Yes, the writing took me forever and a day, and then my internet wouldn't connect. (On the plus side I flirted with the IT boy, which was fun.) I also know that I said it would be a one part alternate ending an now it's swelled to three, but that I can't help, blame the bunnies.

Daniel was pissed. No, that didn't really do it justice. For about ten seconds Jack stared at the shell-shocked Daniel standing in the bar doorway and wondered if they had crossed a line.

SG-1 had hauled Jack out from the green of the ninth hole Washington to do what they thought no one else could. It was up to Jack to bully Daniel out of his new favorite dig site, interrogate him about Vala, and worst of all, fraternize with the Hyde to Daniel's Jekyll.

Black was a bastard, which was something Daniel seemed to miss for those first few years. Jack knew it after the memorial they gave the first time Daniel "died" (back when they still pretended Daniel was held to the laws of nature like other regular human beings.) Black had shown up at the SGC with recommendations from Area 51, the Pentagon, and every bigwig in the Department of Defense. All designed to paint him as the best candidate to take Daniel Jackson's position as the head of the archaeology department and his place on SG-1.

Hammond threw Black out the mountain's front door without batting an eye. And given George's usual civility and restraint in diplomatic situations, Jack was quite impressed with the store of language he'd picked up from the marines. No one was going to insult the memory of his favorite pseudo-son by suggesting replacements.

Hammond had kept the Black affair quiet, only sharing it with Jack to ensure the newly risen Daniel's protection. The General assumed (and assumed correctly) that if Daniel ever found out that Black had been gunning for his job Daniel would've handed in the resignation forms himself. This was back when sweet young Daniel actually held to the belief that Black was actually smarter than he was, and could do more for the SGC than Daniel ever could.

Jack could understand why folks liked Black, he was a smart fella, (mind you, one who couldn't hold a candle to Danny,) and he did his job well. The marines liked him because he was a perfect shot who never whined. Teal'c took a shine to him when Black stopped by for kelnorim sessions whenever he was in Colorado. Jack had also been informed by many of the nurses and by a rather hesitant and blushing Colonel Carter that Black wasn't an entirely unattractive male specimen. (She muttered something about Han Solo, but Jack had decided to not pay too much attention.)

Somehow cough cough Doc Frasier found out that Black was just waiting for Daniel to mess up or die so he could assume his rightful place on SG-1. (And until his dying day Jack would maintain that the morphine and a gunshot wound, not Black hitting on Carter, made him do it.)

After that, SGC relations with Lt. Black became a little less…friendly.

In fact, cruel and unusual punishment probably didn't do it justice. The idea that he could go after Daniel Jackson, the beloved little brother to the SGC, made him one of the most hated men in the galaxy, just behind Kinsey and Apophis on the base's "10 Most Wanted List."

Every time Black made his way to the base after that he was immediately escorted out by Ferretti and the very trigger happy marines of SG-2. They gave their apologies and offered the excuse the Tok'ra were on their way in, and they didn't like it when they ran into folks they didn't know. Eventually Ferretti just got a call from the front entrance that Black was on his way down and headed him off at the pass with a P-90 in hand. (Hammond never looked into Black's formal complaints, and Jack had Walter shop for one way flights to Russia.)

Now Daniel stood in the bar doorway, just staring at their table as he festered with rage. Daniel wasn't supposed to know they were here, that wasn't the plan. He would find out tomorrow from some well meaning scientist who still lived under the delusion that Daniel despised Vala and Daniel would betray himself. They probably wouldn't fall into one another's arms and live happily ever after, but he'd react just enough for Vala to know where they stood without Daniel actually having to say where they stood. His was not supposed to catch his best friends at a table with the man they'd risked court martial to keep away from Daniel.

Jack was at the head of the table, with Teal'c to his right, Mitchell across, and Carter tucked safely in between. However, they weren't what Daniel was staring at. Vala was to Jack's left, and next to her was Black, with his chair pulled too close and his hand suspiciously close to touching her back.

Daniel straightened his shoulders and purposefully strode over to the table, smiling at the group. Black didn't even have the decency to flinch while the rest of SG-1 braced for impact. "Hey guys!" Daniel had been spending too much time around Vala, he actually looked chipper about his team being out to dinner with the man who wanted to replace him. "I guess this restaurant is in a dead zone or something, because Landry can't get a hold of any of you. Apparently SG-3 came in with news about the Priors and he wants us in to check it out."

Black stood to square off against Daniel, expecting a squabble over the woman sitting between them. Daniel's smile stayed on, perfectly natural, as he stuck out his hand. "Greg, it's been a long time."

"That it has Daniel. I hope my notes on the translation from last week proved useful." Vala grimaced. Those would be the translations he'd corrected Daniel on that had thrown him into a fit of self doubt for several hours.

Black told the team to head back to the base while he picked up the check, obviously thinking it would impress Vala. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and said he'd meet with her at the SGC later when they were done with their meeting. Daniel's smile didn't flinch.

Yeah, they were in trouble.

She'd taken the longest shower ever and used the harshest soap she could find in the SGC storeroom to get his smell off her. She was almost tempted to simply burn her new dress since she found the smell so repugnant. It was just cologne, she knew that, but she couldn't stand it. When she dried off she wrapped herself in Daniel's sweatshirt, wanting the aroma of dirt, sweat, and coffee to never leave her again.

She'd gotten used to honesty, to the truth behind every smile, every gesture of Daniel Jackson. The fool man had raised the bar, and no man like Greg Black could ever meet it. The boys she had known before tried to impress her with flattery and money, but that didn't mean quite as much when compared to the man you wanted, one who would ring onto an Ori ship to save you.

This was the first time she could ever remember not wanting to play. Jack didn't know that Daniel had confessed (not on purpose, but it was something). She thought it was brilliant plan until she saw Black. He was suave and handsome, but there was something festering underneath, something foul. He had rotted away his soul, and she felt infected when he touched her.

She wanted to erase the night, wipe away her guilt and shame over hurting a man such as Daniel. His spirit was fired with truth and purity, and she swore to never hurt him again. She wanted to apologize, to go to him and make it right, but she wasn't brave enough for that.

Then he started pounding on her door.

Now she stood facing the metal plank that blocked her from him and couldn't face him, couldn't face his disappointment. "Go away Daniel!"

"Vala, open the door!"

"….No."

"No?" He sputtered, the disbelief seeping through. "Vala, you have to."

"No Daniel, actually I don't have to do anything!"

"Alright then, I just thought you'd like to know that Greg has been called back to Area 51. His flight won't be ready for over an hour and he asked me to drop by and tell you that he and the rest of SG-1 are having dinner in the commissary."

She opened the door a crack, sure that something had infested Daniel's brain. He was being submissive. Daniel Jackson was a warrior for his people, their speaker, and in no legend she'd been told or mission report she'd stolen had he been referred to as meek.

"Black asked you to come and get me?"

"Of course he did, why wouldn't he?" She furrowed her brow, utterly baffled. Not only did Black have the audacity to send Daniel, Daniel went like a good little boy. This wasn't happening. Daniel did not do what he was told. If possible he got even more defiant when someone from the military tried to tell him what to do.

"I actually thought it was rather respectful of him. He thought that since I'm the closest thing you have to a brother it appropriate to ask my permission before actually pursuing a relationship with you."

Her eyes narrowed in rage. She knew full well that Black's competitive streak against Daniel had reached a new and disgusting height. He had heard the rumors floating around the SGC about the budding romance between her and Daniel, and decided to exploit it. He was far too aggressive at dinner, just assuming from the stories about her unscrupulous character that she'd be an easy mark. The predatory gleam in Black's eyes told that he was looking to get laid and tell Daniel about it in the morning.

Apparently the boys hadn't narrated to Daniel how Black had behaved at the restaurant, if they had he would be more willing to fight, just like they had. (Teal'c had to forcibly restrain Jack and Mitchell several times, and once when Black slapped her on the butt while on the way to the bathroom it took both of them to pin Teal'c to his chair and not rip Black's head from his body.)

As she was freaking out Daniel looked content with himself. They said confession was good for the soul, and apparently it did Daniel Jackson wonders. His hair was slightly tousled from the shower and he'd left his glasses somewhere. He looked every inch the dashing rogue as he leaned against her doorframe. He still had that healthy glow from his midnight game of stress relieving basketball with the boys, and as always leaving behind the jacket in favor of his t-shirt did wonders for his frame. He'd spoken the truth in the hallway today, and he had nothing left to prove. Now it was her turn.

She slammed the door shut, closing off the few inches of Daniel that she'd been staring at. He started banging again and wanted to know what was going on now. It took her a whole of thirty seconds to whip the door wide open, and it was Daniel's turn to be confused.

She spread her hands to both sides of the frame and struck a pose. She was in her blue BDU pants, the ones that hugged just a pinch too tight, and her black tank top. She had pulled her wavy hair out of her ponytail and let it gracefully frame her face.

Daniel's jaw dropped and rather than ask a pertinent question he muttered, "How did you do that so fast?"

She smirked and sauntered down the hall towards the commissary. Daniel watched Vala walk away for a few moments until she turned back to smile at him. "Are you coming darling?"

"Actually, I had some work to do, so I won't be…"

She put her finger over his lips and shushed him. "But darling, you need to eat something. You can't live on coffee alone." Vala stammered as Daniel gently kissed the fingertip that stopped his speech. She caught herself staring at Daniel's lips as she ran he fingertip along his succulent bottom lip. "C-Carolyn says you need to take better care of yourself."

She wrapped her fingers around the scruff of his shirt front and pulled him close enough to feel the heat seeping from his chest, and to make him blush. "Come on Daniel." She hovered close to his lips, just breathing him in. She bounded back, dragging him with her as she teased, "And I promise, dinner and a show."

Tell me how weak it is, or how you think the third part will go, or that I need to stop rambling and start writing, whatever you choose.