Choices

spacegypsy 1

A Daniel and Vala love story.

~0i0~

They had been locked in someancient and crumbling dungeonfor three days. And every waking moment they bitched and yelled, and argued to the point their captives made haste to close the ransom deal with their people and get them out of here.

"Damn you, Daniel. Move over! You have hogged this tiny cot since the day we got here. And you attempt to be so nice and kind and sleep with me cuddled up close. But I can tell... I can tell that you are uncomfortable being close as if I chose to have one cot that you have to share. Have to share with... with me! I know I'm no prize. I'm no Sha're. I am not what you want. And I'm sick of this! I'm sick of trying to not lo... love... like you too much because I'm not the one, I'm..."

"She was a god damned gift!" Daniel yelled, sitting up, then drawing a breath he continued with a milder tone, coming back to lay on his side close behind her. "A gift I could not refuse because of the circumstances, the ways of those people. And yes, I did fall in love with her, and she did have a fondness for me, even love, eventually. Before her father suddenly handed her over as a gift, Sha're was in love with someone and he with her. And as for their tribal ways, she could not refuse to accept her father's wish. And the man she loved could not interfere.

"There were a few times she crossed his path early on that I witness a look between them that was undeniable.

"She was quick to learn English, and easily teaching me to understand fully, the ancient dialect. Then there was laughter and flirting and eventually intimacy. And finally, love. I did love her very much. It happened quickly, as if we were destine to be together. She was funny and smart. And sexy. She loved learning, loved being a wife with her own home. But I never forgot I was not her choice and... and she was not mine, not at first. Besides, I felt guilty 'accepting the gift'. But that is the past."

Daniel took a deep breath. "So, recently, I decided to make my choice. My very own choice... freely,wholeheartedly I choose you, Vala. As much as you annoy me, I love you. I love you and, and hell, I didn't want to. The moment you took that damned helmet off I was attracted to you. Day by day, weeks, months, I felt more and more attracted to you. I fell in love but I didn't want you to be the one. I didn't want you to make me happy. Not because of who you are, no, not that, it's just that I thought I wasn't supposed to be happy.

"I am happy, well, not most of the time we've been here. But you do make me see my way to happiness and as much as you really, really, really want me to dislike you so you don't have to face your own feelings... well, it's not gonna happen."

Silence suddenly came, sucking out everything she might have been able to say. She could feel his breathing, his chest rising and falling. And, she could feel his heart beat, pounding away and thought 'As if he'd been running... like maybe with fear, maybe like a bear was casing him. Or maybe... maybe he was afraid – scared – and wanted to take it all back.. what he said, what he said... about, about, about me.

She had remained under the covers and on her side while he spoke. Several times she tugged at the one worn blanket as if it was capable of hiding her. Then in a short minute that seemed like hours, just as she felt that she was going to jump up and run across to the darkest corner Vala felt the warm, digging roughened, large hand slip under her tee shirt and come to rest just under her breast.

"You can have it anyway you want it, lovers, friends with benefits, husband/wife, but Vala, if you are going to reject me please do so now. We can still be co-workers, teammates. But... I will never ask again. And I will not tolerate your crazy flirty attempt to coerce me into something that is fodder for your personal enjoyment."

She moved so that his hand was now resting on the underside of her breast. "I... I... I mean, you are my treasure, all properly stolen, so I beg to keep you, and I... I... like the husband and wife one the best. I mean if that's okay with..."

He flipped her and she squealed in delight. He kissed her with fiery passion. And she responded in kind.

"When we get home..." he uttered in between forays of tongue, lips and little nibbles disguised at sweet kisses "... shower and to bed, my love." He smacked her lips playfully and bounded off the bed, jumping right over her.

"Wha... what... why..."

He arranged his clothes properly. "They're here."

"Just my luck!" Vala sat up, snatched her tee shirt down, reached for her boots and put them on quickly. "I love you," she said boldly.

"I love you," he answered happily.

Their gazes met and each smiled.

Daniel pointed to Vala's head. "You might want to try to do something with your hair. You look quite well ravished which of course you were not... yet... not fully anyway."

"You may want to zip up your pants." Vala grinned smugly.

"Damn, when did you get that done?" Hurriedly, Daniel zipped up, scowling at her the whole time.

"When your dirty large hand went wandering."

His eyes on her breasts moved downward and he laughed.

"Oh! Oh... you, you..." Vala zipped up her BDU pants. Ran her fingers through the tangle of her hair.

Daniel did the same running his fingers through the top and sides. "You know what this means?"

"What, what means, darling?"

"Being rescued. Going home." He waggled his brows.

"Oh! Hours and hours of …."

"Hour and hours of what, Princess?" Mitchel asked as he rounded the corner.

"Oh you know, Mitchell, chatting and annoying Daniel."

"What took you so long?" Daniel asked.

"Calm down, grouchy, they aren't the smartest kids on the block. We ended up givin' 'em four hundred and twenty seven dollars in a handful of silver coins." Cam grinned and waved Teal'c forward.

With a huge rings of keys Teal'c began trying different ones.

"Give them to me Muscles." Immediately Vala chose the correct key and unlocked the cell door. "There, all done. Let's go, I'm eager to get home, I need a shower and Daniel has been nice enough to invite me over to use his. It has the rain feature and it's large enough for two."

She skipped ahead, Daniel followed close behind her. Teal'c began to proceed in the general direction of the door then came to a sudden halt when Mitchell yelled out, "Jackson! What the hell is she yappin' about, large enough for two. Two what? Who two? Jackson!"

~End