By the time Daniel got out there everyone had already booted up and were now gliding lazily around the ice. Daniel watched them for a moment before sitting down and doffing his shoes and his jacket, laying them next to Jack's. By the time he got both skates on and tied, the group were just completing their third circuit of the rink. He wobbled ungracefully to the entrance that lead to the ice and waited for them to pass by him before he joined them, sticking close to the side and slightly behind them while pretending to be wobbly on the ice as well, for now at least. "Hey guys! Couldn't anyone wait for me?" Jack turned around and grinned, "Daniel! There you are. I was just considering on sending out a search party for you!" "Yeah as if you could have lost me that easily Jack." Unfortunately for him at this point, he wobbled for real almost losing his balance (thanks in part to the newly sharpened skate blades) he wasn't used to going so slow on such sharp blades. The next time Daniel wobbled, Vala was at his side bracing him with an arm around his waist. Jack and the others skated on ahead of them giving them enough space to see if their plan would work.
"Easy there. You really are as shaky as they claimed." Vala chuckled as she helped him to stay upright. "Yeah well their memories could be a little bit faulty. Even I don't think I'm as bad as I was that other time they took me here." "And just how long ago was that?" She grinned at him as she skated beside him, keeping her arm at his waist to ensure that he didn't fall over. "Oh, about three or four years I think. It was Cassie's idea but I don't think I liked it very much then, I kept falling on my ass all night. After that I pretty much clung to the side." Daniel grinned at her as he described that night in vivid detail to Vala. He did have fun that night, not that he'd admit it to anyone else though. He did ask her just when she'd discovered skating herself, although he had known at least part of the answer already, but it was nice to talk with her about something that didn't involve going through the 'gate and saving the galaxy for once.
He hadn't noticed that she still had her arm around his waist, or he didn't seem to at any rate. In the past he would've said or did something to make her remove the straying limb. Nowadays though he and Vala grew closer, becoming better friends than they had been the second she came though the gate and into his life again. Part of that came from saving each others skins time and time again, mostly since he had rescued her from the Ori ship when he could have just left her there once he felt the Asgard beam activate. But he couldn't have, it wasn't in him to leave behind someone who needed help, especially since she'd left his life so abruptly again through that singularity. He'd felt so guilty for not listening to her in the first place when she tried to tell them her idea. Thinking he should've known better than not even Vala would make light of that desperate moment.
If the truth were known and to be perfectly honest, that his link to Vala via the bracelets was only just the smallest part of the reason he'd collapsed on the Prometheus. The true reason was when he realized that Vala wasn't out there any longer he had literally felt his knees give out from beneath him in shock as he tried to grab at Col. Pendergast's chair to keep himself standing although he'd been quickly losing that battle. He'd been lucky Cam and Teal'c got to him before he'd passed out a moment later finally due her sudden departure from their galaxy. Vala had somehow gotten under his skin when he wasn't looking and it had nothing to do at all with the Kor Mak bracelets. Since Sam had told him that there was an energy pattern transmitted through the singularity he'd never given up hope that somehow Vala was alive, well and annoying the Ori in their home galaxy. Now since he found her on that Ori ship that he'd ringed onto, he'd been more willing to give her a another chance.
How could he not after she had risked her life twice for them? Once to stop the first supergate from forming and once to warn them of the impending invasion despite the possibility of being discovered any second. Hell she even saved his own sorry skin on the Ori ship by pushing him out of the way of the blast that came from Tomin's Ori staff weapon. Her time in the home galaxy of the Ori seemed to have changed her. It had sanded over most of her rough edges away, taming them, taming her...almost. Although it wasn't until he felt the icy breeze of a speeding skater passing by very closely that Daniel had realized that he'd been so lost in his thoughts that neither of them were skating anymore and was just standing there as if there weren't any other skaters who had to make their way around them. "Uh, Vala I think we're in the way here." he blushed slightly and ducked his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "Want to move over to the side so we're not in the way? Just for a moment?" She nodded and led him to the side of the rink, hand still on his back until they got there and sat on the railing, his back propped up against the wall just behind it. Feeling a little bold, he decided to ask her something.
"So...want in on a secret?" Daniel looked at her with a sly little grin as he asked her. Then looked around to make sure the others weren't within hearing distance, fully deciding on showing her something that the others didn't already know. He knew that he wouldn't be able fake bad skating for too much longer tonight, his feet were already itching to blow everyone else off the ice but he behaved himself for the moment. Without hesitation, to answer his question, Vala nodded "Of course Daniel! When have you known me not want to know any sort of secret? You know I can't resist good gossip of any kind." Daniel just shook his head, "How can it be gossip if almost no one from the SGC knows about it?" "Almost no one? Who else knows it?" Vala looked as if she were barely able to restrain herself from pulling him close to her, by his sweater, and shaking the answer from him.
Daniel blinked at her, noticing her expression then smiled. "I think you've been hanging around Jack way too much." Daniel grinned impishly. "He's always wanting to get straight to the point of a subject. Never wanting to give anyone time to elaborate." He gently teased her. "Dr. Lam and General Landry already know, and soon you will too. Once you see we've got to hide it for as long as we can for the rest of the night. Do that and I'll take you with me from now on." For some reason Vala didn't speak but only nodded her reply but wore the same shy smile she'd had on earlier. But instead of speaking his own reply to her nod, he pulled her off the side by the hand she had started to reach for his waist but he just shook his head slightly. Daniel looked around to see what his other friends were doing and seeing them now in the cafe area of the rink talking, he pulled Vala close to him so she wouldn't get lost in the crowds and be separated from him. Also so that they could blend in without notice from the others. And even as he drew her close to him once he stopped within a throng of skaters, he began to whisper what likely by now what she probably just figured out.