When Daniel realized Vala had gone missing, he ran from the room. He found her right around the corner. She had been crying, he could tell. Still she looked content now, like she'd made up her mind.
"You okay?" Daniel asked approaching her. He took his hand and stroked her arm until he met her hand.
Vala looked up at him and smiled. He was all sweaty and sexy. She wanted to kiss his wet face right there and then. "Just a little tired darling," she said pushing off the wall and away from him. "I think we need to talk."
Daniel just nodded. He waved goodbye to Mitchell and Teal'c. He took her hand and started walking her back to her room.
"I think we've let this," Vala began waving her hand between herself and Daniel, "go too far." She couldn't believe she was saying this. She meant it though. "It's all too fast for me Daniel."
"I know Vala," he said slowly. "I don't want you to feel…"
"Daniel it's not that," she paused. She really couldn't believe she was saying this. "I don't know if… Daniel I can't… There will be no sex!"
Daniel looked at her with that skewed face of disbelief. "All right," he said with a shrug. He hadn't really expected that there would be any. He wanted there to be some, but he didn't need it.
She looked at him, her face curiously filled with disbelief. "Not just… waiting," she told him slowly. "I mean I don't know if… I will ever want to."
"Oh," Daniel said suddenly looking ahead. How much did this really change things? "Okay."
Vala couldn't believe he was saying this. Didn't he want her? She shook her head. She was going to make herself crazy. "I understand if you want to… back off from this… I don't want to hurt…"
Daniel suddenly turned her so she was looking right at him. "I'm in this Vala," he told her firmly. "I'm in this all the way." How many times did he have to tell her? He'd tell her a million times if he had to.
She didn't know exactly what that meant. It terrified and exhilarated her.
"It's going to take a lot more then sexual deprivation to get me to back off," Daniel said with a smile.
Vala laughed softly. "And we all know how much sexual deprivation you've had to suffer."
Daniel squirmed appropriately. Vala laughed and took his arm. She walked him back to her room. "You need to shower," she whispered. She looked in at her room. "I need to sleep."
Daniel smiled and kissed her on the forehead. He started to back away.
"Daniel," she said with a soft voice. He turned around and looked at her. She braced herself on the door. "What are we going to do?"
She meant in the future. She meant for the rest of their lives. She meant how and what and who. She meant that she was in this too.
Daniel smiled and took both her hands. "Tell me where and when."
She looked at him confused. "What?"
Daniel laughed despite himself. Then he looked at her, face sweet as the sun. He held her face with one hand and looked deep into those eyes. "I'm ready Vala. I'm ready to start fresh." He looked into her eyes and smiled. "I'm ready to start fresh with you."
Vala wrapped her arms around him in one swift motion. "Daniel." She said his name like laughter. She said his name like joy.
Daniel reviled in the sound, in the smell, in the feel of the moment. He couldn't remember the last time his name had sounded so wonderful.
She backed off after a moment. "Eww…" she said shaking her arms. She pointed down the hall. "Shower!"
Daniel laughed. He gave her a soft kiss. Vala sighed ready to give in right there. She pulled him off and pushed him towards the showers.
"I'm going," Daniel said raising his hands in defeat. "I'm going."
Vala watched him leave. She liked to watch him leave. Maybe this was it. Maybe everything was going to turn out all right. Vala shook her head at the thought. That didn't sound anything like the reality she knew.