How Many Ways Can You Say I Love You?

Spacegypsy1

Romance/Daniel and Vala

Bits and pieces of Daniel's and Vala's possible confessions of love. No real story line, just little snippets of their confessions - totally unrelated - that could happen between our archeologist and space pirate! Adding more to this series.

Number Six: Barbie Doll

Daniel's head lay on his desk and the plethora of artifacts and books circled him like a halo. Perhaps it was because he was nearly asleep that Teal'c's quiet voice seemed so anxious.

"DanielJackson?"

"Huh?" His head popped up.

"There has been an accident involving ValaMalDoran."

"Accident?" He checked his watch. It was just after ten p.m.

"I fear I am to blame."

"What!?" Daniel came out of his chair and rushed towards the door where Teal'c stood.

"It seems that ValaMalDoran was attempting to leap onto my back as I – unaware of her tomfoolery – moved in the direction of Colonel Mitchell. I believe she frequently confuses Football tactics with Basketball or so her actions indicate." Teal'c was following Daniel out the door of his office.

"Is she okay?"

"She is not."

"When did it happen?"

"Nearly one hour ago."

"An hour!" Daniel took off at a run.

"DanielJackson?" Teal'c called after him.

"What?"

"You are going in the wrong direction."

Skidding to a stop, Daniel spun and took off the other way.

By the time he reached the infirmary fear and running had his heart about to burst through his chest. He stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted her.

She sat on the bed, hair curled and full, putting on lipstick without a mirror. Her eyes lifted to him and she grinned. "Daniel! Look!" Vala lifted her right leg to reveal the neon green cast that stopped right below her knee. "It's green and matches my new robe, isn't that wonderful. Don't you just love it! And this one," she lifted her left arm to reveal the neon pink cast that went nearly to her shoulder, "is pink!"

Daniel turned and glared at Teal'c who dropped his head in shame.

-----

Standing at the foot of the ramp Daniel scowled at the four people about to go through the active 'Gate.

"Jackson, it's been settled. You're staying with your … patient and we're goin' on this mission. Landry doesn't want her incapacitated and alone to get into any mischief. Besides, who else could take care of her?"

"Sam. She's a woman. Vala needs a female helper!"

"You didn't just fall off the turnip truck. I need a scientist, not an archeologist. This is a simple mission. Breckenridge here knows the culture. You're stayin', we're goin'. Nuff said. Move out!" Mitchell turned and led the team through the Stargate.

Daniel was more than unhappy about being left with babysitting duties for Vala. But she couldn't stay in the infirmary and there really was no one else to take care of her. His head dropped despondently and he went off to collect his charge.

----

After three days being cooped up in his apartment with Vala, Daniel was near the point of breaking. He'd pigtailed her a hundred times. Dressed her like a Barbie doll only to have to redo it because she changed her mind. He fixed her meals, brought her magazines and books and literally waited on her hand and foot. He stopped at her requests to bathe her… he wasn't that naïve - she could bathe herself. Dr. Lam insisted she could also dress herself and feed herself, but he was willing to help out as much as he could. And to be honest she was a good sport about the whole thing.

"DANIEL!" She called from the guest bedroom. He squeezed his head in agitation retracting his last thought, before taking his time to get to her.

"Yes?" Standing in the doorway he forced a smile.

"I've decided on the pink nightgown. This blue one doesn't go with the green cast. And I thought I'd watch television in the living room while you work since I can't sleep."

He shuffled through the drawers and found the nightgown. He laid it on the bed beside her. He hated that drawer it always made him shiver-unfortunately in a pleasant way.

"Aren't you going to help me put it on?" She waggled her brows and eyed him seductively.

"I think you can manage, call when you're ready and I'll wheel you up front."

She shot him a pouting leer, "We make a happy couple together. I think I should move in here with you. You know I love you. We could have a few kids and live happily ever after."

"Call me when you're ready." He left the room.

-----

"DANIEL!"

He came to stand in the doorway looking oddly distracted.

"Daniel?"

She'd put on lipstick, fluffed her hair, worn her favorite nightie – the one that made him want to take it off of her. He stared across the room with a blank expression. "A wheel just came off the wheelchair."

"Well, darling, I'm not THAT heavy. You could carry me."

He knew that smile. Calculating and guilty. How could she have gotten the wheel to fall off? No way… had to be a faulty chair. He had one eye half closed in a 'I'm not so sure' squint towards her.

Vala, still grinning - teeth bared and eyebrows raised - waited.

Still frowning in indecision he lifted her from the bed. "Ugh. You weigh a ton."

Wrapping her arms around his neck she snuggled in close, wiggling about and placing her newly shinned and glossy red lips against his neck.

He all but dumped her on the couch and went back to the work he'd spread out on his dining room table. She spent an hour watching some movie, fast forwarding through it for what she termed, 'the juicy parts' and said not another word to him. That he realized was more distracting than her constant chatter.

What was she up to? He couldn't concentrate. He would only admit it to himself – he liked having her here. Not the distracting sexual innuendo part. That made him crazy … and wanting. But her being Vala, that came with the package. Constant chatter that he'd come to appreciate like a piece of music in the background while he worked. A smile that could blind a man. The body of a goddess. The mind of genius cleverly disguised in rhetoric. And humor! She could make Jack sound like a stone with her often hilarious remarks. Damn. Damn. Damn. He was really getting excessively fond of Vala.

He could just see the top of her dark hair above the couch as the credits of the movie rolled across his television. Standing he called softly, "Vala?" When he got no answer he walked over and found her sleeping, a grimace on her face and sweat on her brow. Gently he touched her cheek. She moaned softly. He gathered her in his arms and carried her to the guestroom. Carefully he placed her on the bed and began to pull the covers over her.

"Daniel?" Her voice sounded pained.

"I'm right here." Brushing the hair from her face he knelt beside the bed. "Are you okay."

"Sort of. My arm really hurts. Stay with me, I'm sleepy, stay with me."

"I will. Go to sleep."

-----

He was sound asleep on his back when she threw the weighted cast across his thigh. "Daniel?" Opening her eyes she found his blue ones staring at her, a pained expression held there. "Sorry. Did I hurt you."

Not yet, he thought. But it was bound to happen soon enough.

Vala rolled into him, protecting her aching arm. Her leg was still across him; the cast digging further into his flesh. Unable to get the leverage she needed to remove it; Vala gave him a pitiful look and shrugged her shoulders.

Carefully he removed her leg.

"Don't go." The soft whisper of her words washed over him.

Blue eyes were intense. "Are you hungry?"

"I've been hungry since the day I met you." She grinned and he smiled and did the oddest thing. He kissed her. Warm and tenderly, his hand upon her face.

And when his lips left hers she smiled and he grinned and she kissed him with all the love she could muster, all the pent up longing, from the depth of her soul.

When at last their eyes met once more his were full of something she had never witnessed before. He appeared to be blinking in slow motion, his expression warm and caring.

"Daniel?" His name fell in a question of a thousand words from her lips. "Daniel."

"Vala. Vala, I think I love you." He whispered, bewildered, bemused and happily befuddled.