Once she had ducked and dodged her way through the crowds, she found him sitting on a bench in the hallway that led to the bathrooms with his face buried in his hands. Not knowing what else to do, she went over to where he was and sat down beside him. "Daniel? Are you alright?" she barely whispered loud enough for him to hear her. He didn't move, not even made the slightest movement to let her know that he had heard her. His mind, until just then had been millions of miles away. She wasn't sure what was going through Daniel's head at the moment, and she didn't want to pry but she was worried about him. She reached over and gently rubbed his back soothingly not knowing why, but only knowing that Daniel needed it. "Daniel? What is it? Do you...?" Before she could even finish the question Daniel looked up but not at her, almost as if he were afraid to. "I thought I saw her just now. I mean I...I know I didn't but just for a split-second I thought she was there. Same hair, same mouth, but it wasn't her it could never have been her." Vala didn't even to ask who he was referring to, she knew perfectly well who he was thinking about. After all a man like Daniel doesn't turn pale and run the other way for just any old reason, she'd seen the expression on his face out there, that's why she followed him. She didn't have his talent for eloquence to say something to sooth him all she could do was just be there at his side to listen. What could she have said anyway? "I know it wasn't her though. Once my brain caught up with the rest of me, I knew it couldn't be. And I was somehow relieved when it wasn't." She watched him for a moment more after he grew quiet before she spoke at last. "It's all right to feel relieved you know. You wouldn't be human if you didn't feel it at least a little bit."

Reaching over, she'd moved her left arm to lay her hand on top of his right one, he didn't even seem to notice it. "I don't even really know why I ran like I did, at least not then. All I knew is that I had to get off the ice as fast as humanly possible." For a moment Daniel was silent and lost in his thoughts. Not knowing how exactly to phrase what he wanted to say. He was quiet for so long Vala was starting to wonder if he even realized that she was still at his side. But instead he looked down at his hands before he started to speak again. He looked up at her for the first time since the both of them came off the ice, sighing in faint apology. "Look, I'm sorry about how I reacted out there but you didn't have to come after me like you did." "Of course I did. You looked as if the ghost of Ra was after you, how could I not? I was worried about you Daniel. You ran off without saying a word. And I know you of all people don't do something like that without a damned good reason."

Daniel just looked down again looking lost, not even knowing how to explain himself to her for why he ran like he did out there. He didn't know then but he realized now of course why he did. Wondering if he should just lay it out all on the line and just tell her. He sighed, looked up at her and caught her gray eyes in his. "Want to know something more?" he asked her in earnest, not once letting his eyes fall from hers. She didn't have it in her heart to break the gaze the two of them shared at this moment. Not even as she nodded, wondering why he was looking at her so intently. "I have to admit when I saw that girl out there, I was scared. Scared that somehow my past had come back to haunt me when I'd only just gotten over it. Over losing her. I mean I'll always love her but the past is the past and it can't be changed." He sighed before he continued as if he were treading on very thin ice.

"There was a time when I thought I would never get over my wife. I mean, the idea of…being hurt that way again. But I've finally gotten to the place. I've finally, for the first time in a long time, have gotten to the place where I actually feel I could get close to somebody again." At this he finally broke his gaze with her and looked up at the ceiling as if it had all the answers he'd ever wanted before he turned back to her. However, a faint glint of something shone in his eyes, something she hadn't seen in ages. When he did turn to look at her again a small hesitant smile graced his lips. "But not in a million years, a million, million years, would I ever possibly consider that person being you. I mean, we are so completely opposite and wrong for each other, it's not even funny!"

In an instant after hearing those words she managed to look shocked, confused and hurt all at once before Daniel realized just how she was taking his words. He gently and carefully silenced her before she could speak with a gentle finger pressed against her lips. "Shhhh shhh. That sounded a lot better in my head I know. But please let me try explain in a way I hope you'll understand. Please?" When it seemed that she was glued to the spot, almost as if she were still trying to process what he said just moment before. He decided for once to let something other than words do the talking. Shifting his hand from her lips to her cheek, and caught her lips in a gentle kiss before she could even read the intention in his eyes. She'd been so completely caught off guard by him that it took a few seconds before she could will her mouth to return the kiss. This was far from a friendly peck on the lips, this was much much more involved than that. He let her know through his kiss that everything had changed, especially how he felt about her since they'd first met. Once she had arrived at the SGC she'd exasperated him constantly. But eventually she showed him a whole other side of herself that was more vulnerable, caring and selfless than he thought could exist in her. She had gotten to him in a way he'd never thought was possible again, and this was his way of showing it to her. But now as she felt his hand now gently resting on her nape, enough so that it encouraged her to deepen the kiss a little more but instead she found herself breaking it.

Feeling dazed from what just happened, wondering silently if Daniel had just lost his mind. "Daniel? I don't mean to sound unappreciative or anything, but what the hell was that about? I thought you didn't like me in that sort of way." The man himself looked just as dazed as she felt but after hearing the confusion on her face and in her question, he tried to explain himself. "I'm sorry if I was a bit forward there. But I knew if I didn't do or say something just then I'd be forever kicking myself for not doing something about how I feel for you. Please just hear me out. W..w...when I saw that girl out there, I instantly thought Shau'ri was back from the dead. That she'd came back to reclaim me, for a lack of a better term, in her life again. T...that was why I ran then. I knew that it couldn't be. I wouldn't let it. It's been seven, almost eight years and I'd finally moved on with my life and that last thing I needed was something to open old wounds. What I'm saying is this; I've moved on Vala and you're the reason why. Ever since I met you, you've completely turned the world,the galaxy as I've known it and turned it upside down. There have been times I didn't know if I wanted to strangle you or kiss you. As I mentioned earlier, we are so wrong for each other that's it's hardly a laughing matter. But here you are, you somehow found a way to make a place for yourself here on Earth with us, with me. I hadn't even realized just how much until you were taken by the NID. That was when I realized I hadn't known what I had until I thought I lost you. Despite everything I've tried to deny to you, the others and myself. Vala, I've felt like this only one other time in my life. But it's been so long I'd all but forgotten what it felt like. What I'm trying to say here is...I think I lo...mmpphhh." But poor Daniel never got the chance to finish what he was saying, as he was being yanked forward by his sweater and being soundly kissed by Vala.

'Well that hadn't gone exactly as I planned.' Daniel thought as he wrapped an arm around her waist and lost himself in their kiss. Quite suddenly his world tilted backwards, though had it not been for Vala's hand, his head would've collided with the brick wall behind him. Most definitely not what he had planned but hey he wasn't complaining. He didn't even try to break the kiss, in fact he only pulled Vala even closer to him returning it much the same as he'd kissed her earlier. The way Vala practically had him pinned to the wall, almost literally left him dizzy and breathless. Although he could tell the difference between this kiss and the one she gave him just after they first met. Initially this one had seemed to start out pretty much the same but there was more feeling behind this one than the one on the Prometheus. A feeling that he finally felt he and Vala were now on the same page, if not the same word. Where their first kiss(es) were purely hormone-driven, adrenaline-rush filled lust from their fight, there was none of that in this one it was all gentleness, passion, and yes, love. His hand found the back of her neck again, letting his fingers gently tangle in the wispy curls on her nape and wrapped his other arm around her waist bringing her even closer to him. And he certainly wasn't complaining when she wrapped one of her arms around his back. However both of them were so involved in the kiss that neither noticed that the person that had watched at the entrance of the hallway had began walking (or rather, skating) away back to their friends.