Chapter 4
Summary: Daniel makes breakfast and our favourite pair take a trip to the mall. Vala makes Daniel uncomfortable, and what did Daniel buy?
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
AN: I hope you are all enjoying this story so far, I'm not quite sure how many chapters it is going to end up being. Reviews are encouraged :D
Vala awoke at 9:00 the next morning having been drawn out of slumber by a delectable smell. She pulled herself out of the extremely comfortable bed in Daniel's guest room and moved over to the chair in the corner of the room where her black silk robe lay. She contemplated leaving it here but decided that it would be in her best interest to put it on, though she left it undone, tying the sash behind her so her silk magenta nighty was still visible. She made her way towards the kitchen where she had concluded the aroma was coming from. When she reached the doorway of the kitchen, she leaned against it smiling at the sight in front of her. Daniel was standing over the stove with his back towards her in a manner that reminded her of when he was studying some dusty old alien artifact. Taking advantage of his distraction, she took a moment to simply study him. She let her eyes wander over his form taking in his short brown hair that she imagined was probably sticking up in all directions at the front, his broad muscular shoulders and back. She paused a moment taking in one of her favourite assets of his, his butt before continuing taking in his pajama clad legs before advancing towards him silently so he would not hear her. She came up behind him and unable to help herself, she pinched his butt causing him too squeak as she jumped up on the counter beside him.
"Morning darling." She said with a smile. "This smells wonderful by the way."
"Sleep well?" He asked her, still concentrating on making breakfast.
"Marvelously darling, you bed is so comfortable." She said suggestively, he just shook his head. "What are you making?"
"Chocolate chip pancakes. There's some fresh fruit in the fridge, can you put it on the table please." Doing as she was told she opened the fridge and pulled out a plate of fresh cut fruit. He had obviously been up early, because none of this had been there last night. She smiled slightly as she also removed a carton of orange juice from his fridge and made her way over to the table. Daniel followed a few moments later placing a plate of pancakes in front of her before sitting down across from her with his own. The two ate in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Vala broke it.
"I am so excited about the little trip we are going on today." She said animatedly with a large smile on her face. "I've only been to your shopping centres once with Samantha and I had quite an enjoyable time, so I am very excited go again. There are so many shops with so many different items. Oh Daniel this is going to be so much fun."
She reminded him of a young child whose parents had just told her they were going to an amusement park, and he couldn't help but smile at how the simple thought of going to a mall, a place he had never enjoyed, made her so happy. "Okay, why don't you go get dressed while I clean up here and then we can get going alright?" She nodded before getting up and heading back to her room to select the perfect outfit for their little trip.
"Come on Daniel" Vala said excitedly as the pair walked from Daniel's car towards the entrance of the mall.
"Vala, we have all day. Slow down." She had her arm linked through his as she dragged him to the door, simply at the gesture, making no attempt to remove her arm from his.
"There are just so many shops with different trinkets at clothes and such, I can't imagine how anyone on this planet could ever possibly bored, there are so many exciting things to do." It was moments like this where it really showed that she wasn't from earth. Her childlike wonder at simple things like going to the mall, that everyone on the planet seemed to take for granted continuously amazed him.
For the next few hours the pair wandered around the mall going into every store they past. By the time the pair stopped for lunch, Daniel was carrying seven different shopping bags, none of which belonged to him. Their lunch break was brief, and then they were off again, Vala dragging Daniel through the mall with her. Daniel hated to admit it, even to himself, but he was having a good time and she was having so much fun and he rarely got to see her as happy as she was right now and there was no place that he would have rather been at the moment. Knowing that she was enjoying herself put a smile on Daniel's face, as long as she was happy he was happy. He laughed at himself as he wondered to himself how that happened. Moments later the pair came to a halt in front of a very large pink store front, and Vala, armed with a wicked grin, turned toward him grabbed his arm and began to drag him into the store.
"There is no way I am going in there." he had to draw the line somewhere. Helping her choose outfits he could handle, but this, well this was a completely different story. There was no way he would make it through this, not without throughly embarrassing himself.
"Honestly Daniel," she said. Still grinning she leaned closer to him so he could feel her warm breath on his face, causing him to swallow hard "You've fought and beaten not only the Goa'uld but the replicators too, died God only knows how many times, pissed off more alien races then I can think of at the moment, one of which is a group of very powerful ascended beings who are hell bent on converting the entire galaxy into loyal followers and killing anyone who refuses, not to mention that your day job involves fighting the brainwashed followers of said ascended beings and facing certain death at least on a weekly basis and your afraid of Victoria's Secret? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." He did have to admit, when she put it that way it did sound rather ridiculous. He looked up and noticed that she had leaned even closer to him and practically purred in his ear. "Besides, if you're a good boy I may even model some of these little numbers for you."
He closed his eyes and suppressed a groan as he pushed the thought of her in a little lace number out of his mind and tried to find his voice. "Uh..." she smiled at him again as he regained his composure and narrowed his eyes at her. "No Vala, I am not going in there. I have something to pick up, you go in there and I will meet you back here in half an hour alright?" she pouted at him making one last attempt to convince him to come with her, causing him to turn a nice bright shade of cherry red. He stood his ground and she turned on her heel and walked into the store.
Daniel walked away from the bright pink store front very quickly and he hoped that he wasn't making a mistake leaving her alone for half an hour. He knew that she was strong and quite capable of taking care of herself, she was a survivor. After the incident with the trust however, Daniel found himself worrying about her more. Those three weeks where she was missing, out in the world alone he was scared, not that he ever would have admitted it to anyone. He found that he had grown attached to her, used to her presence and he missed her when she wasn't around, the months she had spent in the Ori galaxy, her kidnapping by the trust. The thought of losing her, was something he wasn't sure he would be able to handle, but he was being ridiculous she would be fine, he wondered how he ever survived thinking like that. She was in what is quite possibly her favourite store on earth and as far as he was aware, there was nothing they had to worry about, at least for the moment. He picked up his pace a little and arrived at his destination.
"Can I help you?" a young blonde sales woman asked him, flipping her long hair over her shoulder and giving him a bright smile.
"Ah, yes, I ordered a custom piece a few weeks ago. I got a call saying that I could come pick it up." He told her running his hand through his hair.
"What's the name?" she asked as she brought him over to the computer.
"Daniel Jackson"
"I'll be right back." The young woman said, adding an extra sway in her hips as she walked into the back room.
Moments later the woman sauntered back out into the store with a large velvet box in her hand. "Here you are Mr. Jackson." She opened the box and showed him the contents. "I've never seen anything quite like that before."
"It's perfect." He couldn't help but smile. He quickly paid the remaining balance and left the store, tucking the box into the pocket of his jacket before ducking into another store to pick up some t-shirts before going back to meet up with Vala.
