Colonel. "What the Hell are you talking about?" Teal'c simply watched from a distance in amusement.
"Haven't you ever seen the Muppet Babies? Miss Piggy's totally head over heals for Kermit the Frog, and Gonzo's all ga-ga for her. Only thing is, I can't figure out which one of you guys is Kermit and which one's Gonzo. Though, I could make an educated guess…"
"Alright, would you just stop! Mitchell, I would never expect a man of your stature to watch a silly cartoon show."
"Hey! I had to baby-sit my little cousins all the time when I was a teen. Have you ever had to sit through hours of children's television programming every day? No, didn't think so. You think you know what torture is." Daniel smirked at the Colonel's reaction. Just what he needed to avoid entertaining the love triangle idea further.
"Colonel Mitchell." Both of them turned to Teal'c. "I would like to hear your theory about Miss Piggy's love triangle. I understand that Kermit the Frog was oblivious to her advances, was he not?"
Daniel's mouth hung open. Cameron's broke into the biggest grin. "Well, I'm so glad you asked, my dear Jaffa. You see…"
The archaeologist threw up his hands in disgust. "That's it!" Daniel ran off back to the girls and Tomin. Cameron was busting at the seams in sudden laughter.
'Miss Piggy's love triangle. They're nuts! Both of them!' Although when he caught a glimpse of Tomin and Vala sitting near each other, he thought twice about dismissing the idea. 'This is going to be a long, long day,' he thought.
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A/N: Thanks again for stopping by. Feel free to review or suggest ideas. Again, this might stay a oneshot, it might not.