Ask Doctor Daniel Jackson

Well, hello. This is my little corner of the internet. And now that the program is public, well, it's about time that we got out there to make sure the facts are correct. So feel free to ask me anything, my inbox is always open. (This blog is done as a tribute to the Stargate Franchise and is no way affiliated with the show.)

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Vala grinned at his proposal, her mind wandering away from the delicious meal in front of her, preparing itself for whatever goodies the dessert menu would offer. It was no secret that she, much like her other alien friend, found herself with a particular fondness for Earth’s plethora of sweets and sugary goods. They were endless, really. Pies, cakes, candies, junk food. It was a wonder why she wasn’t as big as a house, with all the sweets she found herself eating throughout the day. Chocolate, especially. But then again, her metabolism was fast (thanks to Qetesh) and she usually was always on the move, saving the planet and all that wonderful stuff.

"I’m up for the challenge," she replied finally, licking her lips. Just then she reached in and swipes the piece of steak he’d been cutting, popping it into her mouth before he can even begin to protest.

"Well that’s just as delicious!"

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He just gave her a look at that, that was part amusement and part exasperation. The former of those two feelings being a rather new addition to things.

"I was about to find that out, wasn't I? Hands off, by the by, else I might have to poke you with a fork."

But he smiled when he said it. And he was also pretty sure she'd prod him right back and thus start a fairly massive fork fight in the middle of the restaurant. Which would not reflect well on anybody her first time out.

"At the rate the steak is disappearing," he said with a pointed look at her, "you'll get to fulfill that challenge shortly."

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His hesitation took her by surprise, and for a split second before he finally took the bite, Vala wondered if she was doing something wrong. She had seen others in the restaurant around them doing it, out of the corner of her eye. She had seen the team share their meals (or, well, had seen Teal’c blatantly steal food off of others’ plates and Cameron try to sneak it, only to get caught). The thought that perhaps the gesture was meant for two people who… would come to a lovely restaurant with a live piano and dim lighting… didn’t even cross her mind.

The action was completely innocent in nature, or at least that’s what she let herself believe. Although, was any of what they were doing truly innocent? She wanted to say yes, that they were just… two friends and co-workers out to dinner. But something deep down, something she was not entirely sure she wanted to acknowledge, knew. Knew that she wanted to read more into it, knew that the ease that had developed between them was something she might never be able to build with anyone else, no matter how she tried.

A smile spread across her face and she nodded. “Yes, well, you didn’t so…" she sticks her tongue out playfully before taking a smug bite, eyes never leaving him.

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"Yes, and the regret will stay with me to the end of my days."

He was...very aware that something was different here. Not as it had been...meant. Or had it? He was beginning to doubt that. So much was shifting in his head so fast he was quite unsure what the plan had actually been at this point.

Right. So. New plan. Improvising was that they didn't, wasn't it? Time to just enjoy himself.

He dug into his steak, enthusiastically.

"But since I cannot erase the mistakes of the past, I'll enjoy this and let you choose dessert."

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Vala clinked her glass with his timidly, just as an extra precaution. The last thing she wanted was to be a bit too forceful. It happened once, her first time out with the team. They went to some flimsy bar in down and… well, it was quite embarrassing. Definitely something she could do without repeating. Who knew glass on Earth was so weak?

She wasted no time ‘digging’ into her meal, wiggling about in her chair in anticipation. She blew on the portion her fork managed to scoop up and, as soon as she was satisfied, took her first bite. The moan that escaped her lips was involuntary, and she slumped ever so slightly.

"This is fantastic, Daniel!" she praised, fork already in the process of gathering another bite. She held it out to him, cradling her free hand under it cautiously. “Try it."

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He loved watching her enjoy herself. Much as he'd not admitted that to her openly. It was a great sign, and given the precarious nature of their lives for the last few years, Vala enjoying herself meant - in strictest terms - that nothing was trying to kill them. She was like a canary in a coal mine in that regard.

Which meant that his train of thought was going one way when she suddenly caused it to jump the tracks in another direction. "Umm, what?" He blinked at her a few times, looking from her fork to her. "I...I don't know if I should, that's..."

He paused, looking around for a moment in case help suddenly emerged. But it did look exceptionally tasty. And she couldn't know that it was an act of casual intimacy on Earth, could she?

"Oh, all right," he said, biting it quickly. Then pausing as his eyes widened. "Ok, that's what I should have gone with."

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Vala’s face split into a huge grin as the waiter returned with their dishes. She’d almost forgotten just how hungry she was! Now, with the aroma of both meals wafting through her senses, she had to do all she could to stop herself from drooling. She rubbed her hands together as she bounced slightly in her seat, just about to dig in when Daniel began to speak. The grin faltered for only a moment, and she took her drink in hand, elevating it slightly as Daniel was.

"Uhm… how about…" her grin died slowly, melting into something lighter but not any less expressive. “to, as cheese covered as it sounds, peace… and new beginnings."

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He smiled in return, rather liking that expression. And the genuine nature it revealed.

"That works. Here's to peace and new beginnings."

He clinked glasses with her, drank, then picked up his utensils.

"I think 'dig in' is the appropriate phrase at this point," he added, with a smile. He knew full well just how eager she was. She wasn't even trying to hide it.

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"Oh? I do recall you saying you kept your eyes closed the entire time. Singing a different tune now, are you?" Vala chuckled, the corners of her mouth twitching.

A year or two ago, Vala would have found it frightening that she actually trusted what this man was saying to her. Without a doubt, wholeheartedly, no hesitations. Just trust, pure and honest. For so long, it was such a foreign concept; and while she still didn’t give it out easily, she knew who her friends were. She knew who would protect her with their lives, if it came down to it. And she knew who she’d protect with hers. Even back then, when Daniel had no reason to respect her, he did. For a space pirate who, during her time on the run, had encountered quite a few ungentlemanly creatures, that was… different. But Daniel was different, always had been. Good different, of course, but different nonetheless. She liked it.

"No need to be bashful, Daniel," she teased, lips pursing coyly. “It’s just a shame, what with being unconscious and all, I couldn’t have a show of my own."

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"I deny everything," he said, "and that's final."

He smiled, and was about to add more when the food arrived. He grinned about that, instead. The steak looked rather amazing, frankly, and smelled just as amazing. Her dish, on the other hand...looked almost better. He thanked the waiter, then raised his glass.

"Right, and it's traditional at this point to toast. So...what shall we toast for?"

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Vala couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face when their conversation took a turn towards their personal past. She wasn’t ashamed of her endeavor to steal the Prometheus; she learned long ago that, if she was ever going to move on and be a better person, she had to learn from her mistakes. Regretting them and beating herself up about it wouldn’t help her grow. It was hard at times, of course. But everything she did, everything that happened to her… it lead her to Earth. It lead home. And she wouldn’t have traded that in for the world.

"Mmmmm, I especially liked the kissing part," she replied cheekily, her gaze lingering on him for a moment before she turned back to her drink. The alcohol, as expected, didn’t affect her much. Still, she figured she should probably pace herself. As much as she would have liked to order a dozen more, she was sure the humans on Earth wouldn’t be able to handle it.

"You also forgot the part where you got to see me naked, darling. Surely, that was the highlight of the day for you."

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"I was a bit concussed at the time, didn't really pay attention," he responded, quickly. "Funny what being hit in the head a dozen time will do for one's ability to pay attention to such things." 

He was rather certain that alcohol in such a drink would dent her about as much as it would a locomotive. Maybe some of the heavier stuff might do the trick, but he wasn't exactly prepared to deal with drunk Vala. He had enough difficulty keeping up with her when she was dead sober.

But they'd come such a long way. To actually be sitting here, sharing a meal in a friendly manner. With banter. It had been quite the road that had led to this point.

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Vala listened intently, leaning in as he did, honestly interested in what he had to say. Yes, she teased him constantly about being buried under the dust of civilizations long dead, about the fact that he seemed to dedicated to the lives of people that weren’t there to appreciate it and forgot that he had a one of his own. But that was just that, teasing. If she was to be honest with herself, she found Daniel’s line of work rather wonderful. It was selfless, just as he was. Come to think of it, she really couldn’t see him as anything else. 

Not to mention, watching him talk about it… she’d never seen him so passionate, so dedicated. His eyes had a way of lighting up his entire face, and he talked a little too fast, going off on tangents about this and that and this again. She often found herself wishing she could be as passionate about something as he was about tablets and tombs and artifacts. Helping him with his discoveries using Qetesh’s knowledge always left her feeling fulfilled and useful; just another reason she often found herself hovering over his shoulder, pestering him until he had to let her help or, like today, agreed to do something with her.

"Why, because of the ‘pyramids as landing strips for aliens’ thing?" she asked, brow furrowed. She took a sip of her drink before continuing. “Oh please, I’ve read far worse stories in those magazines. Bigfoot sightings, half frog, half human babies, mutant sea monsters… honestly, your correct theories are completely sane compared to them!" Vala shrugged. “I guess it’s for the best, though. Look at where you are now! You get to do all that and more," she leaned in once again, voice dropping barely above a whisper. “with the added bonus of having to save the galaxy from aliens claiming to be Gods and weird little mechanical bug things and crazy ascended beings and their religious zealot minions."

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He smiled at that, especially her conspiratorial whisper. He nodded, slowly.

"All of that is true. But at the time, when I came up with the theory, I didn't know all that. I was written off as a quack or a charlatan or worse, a complete fraud. I lost all standing." He chuckled, ruefully. "Even my friends barely talk to me anymore. Frankly, if I hadn't have found out about the program...not sure where my life would've gone."

He looked away for a moment before facing her again with a slight smile.

"And then I never would have been punched, shot, healed, beaten, kissed, beaten some more by an alien thief who subsequently turned out to be a very good person who asked me to take her out to dinner."

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There was still so much she had yet to learn about the enigma that was Daniel Jackson. Sometimes it startled her, just how little she actually knew about him. Because to her, she felt as if she’d known him all her life. Stargate Command had easily become her family. Okay, perhaps not easily. But they had nonetheless, and in increments she’d learned all about her fellow colleagues.

She’d met Cameron’s family, his friends, even the girl he had a crush on since his youth. Teal’c had taken her off-world to meet his son, as well as the woman he was courting… or, as she liked to say, courting him. There wasn’t much to learn about Sam; she told of her father and her brother, who Vala was fortunate enough to meet after Sam agreed to take her to her niece’s birthday party. She’d also met Cassie quite a few times, and considered her a friend. She was a great deal more fun to party with than Sam. In a short period of time, Vala had managed to weasel her way into the lives of her friends, creating roots she never had growing up. And yet, she knew little to nothing about the man who started it all. The man who vouched for her, even after she left his friends for death and tried to steal his ship. 

"Speaking of your profession…" she said after a beat, realizing they had fallen into a comfortable silence. Not that she minded, of course. “What ar-chae-ologists do, exactly? You know, the ones that aren’t lucky enough to… do what you do."

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"Well," he said, with a chuckle, "most of them get to either teach - which is good enough, but not really my thing. Or they go on expeditions. Trying to find hints of lost civilizations. Excavate lost buildings and find artefacts. Most of it is, I'll admit, rather dull, but...well."

He leaned forward, warming to his theme.

"Imagine that you've spent four days excavating what's left of a small village. And you know it's important, but there hasn't really been anything interesting. Oh, there's a satisfaction and interest, but nothing really grabs you. And in my field, the budget is usually pretty tight and you are frequently up against the wall with nothing to show for it...and then, you'll find something. Some tiny little something, often not even intrinsically valuable. And it contributes to the knowledge of the species. Something new that nobody had any idea about. Sometimes you prove a line of thinking wrong that has been entrenched for decades."

He chuckled, though, shaking his head.

"Not that anybody would invite me along anymore. As far as they're concerned, I'm one of the greatest nuts in the history of archaeology."

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Vala watched him silently, eyes bright and eager. She hadn’t seen any of the Chaplin fellows work, but had seen him on one of those influential lists she’d found while researching Earth during her first months with the SGC. Apparently, he was an actor when movies first started becoming a thing, before there was color or sound. She couldn’t really see why such a thing was a big deal, considering without color or sound the movies were probably quite boring. She figured it was probably one of those things that you had to see to fully understand what made it so wonderful.

She cocked an eyebrow when Daniel took her fork, shoving it into one of the dinner rolls that she was sure could be eaten with her fingers. However, she stayed silent, an amused smirk playing against her features. She’d never seen this side of Daniel before. He was so open… playful, even. For a moment she wondered if the Daniel that she was seeing now was the Daniel before joining the Stargate program, before all the troubles of the Goa’uld weighed down upon his shoulders.

But the thought was gone as soon as he began his routine, and she couldn’t help the bark of laughter that left her. She covered her mouth quickly, noticing out of the corner of her eye that a few people looked back at her, but she ignored them.

"Oh my gosh," she giggled, removing her hand just in time for him to do the split, which sent her into another fit of laughter, ending with a slight snort.

"You’re such a geek," she teased affectionately, reaching over to steal one of his dinner roll shoes. She took a large bite, chewing thoughtfully before adding, “But you’re my geek, so it’s okay."

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He chuckled in response.

"Well," he said, taking a bite out of his roll in return, "I can cop to the being a geek part. It's almost a pre-requisite in my line of work."

He handed her back her fork, settling in his chair and considering his wine for a moment before taking another sip. This really was Peacetime Daniel, and it was the first time he'd really let himself be that way. In truth, he was finally getting past what had happened to Sha're. It had taken all those years to become, again, the man she had loved. Years of conflict, strife and loss.

But the upside was, that once a door had been opened, it was far easier to open it again.

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His admission was… well, unexpected. Especially given how it began. Daniel was never one who put up with her flirting. The others were uncomfortable, or flustered, or just laughed and played along (well, actually, no one played along. Except maybe Jack, though she rarely got to see him). Daniel took it as if she was personally offending him, his patience growing smaller and smaller with each wink and innuendo laced statement. It didn’t stop her from doing it, of course. If anything, it made her want to do it more. She wore it almost as her armor, because as long as she was frustrating him, he wouldn’t be able to see the truth.

Needless to say, she didn’t reply. She bowed her head, hands dropping into her lap. Luckily the waiter returned just in time for her to recollect her thoughts, and plaster an another one of her brilliantly cheesy grins. 

"Charlie Chaplin?" she repeated, heading cocking to the side as she picked up her glass, taking a small sip. And then a larger one, because it was bloody terrific! Why on Earth didn’t they have those on base?! “Is that the guy with the…" she trailed off, placing her drink down before using that hand to wiggle her fingers over her upper lip. "…weird facial hair? The actor, I think?"

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He made an exaggerated showing of relief. "Well, thank heavens you've distinguished him from the other well-known person with the weird facial hair."

But he nodded thereafter, though taking a moment to point a finger at her drink. "And I see you're enjoying yourself, so I might as well try to add to it. This is going to sound..." he smiled, sheepishly, "Ok, it's going to sound very silly. But he used to do this trick that's sort of famous here on Earth and I've liked it since I was about..."

He held a hand out, relatively low off the floor, indicating what had once been Little Daniel Jackson.

"And never gotten to do it for someone who doesn't know it. This is a unique opportunity."

He reached across the table, taking two rolls. Then, he borrowed her fork. "I promise you'll get it back," he added. Then his fork and her fork were inserted into the buns.

"Right," he said, "going to look like an idiot, but..."

And he leaned his head down, so it looked somewhat as if the forks were where his legs began. And then he started the famous bun dance. The "legs" kicked, with their bun "feet" leading the way in a little routine he remembered from the sort of childhood memory that never, ever dislodged no matter what you did.

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Vala’s attention drifted to the waiter as he drew near, ready to take their order. She placed her elbows on the table, lacing her fingers together before placing her chin on them daintily. Her gaze fell once more on Daniel, although he was much too busy ordering to notice, or he didn’t acknowledge her. She always did like watching him when he was focused on a task, even something as small as ordering a meal. Well, to be honest, she really just liked watching him in general. He was quite easy on the eyes.

Daniel’s entrée choice nearly made her stomach rumble. It sounded utterly delicious. The smile that seemed to be permanently etched into her features twisted into something a bit more intimate. Something she saved only for him, even if on a subconscious level. “Spicy and satisfying? Are you talking about me or the dish, darling?" she asked coyly, flicking her eyes over to the waiter before throwing him a disarming wink. He smiled, somewhat flustered, before bowing his head slightly and turning to leave.

"Sorry, I couldn’t help it," she said in a sigh, though the twinkle in her eyes spoke otherwise.. 

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He looked at her for a moment, as if ready to protest again, then he shook his head and chuckled.

"Yes," he replied, not answering her question. "And I know you're not going to help it, I don't expect it by now. You will be you, and it's time I stopped treating that like it's a bad thing."

A moment or two later, the waiter returned with their drinks, and a basket of rolls. He looked at it for a moment, then flicked eyes to her.

"You ever see the Charlie Chaplin trick?"

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"Where is Daniel Jackson and what have you done with him?" she said with mock concern, following with a chuckle. “You sure there’s no dusty old artifact you should be drooling over? I thought you kept one on hand, for emergencies like this."

With an internal sigh, Vala forced herself to pay attention to the menu. All the options made her positively starved. Having eaten base food for so long, actually getting “real" food (once again, Cameron’s words, and she made sure to tell him that the food they were supplied wasn’t imaginary, so it was definitely real, although not exactly good) always made her eyes bigger than her stomach.

"Oh, I see quite a few things I fancy," Vala replied after a beat, her words laced with their usual playful double meaning. But when her eyes caught his, she suddenly found herself leaning more towards the implication. Focus. “I’m afraid I simply cannot choose, darling. Would you mind? You know what I like."

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"Allow me to respond with: ha. Ha ha. Ha ha ha. Very funny. I assure you I do not have emergency artifacts." He was about to respond with more on that line when she spoke again, and his eyes locked with hers. There was a moment of silence wherein he realized he was staring again, and that was to be avoided.

"Oh, um, well." He cleared his throat to cover it, brows knitting together as he studied the menu.

"Um, right. Let's see." He gestured to catch their waiter's attention, calling them over. "Yes, we're ready to order. I'll start with the caesar salad, and so will the lady. Uh, passion fruit for her, and a glass of your house white for me. As for the meal, I'll have the steak, well done, with side of green beans and for the lady..." there was a slight pause. "She'll have the cajun chicken alfredo. Something spicy and satisfying."

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Vala’s gaze flickered towards their hands, but only for a moment. She found the gesture odd, coming from him. She was usually the one “putting her paws" all over him, as Cameron once noted. She, of course, rebutted with the fact that she did not have paws, therefore his statement was incorrect and slightly offensive. It was rare for Daniel to initiate any sort of physical contact, and it always made her feel at ease. It was… comforting. Reassuring.

"Well darling, if you’d have let me steal you sh-… car," she corrected, looking around to make sure no one had heard. “I wouldn’t have had to shoot you. But you did get to see me naked, so I think we’re even," Vala threw him a wink, ready to lighten the mood. She was never good with serious conversation.

"Wine, you say? My, my, Daniel. Letting lose, are we? I can’t wait." she teased, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth before she reached for her own menu, doing her best to concentrate on it, though she found herself peeking over it at him more than looking at its contents. 

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He mouthed the words 'good catch' before responding.

"Alright, fine, we're even - and yes, I am 'letting loose'. I don't have anything that needs saving to work on for once. First time in ten years, which is kind of...well, kind of nice."

He looked at his menu again, not catching her peeking back.

"Well," he finally remarked, "everything looks good tonight." Especially her, though he didn't voice that thought and wondered where it had come from. "Anything strike your fancy?"

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It was a quaint little place, much more intimate than the dives she was used to frequenting during her time off-base. Fast food places, or hole-in-the-wall diners were her usual pit stops with the team. She couldn’t helping looking around anxiously, watching the other patrons, idly noticing that most were in pairs, in various state of conversation. 

She was dragged away from her prying as the lovely hostess led them to their table. She sat down quickly, grabbing the cloth napkin from inside her water glass, placing it on her lap as Daniel had on their first outing together. Before she had to excuse herself and ended up being kidnapped, that is. Vala flashed him a grin, unable to hide her excitement. She hoping that he didn’t realize she hadn’t caught half of what he said because she was far too busy scoping out the place subconsciously, making sure there was no one who would cut their lovely evening short. Nope, she wasn’t going to let that happen again.

"Perhaps this time I will actually get to try it," she joked lightly, chewing idly on her bottom lip as she watched him scan the menu. 

"Thank you," she said suddenly, unable to keep the words from tumbling out of her mouth. “I don’t think I’ve ever said thank you, for everything. For believing in me, I guess…" she shrugged, finding her words to be a bit too heavy, hoping the gesture would draw away from that.

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He smiled, and reached across the table. The gesture was an instinct, one of kindness. He didn't realize until his hand had covered hers and squeezed that it might mean all the more to her. And more surprisingly, he found he didn't care.

"You never have to say thank you," he replied, cocking his head for a moment. "Sorry, on occasion, but you usually manage to make up for whatever it is anyways. Even the time you shot me."

There was a pause as his hand retreated, and he picked up the menu.

"And y'know what, I think I'll have a glass of wine tonight to go with things. Make it a real celebration. Just the one, of course." In case she was worried about his driving abilities thereafter.

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The feel of his hand against her skin, warm and soft, nearly made her jump. She, like Daniel had only moments before, drifted off, letting the world slip away from her. Mostly, she was just trying to figure out what had just happened between them. With five words, everything she had come to accept and believe about Daniel Jackson and his intentions seemed to change. Or was she just looking into this too much, over analyzing, much like Daniel was known for. Or was she… was she hoping for there to be more to his words, as there were to hers? Did she have that right?

But then he smiled and all tangible thought seemed to rush away from her, and the only thing she could do was return it in kind before nodding quickly. Suddenly the car had become just a bit too small, a bit too uncomfortable. She needed space. The seat belt was no problem, though she fumbled with getting the door open. Damn locks always tripped her up, which was a bit embarrassing considering she was supposed to be the expert when it came to picking ‘em. Good behavior was making her rusty. Oh well, it was worth it.

"Well, Daniel, you better’ve brought your wallet, because I’m hungry enough to eat a house!" she exclaimed as slammed the car door shut with her hip, rubbing her hands together excitedly.

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He, of course, noticed exactly none of this. Not a single bit. Her moment of, well, panic, flew clean past his head. He had too many thoughts of his own.

"Oh," he said, with a smile, "I did. I'm quite hungry too." And for once, he didn't even check to see if she'd lifted his wallet when she mentioned it. Part of that additional trust already coming to light. He held the door open for her as they approached, then moved to the greeter.

"Jackson, party of two, we've a reservation?" The overly perky woman nodded, leading them to a table. He sat down opposite her, looking around. "You know, I've never been here before. Looks nice enough. Oh, they do have a live piano player..."

He picked up the drinks menu, chuckling. "Ah, they've passionfruit here, too." Because some things balanced.

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At his words, Vala turned her attention to him once more, What did he mean, treat her like the rest of the team? While it was true that Daniel could get testy, and knew exactly which buttons to press if he truly wanted to hurt her, she still felt as though he accepted her more than anyone else. Probably because she saw past his smoke screens and exasperated retorts and sarcastic comments. Had she been wrong? Then why would he have trusted her when no one else would? Given her a chance after she’d blew into his life like a tornado and turned everything upside down. Maybe to him, he didn’t treat her life the others. But to her? He had since he watched her burn to death. She was about to say something, to break him out of the far off daze he seemed to lock himself in, but then he began to speak again.

Because life is too short.

Whatever thoughts ran through her head seemed to die with his statement, and for a moment she forgot to breathe. Because when she said them, they meant… more. More than she thought he knew. More than she wanted to admit, even to herself. More than she would ever allow, because what she had was enough. It had to be. Everything told her to look away, to make a joke or to flirt or to just run. But she didn’t. She locked her eyes into his, and smiled softly.

"Then we should make the best of it," she replied slowly, choosing her words carefully before she found his gaze to be too heavy, and simply had to look away.

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He had trusted her. But he'd never really let her in. Not the same way that Sam or Jack or Teal'C - not so much Cam, yet - were. They were his family. The only people he had. He trusted Vala with his life, but letting her into that was another matter entirely. He hadn't so far. Had resisted it, in fact. It was easier, in a way, to know that she'd save his life. But that trust came with an openness that he had always been reticent to give.

He was quiet, then, as they pulled into the restaurant parking lot. Finally, with just a bit of hesitation, he laid a hand on her arm.

"It will be different from here on," he said, "I promise. It's hard to explain, but...I'll be better with you." He gave her a smile.

"Now let's eat something delicious, huh?"

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[valathespacepirate]

Vala chuckled softly, shrugging lightly as she dropped her feet from the dashboard, sitting upright once more with the toss of her hair. She never could stay in one position for a long time.

"Some might take that as a sign, Daniel," Vala added, her gaze flicking over to him quickly, before falling out the passenger side window. Earth’s sunsets always were so beautiful to her. The orange bleeding into pink before settling into an inky purple reminded her of the sky on her own home planet, when her mother was alive and the images of her father still made her smile. The inklings of stars began to break through, and almost instantly she felt as she had before Daniel told her about him talking to the IOA. Living under those stars couldn’t be that bad, after all.

"Though I’m not sure what, exactly."

[ask-daniel-jackson-blog]

He made a show of rolling his eyes, but in truth his heart wasn't in it, and it showed. It was a weak attempt at return fire, and they both knew it.

"Well, the times they are a changin', as the song said," he replied, after a lengthy pause. "Maybe..." His voice changed, as he seemed to catch something himself. "Well, maybe it's about time I treat you like the rest of the team. Lord knows you've earned it."

He got that faraway look he tended to get when he was thinking about something that was important. A crucially important insight, for instance. To a past Master of his moods, like Vala, it would be obvious.

"New days, new attitude," he said, after a while, with determination. Something big had just shifted, there, in the car. "Because life is too short."

Those simple words had been running in his head ever since she'd said them, some time ago. A fundamental point of agreement between them. Now, that planted seed blossomed.