And now we come to the end so the beginning can happen.


A three-week mission off-world was exactly what the doctor ordered; no pun intended. Not four days before, preliminary findings from a MALP had revealed a vast array of crumbling structures surrounding the gate on a still unexplored planet. SG-3 had gone ahead with the initial reconnaissance mission, determining the planet was void of any civilization, no immediate dangers could be detected, and a few Ancient writings had been found on some of the columns near the stargate itself. In other words, it was Daniel Disneyland. An opportunity to get back to his roots for a while was thrilling. It also afforded him the opportunity to get some much-needed space from a certain someone.

If Vala was disappointed at not being invited, Daniel honestly couldn't tell. Besides, he had known that as helpful as she was being in the lab, she could barely stand a three-hour dig, let alone a three-week one. Still, when he went to leave, he could not help but notice she seemed a little glum. Or his imagination was playing tricks on him. That was the most likely scenario. Her acute professionalism had not wavered in the last few days, and he was reluctantly beginning to accept it.

That didn't stop him from turning to her as he started up the ramp to the gate. "You know, if you get bored, you're always welcome to stop by. Another set of hands might be useful." He tried to sound as casual as possible, but a shy smile was still tugging at the corner of his mouth in spite of himself.

She smiled good-naturedly. "I'll certainly keep that in mind. Have fun, Daniel."

He returned her smile and gave a little nod. He walked forward resolutely, refusing to look back until he was safely on the other side of the gate. Three weeks was exactly what he needed.

One week in and Daniel was on top of the world. Just him, the ruins, and SG-22. They were a good group. One of the larger teams, consisting of two civilian scientists and four highly educated air force officers, they dealt largely in diplomatic relations and sometimes lent themselves to archeological missions such as these. Given the nature of SG-22's secondary mandate, one would assume Daniel would have worked with them a hundred times. However, his position in SG-1 meant the teams were more like ships passing in the night. He always enjoyed the rare times he got to work with them, and this mission was no exception.

Major Nina Dev, who had once served as the second in command of her team and had recently taken over when her CO retired, had a background in anthropology and sociology. She had joined Stargate Command not long after Daniel had returned. To his delight, she was one of the few SG commanding officers to actually enjoy this kind of work. Living civilizations were more her forte and serving in the SGC had afforded her ample opportunity to widen her scope. She had overseen numerous first contact missions, and had proven herself to be a keen, discreet, and amicable negotiator. But, if she couldn't be meeting and observing new civilizations, she had explained early on, studying fallen ones was a decent consolation prize.

Her company gave Daniel the chance to brush up on his Hindi. To say he was rusty would be an understatement. The peals of laughter emanating from the officer when he first attempted to ask her a question a few days after their arrival on the planet was enough to make him flush. When her laughter had finally died down, she gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before handing him what he had so pathetically tried to request. "Fear not, Dr. Jackson, we have plenty of time for you to get it right."

Daniel chuckled despite his embarrassment. "Looking forward to it."

At the end of week two, Daniel knew that he had no hope of getting through everything he wanted on the planet. SG-22 had regrettably been called away, and the relief team who arrived the day before and were far less… enthusiastic. They followed orders fine but were not nearly as engaged in the work. The work was slow and a bit tedious to begin with, but without any measure of interest or expertise, Daniel was down several pairs of useful hands. This SG team was here for defense and defense only.

He sighed at the thought as he dusted around shards of what he assumed to be an urn or bowl of some kind. He had long ago finished the etchings of the columns, and while he found them interesting, there was nothing particularly universe-shattering about them. The words, without question, were in Ancient, but seemed to have little to do with the culture that had occupied this world before its collapse. That was when he turned his attentions to the rubble around the columns. He and SG-22 had found many more clues and relics pertaining to the last people to live there. He already missed the company of Nina and her team, along with their animated conversations and fervent work ethic, but he only had six days left here and he was going to make them count.

His mouth quirked a little at the thought of the major. She had insisted he call her Nina when they worked closely in amongst the ruins. She felt there was no need to be so formal when on a mission such as this. "You can call me Major when the bullets start flying," she teased, using her mother tongue when she did.

They had gotten better acquainted in the following days. Most of Daniel's history in the SGC was an open book, but save for the basics, she was largely a mystery to him. When it was just the two of them, they conversed primarily in Hindi, and she was pleased to discover what a quick study he really was. He'd gone from clunky and awkward to fluent in a matter of days. Word of his talents in linguistics had not been exaggerated after all.

He had been curious about her family, what had drawn her to anthropology, her choice to join the military. She had given him a wide grin before going on to explain.

"My parents were immigrants. I grew up in a large household of four generations. My maternal great-grandfather, my father's parents, my parents, two older brothers, a sister, and myself. My great-grandfather passed away ages ago, but now my nephews and nieces are usually there, so four generations it remains."

Daniel smiled. "That sounds great," he told her, slightly envious.

She nodded. "It is, um, busy, but I miss it every day. What about you?"

"I, well, I," he stumbled. He never got used to this line of questioning. "It's just me. My parents died when I was a kid. I grew up in foster care."

She blanched. "Oh, Daniel, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-

Daniel had been quick to ease her anxiety. "Hey, don't worry about it. You couldn't have known." An awkward silence threatened to descend so Daniel was equally quick to lighten the mood. "I have a grandfather. Well, had. He went to live with giant aliens in an alternate dimension."

Nina had just laughed. "You can't be serious?"

Daniel merely laughed along, but neither confirmed nor denied the truth of his remark. "What made you join the military?" he questioned, bringing the focus of the conversation back to her.

"Why do most kids with limited means join the military?"

"Ah. To pay for-

"To pay for school. Exactly." She smirked a little. "My parents got two doctors and a lawyer out of my siblings. And they worked hard for it. I was a little more of a rebel."

Daniel's brow crinkled. "Your parents weren't happy you joined the Air Force," he assumed aloud.

Nina, good-humored as always, laughed. "Oh no, they were thrilled about that. They just wanted another lawyer. Instead, I went for a masters in anthropology. I was even on track for my PhD. I planned to serve my four years, but then I caught the bug," she told him with a far-off look. "I didn't even need to think about it. I'm in this for life. Now here I am, travelling to other planets, lightyears from Earth, immersing myself in new worlds and civilizations. It's my own personal fairytale."

When Nina was gone on her patrols, Daniel would content himself with his work, and occasionally, the lively jibes of a young lieutenant by the name of Aubrey. He was a replacement; Daniel had realized it not long after arriving on the planet. Sure, Lieutenant Aubrey had been on the team for a while now, but Daniel remembered the man who once stood in his place. Even diplomatic missions could cost lives.

"So, ah, you got a thing for the major, huh?" Aubrey had prodded, a few days before the team left. His tone had been joking but his curiosity was obviously very real.

Daniel frowned at the notion. "No," he replied, almost questioningly.

Aubrey gave him a look. "C'mon, Doc. We've all noticed you two flirting, even Tweedle Dee and Dum over there," Aubrey snickered, pointing to the two scientists on the team. Daniel would have been a little offended on their behalf if he hadn't known the lieutenant was actually very good friends with them both. He followed Aubrey's finger to where they were currently standing shoulder to shoulder hunched over their computers in the equipment tent at the base. From this distance, they were a little difficult to tell apart.

The suggestion had given Daniel pause. There was no question he was enjoying his time with Major Dev. They seemed to have a lot in common. She was certainly attractive. Maybe he was a little infatuated with her? He refused to use such a juvenile word as 'crush'. He was a grown man, for pity's sake. The idea that he could become romantically linked with Nina was not altogether distasteful. But when the idea crossed his mind, he felt his insides unexpectedly twist with guilt. He would need to think.

And that was what he was doing now. Digging in the dirt and thinking about Major Nina Dev. And, of course, her. Daniel had planned resolutely to leave all thoughts of Vala on the other side of the stargate. For the most part he had succeeded. He had needed space. He had needed to see for himself if what he was feeling was merely the culmination of proximity and continual, flirtatious, verbal jousting, or, God help him, more. Yes, he could finally admit that he flirted from time to time. She made it easy.

So did Nina. It was different with her, granted. Quieter. Definitely friendlier. Their minds operated on a similar wavelength, making communication almost effortless.

But where was the fun in that, came the niggling little voice at the back of his mind.

The logical side of Daniel's brain stomped on the idea vigorously. He could not deny that he was a bit of a romantic, when he could come up for air from his work that was. But he was also pragmatic enough to know that fun what not something you could build a lasting relationship on.

Inevitably, when Daniel considered any possible long-term relationship, his mind would turn to his wife. This instance was no different.

He had been married to Sha're for a little over a year before her abduction by Apophis. And the marriage started off entirely as a mistake. A miscommunication. She was sweet, and staggeringly beautiful, and she was offered up to him like a sacrificial lamb. While he initially did not accept her the way her father had intended, upon learning of their union, Daniel had seen her as the greatest gift the universe could bestow. Falling in love with her was easy before he even knew he already had her. The fact that she had fallen for him just as quickly was almost miraculous.

If she had not been taken, he wouldn't have even needed to consider what his life would look like with another woman. He and his wife may have been thrown together under the most unprecedented and peculiar circumstances, but what they had built from that had been strong, lasting. Infatuation was easily sparked, and passion easily stoked, but the intensity of his heartbreak upon losing her, the lasting effect it had on him, was proof of how indelible their love had been. Their marriage had been real, and it would have lasted if the universe had not been so cruel.

The next relationship to cross his mind was Sarah. Long before Sha're, he and Sarah had been very compatible, at least on paper. Because of their shared field, she would make allowances for the way he would disappear into his work, even if he were still physically in the same room. The way he remained so preoccupied, safe in the knowledge that she understood, was their eventual undoing. He could never pull himself away enough to make her a priority. So even compatibility did not necessarily mean happiness was guaranteed.

But Sha're had possessed the unique ability to draw his focus. On paper, they didn't make a lick of sense. They didn't even speak the same language in the beginning. Yet, Sha're made Daniel happy in a way he had never known was possible.

Nina was great on paper.

Unfortunately for him, Daniel was beginning to realize that there was another woman in his life capable of drawing his focus. And she might not be sweet, or good-humored the same way his wife had been. In fact, she was downright ridiculous at times. But no matter how incensed Daniel could feel in her presence, there was no denying that the feelings she elicited were intoxicatingly familiar.

The thought gave him a start, and he suddenly realized he had been digging at the same spot for so long, he had left a small hole in his wake. He stood abruptly from his crouch causing blood to rush to his head and black out his vision. He swayed and blinked until the spots in his eyes cleared, however, the strange dizziness and twist in his gut did not fade. Daniel sat heavily on a nearby rock, retrieving his canteen as he did. He took a long pull causing a coughing fit when some went down the wrong way. Aggravated and bewildered, he blindly pitched the offending receptacle as hard as he could, not caring where it landed. He could find it later. Right now, he just needed an outlet for the whirling emotions that he was suddenly powerless to tamp down.

"Wow, what did that water do to you?" a familiar but entirely out-of-place voice sounded behind him.

Daniel whipped around to find none other than Vala Mal Doran standing a few feet away. Her hair was in pigtails and she was dressed in regulation forest fatigues, similar to the fit Sam would ordinarily wear. Vala was fond of custom fitting her clothing, but at the moment, she blended in with everyone else. Entirely professional.

"Vala, wha-what are you doing here?"

Vala grinned, clearly pleased with catching him off guard. "Surprise."

Daniel blinked a few times. "Yeah, you certainly did that. I wasn't expecting you. Why didn't anyone inform me you were coming?"

Vala crossed the small distance between them. She took a seat on a rock next to his. "I just told you; it was a surprise. Before the last check-in, I asked Landry if I could join you since the rest of SG-1 were otherwise occupied. You told me if I was bored, I could stop by. I was bored, so here I am."

Her call back to his departing words made him smile. "Really?"

She looked at her feet. "Well, Nina might have told me you were feeling a little put out having lost all your help. I thought you might appreciate another set of hands."

Daniel froze. Nina? She knew Nina? "Um, yeah, I… was, actually. Sorry, did you say, Nina told you?"

Vala gave him a sideways glance. "Yes, Major Dev? You've been working with her for two weeks, Daniel. You should know who she is by now."

Daniel shook his head furiously. He couldn't really explain the logic behind it, but her mention of Nina made him feel like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Still, his natural instinct was to be slightly argumentative towards Vala, and he found himself doing it now. "I know who she is! I was asking how you knew her?"

Vala rolled her eyes but her smile stayed in place. "Daniel, I do have other friends at Stargate Command."

His brow wrinkled. "You do?"

Her face dropped. Her arms and legs crossed, drawing herself in and raising her defenses. "Yes, darling. I know you think it's impossible, but there are people in the galaxy who actually enjoy my company." She turned away from him, flipping a pigtail over her shoulder as she did.

He screwed up. She hadn't been here five minutes and he already hurt her feelings. His long-held defenses were so keyed up, he didn't even know how to stop himself. He made efforts in the past to show his appreciation for her, but they never ended well, be it from external forces, or his inane reluctance to open up to her on a more personal level outside of work. He always kept her firmly at a distance. It was only dawning on him now - after nearly every important person in his life told him so – that he didn't want that anymore.

At least she had called him darling again, even if it was in anger. He hadn't realized until now how much he missed it, even in the companiable way she used it with everyone.

Regret flooded his system. There was no putting the words back in his mouth, but at least he could try to sincerely apologize. She had come to help him, and he was being an ass for no reason. "Hey, I'm sorry. That's not what I meant. Of course, you have friends. Everyone thinks you're great. Maybe a little quirky, but great." Vala huffed at his words. Clearly, she thought he was being sarcastic. Perhaps behind closed doors, Daniel was quick to list her merits and praise her actions, but he rarely did it in her presence. Another mistake he made repeatedly with her before coming to grips with his own feelings.

Daniel feared Jack was right. Maybe he had blown it and she was trying to move on. Maybe he was giving her even more reason to right now. He pushed his glasses up, pinching the bridge of his nose. He needed to try harder. He reached over and tentatively touched her knee. "Vala, will you look at me, please?" He could see the corner of her mouth purse, but she swung back around so fast he jumped a little. She fixed him with a hard glare. There was no point in trying to embellish his words. He merely looked her directly in the eye. "I'm sorry," he murmured softly.

Vala's eyes widened a fraction. She swallowed hard and let out a little cough. In the blink of an eye, she was smiling again. "You're forgiven. Now, show me where to dig!"

Daniel let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He returned her expression in kind, standing up and offering her a hand. "Follow me."

Six days passed, and much to Daniel's surprise, Vala's work ethic had not waned. In fact, she seemed a little disappointed to be returning to the SGC. With their artifacts safely tucked away in their crates and the last of the camp disassembled, Daniel found Vala not far from where he had originally put her to work. She was staring out, a peaceful smile barely gracing her lips. A soft breeze swept the edges of her wild black hair. The humidity of the temperate rain forest had caused her curls to spring to a life in a way she rarely allowed. She had great hair. The first time his fingers were in, he hadn't really been paying attention to what it felt like. He was too busy pulling at it with the same ferocity that she was pulling at his. And then she had hit him below the belt with a fire extinguisher. Now he found himself thinking it wouldn't be so terrible to tangle his fingers in those silky black waves again.

He blinked at the idea. He was still getting used to processing these wild thoughts rather than repressing them. It was an interesting, if at times confounding exercise. Over the last six days, he caught himself stealing more glances, analyzing more carefully the words she spoke, savoring every striking smile she would send his way. Her professional countenance remained strongly in place for the first two days, though, with just the two of them to keep each other company, some of her silliness was sneaking back in. It made his stomach flip a little.

He cleared his throat, pulling her from her reverie. She glanced his way. "Time to go?" she asked, a trace of melancholy in her tone.

Daniel came to stand beside her, taking in the sight before him. "Yeah, Sargent Thompson is back at the gate, raring to go."

"They really hated this, didn't they?"

"Oh yeah! Unfortunately, SG-11 were on leave. I think the available teams drew straws to see who would be forced to finish out the assignment."

Vala smirked. "You might be right about that, but you didn't hear it from me."

Daniel turned to walk away. "I guess it's time to put them out of their misery."

"I suppose you're right," she admitted, falling into step with Daniel.

They walked in silence for a bit before curiosity got the better of him. "I couldn't help but notice, you, ah, you don't seem too keen on leaving. I would have guessed after six days you would have been just as ready to run as the rest of them."

Vala hummed, then shrugged a shoulder. "I was having fun."

His eyes squinted a little. "Yeah, I noticed that, too." He was still a little disbelieving, although nothing about her behavior through the week said anything to the contrary. In fact, how much she was enjoying herself was why he was so curious now. They once spent three hours on a planet looking for the Ark, the much-needed weapon used to defeat the Ori, and her boredom had been almost insufferable. Yet here she had remained, continuing to use her resourcefulness for good rather than mischief, just as she had back home.

Vala laughed and shook her head. "Honestly, Daniel, I think I've made it abundantly clear how much I like spending time with you." Daniel's eyes widen, but before he could say anything in return, she hastily added, "Professionally." Neither had noticed they had stopped walking. Silence hung in the air between them. Her pale skin flushed. Her recovery was far from smooth, and while he didn't wish to embarrass her any further, he couldn't hold back the strange sensation that rose in his chest. Was that hope? Was it possible that he hadn't done irreparable damage after all?

Rather than push the subject, he pretended not to notice. "Well, I'm happy to hear that," he responded casually, "because there will be a lot more cataloguing to do when we get back home."

A few weeks and a few missions later, Daniel found himself completely on edge. Back at the base, Vala had resumed her pleasant and professional demeanor toward him. She continued to gradually become a little more personal again. Whatever she was mad about, if it was indeed his emotional ineptness, seemed to have faded. Her overt flirtatiousness with him was not back to its former strength, but at least he was catching hints again.

It was driving him crazy.

He might have wished it was his imagination, but he was quite certain he was getting sideways glances from everyone. Mitchell. Teal'c. Sam. General Landry. Even Siler and Walter seemed to be in on it. To have so many people invested in one's potential love life was alarming. Whatever the situation was between him and Vala, it was likely the base's worst kept secret since Jack and Sam.

The only thing stopping him was himself. And the insecurities telling him he was making everything up. That he had just finally fallen for her ploy and this was all going to end in his humiliation.

No, this had gone on long enough. She had been the one to give them space when he knew it was entirely against her nature. He had observed her closely in secret, and she had expressed no flirtatious overtones to anyone outside the teasing type she reserved for the rest of her 'boys' in SG-1.

Jack wasn't fully correct when he assessed the situation, but he was correct adjacent. Daniel suspected now that her conduct toward him over the last two months was her way of letting him come to her instead. Maybe she still did want something from him, and it wasn't just sex, or a laugh at his expense. Vala was willing to sacrifice everything for what she believed in. That was the woman he watched her become. So, perhaps she decided all those weeks ago that she would be willing to put aside her puerility as a way of showing him how seriously she could be taken in a relationship, not just a professional one.

He watched her now as she leaned against a counter, magnifying glass in hand. There were various objects and books placed out neatly on the workspace. Her body language indicated she was getting progressively more excited about whatever it was she had observed.

He smiled a little at her enthusiasm. "Whatcha got there?"

She glanced up. "I was just examining the underside of this curious little statue we picked up on the dig. Did you see these striations before? I noticed them on a few of the objects we've found in the ruins, like this pottery." She reached for a broken urn fragment, waving Daniel over. He stood from his desk and joined her. She pointed to the markings near the bottom, then used the magnifying glass to show him the markings on the bottom of the statuette. "You see it? The exact pattern. I think it might have been the artist's signature. Judging from the number of pieces we found in such a confined space, there might have even been a store of sorts. Somewhere the artist sold his wares."

Daniel's mouth dropped open a fraction as he examined her discovery closer. "Wow, that's fascinating. I can't believe I missed it. This is a great find, Vala."

She beamed proudly, and when he looked up at her, all coherent thought disappeared from Daniel's mind. He stared at her mutely. Vala's forehead creased in concern. "Are you alright, darling?"

Snapping out of his trance, he stood ramrod straight, taking a step or two back. "Yeah, I'm fine, just feeling a little tired. I think I'll go get a cup of coffee. Do you… want anything?"

She shook her head politely. "No, thank you. I'm just about done here anyway. Would you mind if I take off after I've cleaned up?"

Daniel's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Clean up?" he accidentally said aloud. "Ah! I mean, yeah. Of course. Of course, you can. Thank you for asking."

Her only response was a courteous nod and then she was back to work.

Daniel hastily exited his office. This may have been one of the few times he did not want a cup of coffee; he just needed a minute. He was going to boil over any second now.

A voice in his head that sounded startlingly like Jack was all but screaming at him to grow a pair, get back in there and ask her out.

He had feelings for Vala Mal Doran. Big, familiar, intoxicating feelings that felt infuriatingly right. It was time, that's all there was to it.

He turned on his heel and darted back to his office as quickly as he'd left it. When he reached the door, he was nearly panting.

Vala was tucking the statuette back into its box. Her eyebrows raised. "Did you forget something?"

"Do you want to get dinner with me tonight?"

She gave him a teasing smile. "Another 'friends and coworkers' dinner to celebrate my hard work?"

Daniel scratched the back of his neck, suddenly very shy. "Um, no."


Voila! It is done. Thank you muchly. Please, no flames. I'm sensitive and I'd like to stay that way