Author's Note: No, it's not a Federal Holiday, but it is my niece's birthday, and I am in deep denial that she's ten, so I'm masking the pain with Daniel/Vala fic.

Let me know your thoughts as always.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. If I did, D/V would be together for reals in the actual show

o0o

No More Pretending

It wasn't something new.

It was something SG-1 had resorted to since almost the beginning when it became clear the galaxy they were stepping into wasn't as progressive as Earth – though it was generally Jack who made the…sacrifice, so to speak. After getting into several scrapes early on, Jack O'Neill saw a pattern emerge and when he saw that history was about to repeat itself, he stopped it. Daniel would always remember the first time it happened and the priceless look on Sam's face when Jack told the leader of P3X-916 that Sam was his wife. Captain at the time, she didn't argue but it was the first time the rest of SG-1 discovered her temper, and she was not to be messed with.

It didn't matter that it was the right move and avoided another incident – like getting kidnapped and sold. Sam had stewed in anger the whole time they were there and barely talked to any of them. When Jack finally apologized sincerely, she made them all promise it wouldn't happen again. They all agreed…but that was until four missions later it became necessary again. To be fair, Jack held off and didn't say a thing, but when things were about to get dicey, Sam had huffed in annoyance before rectifying it and suddenly, Jack and Sam were 'married' again.

It was a necessary evil – one Daniel rarely had to partake in. In the ten years he'd been with the SGC and SG-1, he only had to be Sam's 'husband' four times. In the first few years, the team knew it wasn't something he could do – he was still married to Sha're. When that was no longer the case, he was grieving the loss. His teammates respected that boundary. By the time it wouldn't affect him as deeply, things in that area appeared to settle down. People didn't seem to care as much. They went roughly a solid three years without an issue – they were SG-1 after all and were known across the galaxy.

Until they weren't.

Daniel blamed Jack and the ungodly amount of 'gate addresses he added during the time he had the knowledge of the Ancients. He also blamed the Ori – they wouldn't have skipped the enormous amount of planets if the threat of the Ori hadn't been as grave. It all started there – going to planets known to host the Ancients. Oddly enough, most of the planets weren't as progressive as one would've thought for a former Ancient world. It was on one of those planets where he was forced to call Vala his wife.

Sam was well versed in those types of situations and recognized two single women on a team with three other men was bound to cause some problems, and when it finally did, she instantly claimed Teal'c as her husband. It was Mitchell's first time in that sort of situation but that didn't slow him down or stop him from throwing Daniel under the bus and telling the village elders Vala and Daniel were married as well.

Daniel couldn't very well contradict him at that point. He wished he had. It became a thing from then on. He tried to argue with them every time they were back on Earth, but he was always shot down.

"Face it, Jackson," Mitchell told him one time, "you're the only one who can control her. Plus, you two already bicker like a married couple – it just makes sense."

It was unofficially settled.

He was stuck playing Vala's fictional husband in sticky situations.

Every time he said it aloud, it could barely believe he was in the situation in the first place, and as reluctant he was to say it and give Vala the satisfaction of his discomfort, he did it anyway. "…and this is my wife, Vala Mal Doran."

It was hard to keep the sarcasm out of his voice during his introduction of the team. It was even harder not to sigh in annoyance when she draped herself over him, but he couldn't shrug her off without causing suspicion. She loved it when missions took this particular turn.

"You travel with your wife?" the elder asked curiously.

Vala snuggled up closer to him. "He can't bear to be apart from me," she said in a teasing tone. "Isn't that right, darling?"

Daniel smiled tightly. "Can't live without her."

She smiled triumphantly.

He didn't know how, but over time, it did get easier to say. He still couldn't reconcile the words within him – he never imagined saying those words, 'my wife,' after Sha're died, and he never could've predicted that they'd be said in mockery – but somewhere along the lines, it got easier to say, and he minded a little less. Vala got a little less intense as well whenever he did.

And just like that, one day it changed.

It wasn't forced. It wasn't said with reluctance or annoyance. It may not have even been necessary, but before he could fully process the situation, he heard himself say, "I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson. This Colonel Mitchell, Teal'c, and my wife, Vala Mal Doran."

It took his brain a full twenty seconds to realize what had transpired, and why his teammates were giving him incredulous glances. When he realized what he'd done, he refused to act surprised, but instead like it had been intentional – he couldn't let them know he'd slipped up.

He shrugged when the town leaders left them. "I got a weird vibe," he said defensively.

In his defense, seven out of the last ten planets they visited had required him to claim Vala as his wife – he was chalking his slip up to that.

Mitchell seemed to buy it, Vala was still wary but thankfully let it go, and Teal'c just gave him a knowing look – what the Jaffa knew, Daniel couldn't tell you, but ever since the fifty years that didn't happen, Teal'c had been doing it a lot, and he got the feeling there was something he should know or at least be figuring out.

"How come I'm just simply the wife?" Vala complained. "Why don't I have a title?"

Mitchell rolled his eyes. "Because you actually don't," he gestured to Teal'c. "T doesn't have one either."

She huffed. "You say Teal'c, and everyone always thinks the Jaffa, the Shol'va – which is a good thing now – the warrior, the one responsible for the Jaffa rebellion. He may not have an official title or rank, but we all know it's there."

"If it makes you feel better, I'm certain there's tons of people in the galaxy who insert something of that kind after hearing your name," Daniel interjected. "Space pirate. Thief. Con artist. Smug–" Vala hitting him made him stop.

"I'm being serious!" she glared at him. "Why am I just the wife? Is that all I am? A possession? A tag along with no discernable purpose?"

All teasing left him and he frowned. He hadn't realized it bothered her that much. "Of course, you're not," he assured her. "You could never be a tag along or a possession. As for a purpose, well that's up to you to decide – whatever it is, we'll support it."

Vala stared at him for a moment before smiling widely and rested an arm on his shoulder. "I love being your wife sometimes." She kissed his cheek sweetly.

Daniel rolled his eyes but didn't shrug off her arm or berate her for the kiss. He would never admit it to her, but sometimes he liked it too.

It wouldn't be the last time the two of them would need to play a couple, but it was the last he reluctantly did so. Something shifted – something he couldn't quite understand, but he had a hunch it was the same thing Teal'c was waiting for him to discover. It wasn't just about being a temporary husband on particular missions – it went much further than that. He no longer minded her presence and actually started to crave it. Their conversations became deeper and more meaningful. He sensed their relationship was slowly being altered as well. It felt stronger than a friendship, but not enough to be called anything else. It was like they were in some state of limbo he didn't know how to get out of.

"Daniel!" Vala snapped her fingers in his fingers in his face. "Focus and tell me which one to wear!" She held up two dresses with an expectant look.

Daniel took off his glasses and pinched his note. "Why didn't you ask Carolyn or Sam this question before we left?"

For the first time in over a decade, Daniel was finally allowed to share some of his discoveries he made on Earth while working with the SGC. It was completely Earth based and not even a hint of extraterrestrial or anything else that could be tied to the SGC, he did discover them because of the Stargate Program. He had given a presentation on his findings yesterday at a conference he was attending with Vala (she badgered her way into coming – not that he minded) and today was the last day, and a banquet was being held – which they were late for.

"I did," she said simply. "But I brought an extra."

He sighed. "So, wear the original pick."

"But I'm having second thoughts."

"So, wear the back up."

"But it's the back up."

Daniel groaned. "Vala, I really don't care," he placed his glasses back on.

"Daniel!" she whined.

He knew he wasn't getting out of this. He glanced at the options and immediately knew which dress was the one. He pointed to the opposite one. "That one."

Vala's nose crinkled at it. "Really?"

He shrugged. "You asked."

She scrutinized the dress again before shaking her head and tossed the offensive dress on the bed. "I'm going to wear this one instead," she shook the one he secretly preferred.

He held back a smile. "Just get ready."

Vala scampered off to the bathroom. He heard shuffling from inside and before he knew it, she was out of the bathroom, all ready to go. "Ta da!"

"Whoa," he said softly. If he wasn't so taken aback by how stunning she was, he would've been impressed with how fast she got ready.

Vala paused in putting on her shoes and glanced down at her outfit. "It is too much?"

Daniel shook his head. "No," he took a step forward. "It's perfect."

"Really?" she sounded uncertain.

"Really," he promised. "It reminds me of where we met – in space."

She wore a black dress that was sprinkled with beads that shined in the light, reminding him of the stars. It was sparkly without being too gaudy and it looked just right on her.

Her cheeks bore a slight pink color. "If I remember correctly, that wasn't a particularly good meeting."

Daniel shrugged. "It led us here, didn't it?" She gave him a confused look but before she could say anything, he jerked his head towards the hotel room's door. "C'mon. We're late."

The banquet was already in full swing by the time they arrived, and it appeared as if everyone had already arrived – aside from them, of course. They quickly found their seats, smiling awkwardly at the other guests.

"Stop glaring at me, we're barely late," she hissed in his direction. "The appetizers are still here!"

Before he could come up with a retort, a man from across the table started speaking. "Hey, you're one of the speakers, right?"

Daniel turned his attention to the man. "Yeah, I was," he confirmed with a small nod. "I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson."

The guy's face lit up in recognition. "That's right. Dr. Henry Richards," he offered his hand. "Fascinating stuff."

Daniel took his hand. "Thank you."

Dr. Richards gestured to Vala. "And this is…?" he asked.

Before he could even comprehend what was coming out of his mouth, he said, "Oh, uhh, this is my wife, Vala Mal Doran."

Vala choked on her water, but she recovered beautifully – most likely due to the amount of times she'd been put in this situation. She cleared her throat and offered a pleasant smile. "Nice to meet you."

"How'd you get your wife to come to one of these things?" Richards asked. "I can never convince mine."

Daniel reached over and grabbed Vala's hand, ignoring how her body stiffened slightly. "It helps that she's a major part of our work – I wouldn't be here without her," he met her eyes, remembering one of their conversations about how she was always depicted as just the wife. "She's a hell of a lot more than just my wife."

His statement was true aside from being his wife part – and if he could change that, he would.

He suddenly wished more than anything for that part to be true. He wanted to mean it when he called her his wife, which was more than a little insane. They weren't dating. They hadn't kissed beyond their first meeting aboard the Prometheus. They hadn't exhibited the signs or a couple or someone wanting to be in a relationship, but here he was, wishing he could change all of that.

Especially when she smiled at him like that.

The conversation shifted to Daniel's presentations at the conference, but he didn't remove his hand from Vala's knee where he'd placed it shortly after proclaiming her as his wife – again. He did most of the talking as usual, but she was oddly quiet and barely spoke. Before he got a chance to ask about it, she excused herself towards the end of dinner and went to the ladies' room.

When she didn't return after a few minutes, he got horrible flashbacks to the last time it was just the two of them and she disappeared to the bathroom, only to get kidnapped. He knew the likelihood of it happening again was small, but then again, they did work for the SGC, and there were some seedy people out there – not to mention quite a few Goa'uld living on Earth.

Richards chuckled, bringing Daniel's attention back to the table. "Relax," the man said in a teasing manner. "Your wife's fine. I saw her step outside not too long ago."

His head whipped to the doors leading to the patio and garden. He rose from his chair and nodded towards the rest of the table. "Nice meeting you," he said to Richards before seeking out his wife.

She's not your wife, he reminded himself.

Once through the doors, he instantly spotted her in the middle of the garden, staring up at the stars. He approached as quietly as he could, but when he saw her rub her arms for warmth, he shed his jacket and once he was close enough, draped it over her shoulders. She didn't even flinch.

"You okay?" he murmured softly, coming to stand next to her.

For a second, he thought she wasn't going to answer him, but then she did. "Why did you do that?"

He frowned at her. He had a feeling she didn't mean the jacket. "Do what?" he asked.

Vala's head turned towards him. "Why'd you call me your wife?" she asked in an accusatory tone. "There was no bloody reason for it. We're on Earth – hell, we're in your own damn country. We weren't in danger, so why the hell did you do it?"

To say he was baffled was an understatement. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered out an apology. "I didn't think it bothered you so much. You've never seemed to mind in the past."

She scoffed and resumed gazing upon the stars. "I didn't mind it before because it saved us from a lot of unpleasantness," she retorted bitterly. "But it's a last resort. You can't just fuck with people's emotions like that. It's cruel, Daniel, and it's not fair."

She was hurt. The thought mystified him to no end. Why would it matter? Unless… "Why is it cruel? Why does it bother you so much?" he asked and barely restrained himself from pushing harder.

Vala sighed sadly but refused to look at him. "Because it's hard enough off-world when it's necessary, but on your own planet?" her voice cracked. "It's more than just fucking hard, Daniel."

"Why?" he practically whispered.

Her head dipped. "Because it's not true," her reply was barely audible.

Daniel swore he felt his heart stop – and it had several times before, so he knew the feeling. A tension he didn't realize that built up suddenly released inside of him, and he felt lighter than he had in years. "What if it was?" he found himself asking, completely meaning every word.

She finally glanced at him, completely in shock. "What?" she whispered.

The part of him that normally ran from situations like this tried to take over, but he fought it. He had to know if the possibility of them was achievable. "What if it was true?"

She blinked at him. "How much have you had to drink?"

He barely restrained a sigh. "Vala, I'm being serious."

Vala shook her head, seeming unable to comprehend what he was saying. "What're you talking about?" She implored him with a look to answer her. "Daniel, w-we're not even in a relationship, and you want t-to…" she broke off.

Daniel turned her so they were standing face to face. "You know, we've gone through literal hell together. Shit like that bonds people in a unique way – in a deep way," he grabbed her hands. "We've gone through more in the last few years than most successful couples ever experience."

She gaped at him. "A-are you saying, or rather asking, what I think you're trying to ask?"

He shrugged innocently. "I don't know, maybe?" he met her gaze. "It depends, I guess."

She raised an eyebrow. "On?"

Daniel smiled softly. "You."

Vala's face shifted from confusion and bafflement to mischievous, and he knew he was in for it. "Only one way to find out," she goaded in that husky voice he was a sucker for.

"Vala," he groaned. Would it kill her to meet him halfway?

She just smiled. "You know how to end this, Daniel."

He huffed a laugh and shook his head at what they were dancing around, but it kind of epitomized their whole relationship in a way – kind of like a long, drawn out game of chicken. Well, he was about to lose – or would it actually be winning? "You better not be messing with me."

Vala's face softened and there was no more playfulness – only genuineness. "I haven't for a while, darling."

It was all Daniel needed. His hands slid up to her waist and brought her as close to him as he could. "I don't want to pretend anymore," he whispered fervently. "I want you to be my wife for real."

He'd never seen so many emotions displayed across her face or reflected in her eyes. "There's usually a question asked when that's the case."

Daniel barely restrained from rolling his eyes, but looking at her under the moonlight, he felt nothing but an overwhelming love for this woman. "I'm madly in love with you, Vala Mal Doran," he declared, almost getting choked up. He never realized how deeply he loved her until this moment – he never thought he could feel this way again. "And I want you to be my wife, so will you marry me?"

Vala let out a watery chuckle before she said, "I love you too. Of course, I'll marry you," before she grabbed his face and kissed him.

The next time Daniel called Vala his wife, it was the truth, and they would never have to pretend again.

The End.