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dannysgirlsg1Just in time to help celebrate the 4th!!
Quiet
Daniel looked up from his research, which was invading every flat surface, save the floor, of the dining room. He listened intently for any sound from the other parts of the house. It had just struck him how quiet the place had gone in the past hour.
"Vala..." He called out, sitting back in his chair. His fingers twirled the pencil in his hand as he listened for some kind of reply. After a few minutes, where silence was the only thing returned, Daniel pushed the chair back and dropped the pencil on the table. He walked around the table, heading in the direction of the living room and the rest of the house.
"Vala?" Daniel called out again, then stopped as he walked past the wall that separated the dining and living rooms. He tilted his head to the side a fraction, a gentle smile spreading across his face. Before him, on the couch, was Vala.
Her bare legs dangling over the arm, she was flipping through one of the many magazines she loved to read. Her feet were swinging in time to whatever music she was listening to on her ipod - one of the first things she'd bought with her own money, which had made her very happy.
Daniel shook his head a little as he slowly approached her. That would explain why she hadn't heard him, and why he'd heard nothing from her in the last hour. She only jumped the slightest inch as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He placed a gentle kiss to her temple.
"Yes, darling?" Vala asked with a smile as she pulled the headphones from her ears.
Daniel knelt down and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Just wonderin' what you were doing..." He smiled. "It was too quiet in here."
Vala's smile morphed into a naughty grin. "Worried, Daniel?"
He shook his head a little. "Just curious." His blue-eyed gaze dropped to the magazine in her lap. "Whatcha reading?"
"Oh, you know..." Vala shrugged and flipped a few pages. "The usual. Figured I'd be a good girl and let you work."
Daniel laughed gently. "See, now I am worried." He squeezed her. "You never just 'let me work.'"
Vala nodded. "I do when there's gossip to catch up on."
"That stuff is trash." Daniel sighed as he placed another kiss to her temple. He stood back up and released his hold on her, running his hand along her back as he moved back towards the dining room.
Vala fixed his retreating form with a pout. "Doesn't mean you have to walk away."
Daniel smiled at her over his shoulder. "I'm not..." He returned his focus forward as he passed back into the dining room. His eyes searched the cluttered table, finally landing on a book.
"Sure looks like you are!" Vala answered, and Daniel smiled again at the whiny tone she used. He carefully extracted the book from the mounds of papers covering it. Once more, he made his way back out to Vala.
"No I'm not." He argued just for the hell of it. "I'm joining you." He held up his book to emphasize the point. "Scoot..." Daniel waved is hands in a forward motion.
Vala frowned slightly, but still moved forward. "I thought you needed to get that research done today."
Daniel climbed over the back of the couch, and settled in behind Vala. "Today's not..." He paused, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Over yet." He rubbed her back gently. "Sit back."
Without hesitation, Vala settled back against his chest. Daniel immediately nuzzled into her neck, placing a soft kiss to the area where her neck and shoulder met. She giggled a little at the action, then turned her head towards him.
"Besides..." Daniel murmured, his thumb brushing over her lips. He quickly took her lips with his, enjoying how familiar they had become to him. Slowly, he pulled his tongue out of Vala's mouth, giving her another small kiss. "I can afford to spend some quiet time with my beautiful girlfriend."
Vala pulled back. "Oh, I'm not complaining." She smiled with a slight shake of her head. Daniel smiled as well, nodding.
"Good."
Vala settled back against Daniel once more. They read quietly together for most of the afternoon. It wasn't until the room was starting to get dark did Vala realize Daniel wasn't holding up his book much. In fact, it was resting against her stomach, barely open at all. She shifted a little, turning her head towards Daniel. A small smile came to her lips.
He was sound asleep, his mouth slightly open as he rested his head back against the couch. She carefully pulled the book from his limp fingers and placed it, along with the magazine she was now reading and her ipod, on the coffee table. Vala slowly turned herself around in Daniel's lap. Gently, she shifted him into a laying position.
He inhaled sharply as his head touched back against the pillow resting against the arm of the couch. He opened his eyes a little, and stared up at Vala. She pulled the blanket from the back of the couch, and settled it over both of them as she came to rest against him.
"Research..." Daniel mumbled sleepily, his face nuzzling into Vala's hair. His arm came to wrap around her instinctively.
Vala slid her hand up under his shirt. "It can wait." She murmured as her hand rubbed soothing circles. "Now it's quiet time."
Daniel smiled, letting his eyes close again. "Hmm...like quiet time." He murmured, drifting back off to sleep.
"Me too." Vala sighed as she closed her eyes.
Prescribed
Cam was only half listening to the conversation between Sam and Carolyn. The three were all sitting in the doctor's office. He and his fellow Lt. Colonel had originally shown up just to see if there was any update on Daniel's condition, the archaeologist having landed himself in the infirmary once again. That conversation had spiraled into a full blown catch up and gossip fest between the women. He had to sit patiently and wait for Sam to finish chatting so he could possibly get a chance to talk with Carolyn about...private matters.
Leaning back in his chair, Cam turned his head to look out into the infirmary. From where he was, he could see Jackson laying in bed...and several seconds later, Vala quietly taking a seat in the chair next to the bed. Just as she turned her head his direction, Cam dropped his chair back down.
"Didn't you say you ordered princess out of here?" He asked curiously, turning his attention back to Carolyn.
She frowned a moment. "I'm assuming you're talking about Vala." At Cam's nod, she nodded as well. "Then yes, I did tell her to leave. She had been at Daniel's side since you brought him through the gate. Not only did she need rest, but she was starting to get a little annoying."
Cam laughed. "Well, it appears she listens to you 'bout as well as she listens to everyone else."
"What are you talking about?" Carolyn sat up a little straighter.
"She's back at Jackson's side..." Cam leaned back in his chair again, checking to see if Vala was still there.
Carolyn rose from her seat. "What? I told her there would be serious consequences in her future if I found her back any time soon." She moved to peek around the edge of the doorway. "Dammit, she's woken him up."
Before she had a chance to go reprimand the former space vixen, Sam placed a hand on her arm.
"Wait, Carolyn." She whispered to her friend as she looked around the doorway herself.
"Wait?" Carolyn whispered back. "She's disturbing my patient."
Sam shook her head. "Just watch and see what happens..."
Vala sat forward a little more in her chair, brushing back the hair from Daniel's forehead. "You look just awful, Daniel." She whispered, hoping whoever was around wouldn't know she was there. Carolyn had been very adamant about next physicals or something when she warned Vala not to come back for several hours.
Daniel looked at her and managed a hint of a smile. "Thank you." His words came out more as air than anything else. His voice was still pretty shot after having a tube down his throat for what seemed like forever.
Carolyn tried to push forward, but Sam stopped her. "She's making him talk, when he really shouldn't be. She needs to leave."
"Just...watch." Sam hissed.
"I didn't mean that as an insult." Vala shook her head. "Awful is better than dead... a lot better, actually."
"I know." Daniel whispered. He reached out a hand to take her hand sitting on the bed. He squeezed gently, letting her know that he understood how hard it was to watch him like this.
Vala smiled. She reached into her jacket with her other hand. "I brought you something."
Daniel's eyebrows shot up curiously.
"What's that?" Cam asked, his tone matching the look on Daniel's face. He had come to join Carolyn and Sam at the doorway. He imagined they looked like something out of a Scooby Doo episode...three heads poked around a doorway, snooping on possible suspects. Of course, one of their 'suspects' was already in hot water for disobeying doctor's orders.
Both women shook their head at the same time.
"Not sure..." Sam said.
Carolyn was pouting. "That woman just can't leave well enough alone, can she?" She wanted nothing more than to stalk up to her and read her the riot act. "Wait, is that?"
All three eyes landed on the little plastic container Vala placed on the bed with Daniel. It had something red inside.
Sam tilted her head. "I think it's...Jello."
Vala nodded as Daniel adamantly shook his head. "Yes, Daniel."
Daniel looked at her and mouthed the word 'no'.
Cam looked down at Carolyn. "Didn't you say Jackson wouldn't eat?"
She nodded. "He refused. I think he's scared he'll get sick some more, after all the anesthesia he was under. I tried to persuade him to eat just a little bit, but he was adamant about it."
"Vala wasn't in here when that happened was she?" Sam asked in a tone of complete understanding. Vala was, after all, one of her closest friends.
Carolyn looked up at Sam. "No. So how could she know Daniel hadn't..."
They all turned their attention back to the pair.
"I know you, darling." Vala was peeling back the covering on the Jello cup, despite Daniel's obvious protests. "You didn't eat anything they tried to give you." She poked at the top of the jiggly substance experimentally. "Because you're scared you're just gonna throw is right back up."
Daniel didn't even attempt to argue. He nodded quickly.
Vala looked at him knowingly. "I understand you're scared. You don't like being sick, but who does?" She looked over the bed for a moment before remembering she hadn't pulled the spoon from her jacket yet. Pulling it out, she scooted to the very edge of her chair again. "You're not gonna get sick again, Daniel."
This time he did argue. "Yes." He whispered.
"Daniel." Vala said in a firm voice. "Stop being so silly about this." She dipped the spoon into the red jello, taking off a small portion from the top. She held it close to Daniel's mouth. "Open up."
Daniel clamped his mouth shut tight and shook his head.
Vala sighed. "You are not three, mister." The spoon tapped against his lips. When he refused to open them, she sat back. "Look, Daniel..." Vala looked straight at him. "I'm really not supposed to be in here. Carolyn kicked me out on pain of very thorough exams and whatsuch. But I was worried you weren't going to eat." She tapped the bottom of the spoon against the top of the Jello cup. "I'm not asking you to eat a whole big dinner or anything. Just your favorite jello." She held it up for emphasis. "Please?"
"He's not going to do it." Cam stated, ever confident in Daniel's stubborn nature.
Sam shook her head in disagreement. "I'm not so sure..."
Carolyn pointed at them. "Look, he's eating it."
"I'll be damned." Cam mumbled.
Daniel opened his mouth slowly, allowing Vala to lay the spoon on his tongue. He closed his mouth around the utensil, and she slowly pulled the spoon back out. He savored the strawberry taste, gently chewing on the soft food. As he swallowed it, Vala smiled at him.
"Good?" She asked, already spooning more out of the cup. Daniel nodded, and she held out the spoon to him again. This time he wasn't so hesitant in accepting the offering, and soon Vala found herself scraping the last little bits of the gelatin from the almost completely empty container.
"Last one." She smiled, leaning forward one more time. This time, as she pulled the spoon out of his mouth, Daniel latched onto her shoulder and pulled her in for a needy kiss. Vala placed her hands on either side of his head to keep from falling on top of him as Daniel shared the last bite of jello with her, via his mouth.
Both swallowed down the food, but didn't break away from each other. Instead, the kiss became long and passionate, full of all the pent up emotion and need they'd had bottled up since he'd been hurt. When they finally did separate, Vala didn't move very far.
"That was good." She smiled as she flipped her hair to one side, bringing her lips to hover just above his.
Daniel nodded in agreement, leaning up to close the inch gap between them. This kiss was gentle, and he fell back to the pillow after only a moment. 'Thank you,' He mouthed to her, not wanting to strain his voice any more.
"You're very welcome, darling." Vala replied, but before she could kiss him again, someone cleared their throat behind her. She turned her head to meet three pairs of eyes watching them.
Screw not straining his voice. "Busted." Daniel whispered into her ear, now flush with his lips. The first genuine smile came to his lips in what seemed like a lifetime. Vala fell back into her chair gracefully, her body rigid with defiance. Daniel reached out to grab her hand once again. He turned his attention to the three now standing at the foot of the bed.
Cam was smiling like an idiot. Sam was blushing just slightly for the both of them, trying hard to fight her own smile. And Carolyn...Daniel's smile widened...Carolyn was doing the worst act of feigning anger that he'd ever seen.
"As much as I should be very upset by what I just saw here..." She looked from Daniel to Vala. Her facade faltered a bit, a small smile breaking loose. "You did get him to eat something, so I guess I can let it slide - this time." It was obvious that she was being serious, at least about that part.
Vala smiled and nodded, turning to look at Daniel. She felt a hand on her back, and glanced up at Carolyn. The doctor leaned down.
"Thank you." Carolyn whispered into her ear, then stood straight once more. She pointed at Daniel. "You get some rest. That's an order."
Daniel nodded, then looked at Vala once more as the others moved to leave. He barely heard the goodbyes of Mitchell and Sam. He was more focused on the pleased smile Vala was giving him. It did more to make him feel better than any medicine he had ever been given.
His gaze flicked back to the door just as the others walked through. Looking back to Vala, he smiled again and moved his head just a fraction. Vala grinned, getting the message. In a heartbeat, she was climbing to lay in the bed with him. It was a tight fit, but that had yet to stop them before.
"How upset would dear Carolyn get if she saw this going on here?" Vala whispered against Daniel's neck mischievously before placing hungry kiss against it. Daniel let out a puff of air, the only half-ass laugh he could manage, and turned his head to place a kiss in Vala's hair.
"Yeah, I thought so too. And she can just kiss off." She smiled, resting her head on his chest.
Daniel nodded, knowing she would get the message yet again. How could Carolyn get it anyway? She was just a regular doctor, and what did they know about what he really needed?
For him, the best medicine was Vala medicine.
Fireworks
"Boy, is she pissed at you."
Daniel followed Jack's gaze across the yard to where Vala stood glaring at him. He sighed and took a long pull from the beer in his hand. He turned his blues eyes back towards his friend, and shrugged helplessly.
"I didn't intend to-" Daniel mumbled as he fiddled with the label on his bottle.
"Be an ass?" Jack finished as he leaned back in his chair.
Daniel gave him an annoyed glance. "I wasn't gonna put it that way, but yeah, I guess it works."
Jack smiled at him sympathetically. "You never do, Danny-boy. Especially when it comes to your Spacesparrow over there."
"It was just a joke, Jack." Daniel sat forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. He stared at the beer bottle dangling from his fingers. "I never meant to hurt her feelings." He once more fixed his friend with a helpless look. "I wouldn't do that, at least not on purpose."
"Well, making a wise crack about her ability to handle explosives after she's just been burned by one isn't exactly smooth." Jack said as he sipped from his own beer.
Daniel glared at his best friend. "Yes, well, my role model isn't exactly up on the subject either."
Jack laughed. "You need a better role model." He pointed his bottle towards the younger man.
"No..." Daniel sat back again with a sigh. "I just need to know when not to use his 'foot in mouth' technique on my girlfriend."
"You were doing that long before I had any influence on you." Jack stated with indignation.
Daniel shrugged, conceding the point. He drank the last dregs from his bottle, venturing a look towards Vala as she walked inside. She caught his look, and sent him a very unpleasant glare. Daniel dropped the bottle from his lips dejectedly and moved to stand.
"I'm getting another beer." He mumbled as he dropped the empty into the bin they'd set between them.
Jack watched him walk past. "Getting shit faced isn't going to make her just up and forgive you."
Daniel nodded. "Yeah..." He turned to look at his older friend, walking across the yard backwards. "But it'll give me the courage to apologize, and will be a plausible excuse for the stupid things I say when I do."
------
Vala hissed loudly as she ran her arm under the cold water. The flesh that had been scorched by the firework was still burning and throbbing badly. She knew she should go and ask for help, but was stubborn to do so. Because the only person she wanted to make her feel better was the one person she was mad at.
Vala had known Daniel was joking when he'd asked how a woman who had spent her whole life around explosive situations could be injured by puny earth fireworks. But, it had hit a personal nerve, and she'd snapped at him.
Still, Vala realized as she struggled to get the fresh gauze and burn ointment from the first-aid kit one-handed, maybe she had been a bit dramatic. Daniel had been the one immediately at her side when it'd happened, and had only been trying to lighten things when he'd made the comment.
Her arm scraped along the faucet as she continued to struggle with the first-aid kit. She let out a loud curse as the pain in her arm skyrocketed, and had to fight the urge to grasp the aching limb with her other hand. A shadow fell across her not even a second later.
"Here, let me help." Vala looked at Daniel as he stood next to her. She watched him place his beer bottle down on the tile counter with a little more focus than was required, and reach out a hand to take her injured arm gently. As he stood there, continuing to run her arm under the cool water, Vala noticed how he swayed in place ever so slightly.
She pointed with her other hand to the bottle on the counter. "How many of those have you had?"
"Enough." Daniel stated calmly as he moved to open the first-aid kit. His touch was careful and tender as he slowly applied the ointment to the burn, then wrapped it in the gauze. Vala couldn't help her smile as Daniel brought her wrapped arm to his lips and placed a few chaste kisses against it.
"Why do you have to be so completely..." Vala sighed as he lowered her arm, his fingers playing with hers. "Adorable."
Daniel gave her a sweet smile, but his eyes were serious. "I'm sorry for saying what I did."
Vala nodded. "I know...you never intended it to be anything more than a joke. But it still hurt."
"Sorry again." Daniel sighed, looking down at her hand in his. "Next time, I'll just keep my mouth shut."
"No you won't." Vala laughed quietly. She closed the space between them, and placed a hand to his cheek. When he looked at her, she leaned up to place a forgiving kiss to his accepting lips. His arm wrapped around her, and squeezed her tighter against him.
Vala slowly pulled her tongue out of his mouth, and fixed him with an amused smirk. "So how many beers HAVE you had?"
Daniel smiled and nodded, picking up on her subtle reprimand. "A few." As her eyebrows shot up a little, he sighed. "Okay, quite a few. What can I say...I was feeling very guilty." He batted his eyes a few times innocently.
Vala backed out of his grasp. "YOU are a coward, Daniel Jackson!" She laughed as she gave him a playful shove.
Daniel laughed as he took a step back. He picked up his beer from the counter and took a sip. "Only when it comes to you. You scare me." He stopped as a loud boom shook the house gently. He smiled and reached out to Vala. "Come on..."
He led her back outside, where the evening fireworks show had just started in the park across from them. They came to stand by the railing of the porch, where the others had gathered. Vala settled back against Daniel's chest as his arms came to wrap around her waist, beer bottle still dangling between his hands.
"Take it everything's okay in space cadet camp?" Jack asked with amusement as he looked up at them from where he was sitting on the porch steps. Daniel took a sip from his bottle, smiled, and squeezed Vala gently. She smiled as well. Their gaze drifted upwards as a variety of colors erupted above them.
"So beautiful." Vala whispered as she watched the sky.
"Indeed." Daniel whispered in return, his sights set on her rather than the sky. Vala turned to look at him, and smiled when she realized he wasn't talking about the light show above. Daniel smiled back, and leaned in for a passionate kiss.
Their tongues crashed together as the fireworks exploded overhead.
Quiet
Daniel looked up from his research, which was invading every flat surface, save the floor, of the dining room. He listened intently for any sound from the other parts of the house. It had just struck him how quiet the place had gone in the past hour.
"Vala..." He called out, sitting back in his chair. His fingers twirled the pencil in his hand as he listened for some kind of reply. After a few minutes, where silence was the only thing returned, Daniel pushed the chair back and dropped the pencil on the table. He walked around the table, heading in the direction of the living room and the rest of the house.
"Vala?" Daniel called out again, then stopped as he walked past the wall that separated the dining and living rooms. He tilted his head to the side a fraction, a gentle smile spreading across his face. Before him, on the couch, was Vala.
Her bare legs dangling over the arm, she was flipping through one of the many magazines she loved to read. Her feet were swinging in time to whatever music she was listening to on her ipod - one of the first things she'd bought with her own money, which had made her very happy.
Daniel shook his head a little as he slowly approached her. That would explain why she hadn't heard him, and why he'd heard nothing from her in the last hour. She only jumped the slightest inch as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He placed a gentle kiss to her temple.
"Yes, darling?" Vala asked with a smile as she pulled the headphones from her ears.
Daniel knelt down and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Just wonderin' what you were doing..." He smiled. "It was too quiet in here."
Vala's smile morphed into a naughty grin. "Worried, Daniel?"
He shook his head a little. "Just curious." His blue-eyed gaze dropped to the magazine in her lap. "Whatcha reading?"
"Oh, you know..." Vala shrugged and flipped a few pages. "The usual. Figured I'd be a good girl and let you work."
Daniel laughed gently. "See, now I am worried." He squeezed her. "You never just 'let me work.'"
Vala nodded. "I do when there's gossip to catch up on."
"That stuff is trash." Daniel sighed as he placed another kiss to her temple. He stood back up and released his hold on her, running his hand along her back as he moved back towards the dining room.
Vala fixed his retreating form with a pout. "Doesn't mean you have to walk away."
Daniel smiled at her over his shoulder. "I'm not..." He returned his focus forward as he passed back into the dining room. His eyes searched the cluttered table, finally landing on a book.
"Sure looks like you are!" Vala answered, and Daniel smiled again at the whiny tone she used. He carefully extracted the book from the mounds of papers covering it. Once more, he made his way back out to Vala.
"No I'm not." He argued just for the hell of it. "I'm joining you." He held up his book to emphasize the point. "Scoot..." Daniel waved is hands in a forward motion.
Vala frowned slightly, but still moved forward. "I thought you needed to get that research done today."
Daniel climbed over the back of the couch, and settled in behind Vala. "Today's not..." He paused, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Over yet." He rubbed her back gently. "Sit back."
Without hesitation, Vala settled back against his chest. Daniel immediately nuzzled into her neck, placing a soft kiss to the area where her neck and shoulder met. She giggled a little at the action, then turned her head towards him.
"Besides..." Daniel murmured, his thumb brushing over her lips. He quickly took her lips with his, enjoying how familiar they had become to him. Slowly, he pulled his tongue out of Vala's mouth, giving her another small kiss. "I can afford to spend some quiet time with my beautiful girlfriend."
Vala pulled back. "Oh, I'm not complaining." She smiled with a slight shake of her head. Daniel smiled as well, nodding.
"Good."
Vala settled back against Daniel once more. They read quietly together for most of the afternoon. It wasn't until the room was starting to get dark did Vala realize Daniel wasn't holding up his book much. In fact, it was resting against her stomach, barely open at all. She shifted a little, turning her head towards Daniel. A small smile came to her lips.
He was sound asleep, his mouth slightly open as he rested his head back against the couch. She carefully pulled the book from his limp fingers and placed it, along with the magazine she was now reading and her ipod, on the coffee table. Vala slowly turned herself around in Daniel's lap. Gently, she shifted him into a laying position.
He inhaled sharply as his head touched back against the pillow resting against the arm of the couch. He opened his eyes a little, and stared up at Vala. She pulled the blanket from the back of the couch, and settled it over both of them as she came to rest against him.
"Research..." Daniel mumbled sleepily, his face nuzzling into Vala's hair. His arm came to wrap around her instinctively.
Vala slid her hand up under his shirt. "It can wait." She murmured as her hand rubbed soothing circles. "Now it's quiet time."
Daniel smiled, letting his eyes close again. "Hmm...like quiet time." He murmured, drifting back off to sleep.
"Me too." Vala sighed as she closed her eyes.
Prescribed
Cam was only half listening to the conversation between Sam and Carolyn. The three were all sitting in the doctor's office. He and his fellow Lt. Colonel had originally shown up just to see if there was any update on Daniel's condition, the archaeologist having landed himself in the infirmary once again. That conversation had spiraled into a full blown catch up and gossip fest between the women. He had to sit patiently and wait for Sam to finish chatting so he could possibly get a chance to talk with Carolyn about...private matters.
Leaning back in his chair, Cam turned his head to look out into the infirmary. From where he was, he could see Jackson laying in bed...and several seconds later, Vala quietly taking a seat in the chair next to the bed. Just as she turned her head his direction, Cam dropped his chair back down.
"Didn't you say you ordered princess out of here?" He asked curiously, turning his attention back to Carolyn.
She frowned a moment. "I'm assuming you're talking about Vala." At Cam's nod, she nodded as well. "Then yes, I did tell her to leave. She had been at Daniel's side since you brought him through the gate. Not only did she need rest, but she was starting to get a little annoying."
Cam laughed. "Well, it appears she listens to you 'bout as well as she listens to everyone else."
"What are you talking about?" Carolyn sat up a little straighter.
"She's back at Jackson's side..." Cam leaned back in his chair again, checking to see if Vala was still there.
Carolyn rose from her seat. "What? I told her there would be serious consequences in her future if I found her back any time soon." She moved to peek around the edge of the doorway. "Dammit, she's woken him up."
Before she had a chance to go reprimand the former space vixen, Sam placed a hand on her arm.
"Wait, Carolyn." She whispered to her friend as she looked around the doorway herself.
"Wait?" Carolyn whispered back. "She's disturbing my patient."
Sam shook her head. "Just watch and see what happens..."
Vala sat forward a little more in her chair, brushing back the hair from Daniel's forehead. "You look just awful, Daniel." She whispered, hoping whoever was around wouldn't know she was there. Carolyn had been very adamant about next physicals or something when she warned Vala not to come back for several hours.
Daniel looked at her and managed a hint of a smile. "Thank you." His words came out more as air than anything else. His voice was still pretty shot after having a tube down his throat for what seemed like forever.
Carolyn tried to push forward, but Sam stopped her. "She's making him talk, when he really shouldn't be. She needs to leave."
"Just...watch." Sam hissed.
"I didn't mean that as an insult." Vala shook her head. "Awful is better than dead... a lot better, actually."
"I know." Daniel whispered. He reached out a hand to take her hand sitting on the bed. He squeezed gently, letting her know that he understood how hard it was to watch him like this.
Vala smiled. She reached into her jacket with her other hand. "I brought you something."
Daniel's eyebrows shot up curiously.
"What's that?" Cam asked, his tone matching the look on Daniel's face. He had come to join Carolyn and Sam at the doorway. He imagined they looked like something out of a Scooby Doo episode...three heads poked around a doorway, snooping on possible suspects. Of course, one of their 'suspects' was already in hot water for disobeying doctor's orders.
Both women shook their head at the same time.
"Not sure..." Sam said.
Carolyn was pouting. "That woman just can't leave well enough alone, can she?" She wanted nothing more than to stalk up to her and read her the riot act. "Wait, is that?"
All three eyes landed on the little plastic container Vala placed on the bed with Daniel. It had something red inside.
Sam tilted her head. "I think it's...Jello."
Vala nodded as Daniel adamantly shook his head. "Yes, Daniel."
Daniel looked at her and mouthed the word 'no'.
Cam looked down at Carolyn. "Didn't you say Jackson wouldn't eat?"
She nodded. "He refused. I think he's scared he'll get sick some more, after all the anesthesia he was under. I tried to persuade him to eat just a little bit, but he was adamant about it."
"Vala wasn't in here when that happened was she?" Sam asked in a tone of complete understanding. Vala was, after all, one of her closest friends.
Carolyn looked up at Sam. "No. So how could she know Daniel hadn't..."
They all turned their attention back to the pair.
"I know you, darling." Vala was peeling back the covering on the Jello cup, despite Daniel's obvious protests. "You didn't eat anything they tried to give you." She poked at the top of the jiggly substance experimentally. "Because you're scared you're just gonna throw is right back up."
Daniel didn't even attempt to argue. He nodded quickly.
Vala looked at him knowingly. "I understand you're scared. You don't like being sick, but who does?" She looked over the bed for a moment before remembering she hadn't pulled the spoon from her jacket yet. Pulling it out, she scooted to the very edge of her chair again. "You're not gonna get sick again, Daniel."
This time he did argue. "Yes." He whispered.
"Daniel." Vala said in a firm voice. "Stop being so silly about this." She dipped the spoon into the red jello, taking off a small portion from the top. She held it close to Daniel's mouth. "Open up."
Daniel clamped his mouth shut tight and shook his head.
Vala sighed. "You are not three, mister." The spoon tapped against his lips. When he refused to open them, she sat back. "Look, Daniel..." Vala looked straight at him. "I'm really not supposed to be in here. Carolyn kicked me out on pain of very thorough exams and whatsuch. But I was worried you weren't going to eat." She tapped the bottom of the spoon against the top of the Jello cup. "I'm not asking you to eat a whole big dinner or anything. Just your favorite jello." She held it up for emphasis. "Please?"
"He's not going to do it." Cam stated, ever confident in Daniel's stubborn nature.
Sam shook her head in disagreement. "I'm not so sure..."
Carolyn pointed at them. "Look, he's eating it."
"I'll be damned." Cam mumbled.
Daniel opened his mouth slowly, allowing Vala to lay the spoon on his tongue. He closed his mouth around the utensil, and she slowly pulled the spoon back out. He savored the strawberry taste, gently chewing on the soft food. As he swallowed it, Vala smiled at him.
"Good?" She asked, already spooning more out of the cup. Daniel nodded, and she held out the spoon to him again. This time he wasn't so hesitant in accepting the offering, and soon Vala found herself scraping the last little bits of the gelatin from the almost completely empty container.
"Last one." She smiled, leaning forward one more time. This time, as she pulled the spoon out of his mouth, Daniel latched onto her shoulder and pulled her in for a needy kiss. Vala placed her hands on either side of his head to keep from falling on top of him as Daniel shared the last bite of jello with her, via his mouth.
Both swallowed down the food, but didn't break away from each other. Instead, the kiss became long and passionate, full of all the pent up emotion and need they'd had bottled up since he'd been hurt. When they finally did separate, Vala didn't move very far.
"That was good." She smiled as she flipped her hair to one side, bringing her lips to hover just above his.
Daniel nodded in agreement, leaning up to close the inch gap between them. This kiss was gentle, and he fell back to the pillow after only a moment. 'Thank you,' He mouthed to her, not wanting to strain his voice any more.
"You're very welcome, darling." Vala replied, but before she could kiss him again, someone cleared their throat behind her. She turned her head to meet three pairs of eyes watching them.
Screw not straining his voice. "Busted." Daniel whispered into her ear, now flush with his lips. The first genuine smile came to his lips in what seemed like a lifetime. Vala fell back into her chair gracefully, her body rigid with defiance. Daniel reached out to grab her hand once again. He turned his attention to the three now standing at the foot of the bed.
Cam was smiling like an idiot. Sam was blushing just slightly for the both of them, trying hard to fight her own smile. And Carolyn...Daniel's smile widened...Carolyn was doing the worst act of feigning anger that he'd ever seen.
"As much as I should be very upset by what I just saw here..." She looked from Daniel to Vala. Her facade faltered a bit, a small smile breaking loose. "You did get him to eat something, so I guess I can let it slide - this time." It was obvious that she was being serious, at least about that part.
Vala smiled and nodded, turning to look at Daniel. She felt a hand on her back, and glanced up at Carolyn. The doctor leaned down.
"Thank you." Carolyn whispered into her ear, then stood straight once more. She pointed at Daniel. "You get some rest. That's an order."
Daniel nodded, then looked at Vala once more as the others moved to leave. He barely heard the goodbyes of Mitchell and Sam. He was more focused on the pleased smile Vala was giving him. It did more to make him feel better than any medicine he had ever been given.
His gaze flicked back to the door just as the others walked through. Looking back to Vala, he smiled again and moved his head just a fraction. Vala grinned, getting the message. In a heartbeat, she was climbing to lay in the bed with him. It was a tight fit, but that had yet to stop them before.
"How upset would dear Carolyn get if she saw this going on here?" Vala whispered against Daniel's neck mischievously before placing hungry kiss against it. Daniel let out a puff of air, the only half-ass laugh he could manage, and turned his head to place a kiss in Vala's hair.
"Yeah, I thought so too. And she can just kiss off." She smiled, resting her head on his chest.
Daniel nodded, knowing she would get the message yet again. How could Carolyn get it anyway? She was just a regular doctor, and what did they know about what he really needed?
For him, the best medicine was Vala medicine.
Fireworks
"Boy, is she pissed at you."
Daniel followed Jack's gaze across the yard to where Vala stood glaring at him. He sighed and took a long pull from the beer in his hand. He turned his blues eyes back towards his friend, and shrugged helplessly.
"I didn't intend to-" Daniel mumbled as he fiddled with the label on his bottle.
"Be an ass?" Jack finished as he leaned back in his chair.
Daniel gave him an annoyed glance. "I wasn't gonna put it that way, but yeah, I guess it works."
Jack smiled at him sympathetically. "You never do, Danny-boy. Especially when it comes to your Spacesparrow over there."
"It was just a joke, Jack." Daniel sat forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. He stared at the beer bottle dangling from his fingers. "I never meant to hurt her feelings." He once more fixed his friend with a helpless look. "I wouldn't do that, at least not on purpose."
"Well, making a wise crack about her ability to handle explosives after she's just been burned by one isn't exactly smooth." Jack said as he sipped from his own beer.
Daniel glared at his best friend. "Yes, well, my role model isn't exactly up on the subject either."
Jack laughed. "You need a better role model." He pointed his bottle towards the younger man.
"No..." Daniel sat back again with a sigh. "I just need to know when not to use his 'foot in mouth' technique on my girlfriend."
"You were doing that long before I had any influence on you." Jack stated with indignation.
Daniel shrugged, conceding the point. He drank the last dregs from his bottle, venturing a look towards Vala as she walked inside. She caught his look, and sent him a very unpleasant glare. Daniel dropped the bottle from his lips dejectedly and moved to stand.
"I'm getting another beer." He mumbled as he dropped the empty into the bin they'd set between them.
Jack watched him walk past. "Getting shit faced isn't going to make her just up and forgive you."
Daniel nodded. "Yeah..." He turned to look at his older friend, walking across the yard backwards. "But it'll give me the courage to apologize, and will be a plausible excuse for the stupid things I say when I do."
------
Vala hissed loudly as she ran her arm under the cold water. The flesh that had been scorched by the firework was still burning and throbbing badly. She knew she should go and ask for help, but was stubborn to do so. Because the only person she wanted to make her feel better was the one person she was mad at.
Vala had known Daniel was joking when he'd asked how a woman who had spent her whole life around explosive situations could be injured by puny earth fireworks. But, it had hit a personal nerve, and she'd snapped at him.
Still, Vala realized as she struggled to get the fresh gauze and burn ointment from the first-aid kit one-handed, maybe she had been a bit dramatic. Daniel had been the one immediately at her side when it'd happened, and had only been trying to lighten things when he'd made the comment.
Her arm scraped along the faucet as she continued to struggle with the first-aid kit. She let out a loud curse as the pain in her arm skyrocketed, and had to fight the urge to grasp the aching limb with her other hand. A shadow fell across her not even a second later.
"Here, let me help." Vala looked at Daniel as he stood next to her. She watched him place his beer bottle down on the tile counter with a little more focus than was required, and reach out a hand to take her injured arm gently. As he stood there, continuing to run her arm under the cool water, Vala noticed how he swayed in place ever so slightly.
She pointed with her other hand to the bottle on the counter. "How many of those have you had?"
"Enough." Daniel stated calmly as he moved to open the first-aid kit. His touch was careful and tender as he slowly applied the ointment to the burn, then wrapped it in the gauze. Vala couldn't help her smile as Daniel brought her wrapped arm to his lips and placed a few chaste kisses against it.
"Why do you have to be so completely..." Vala sighed as he lowered her arm, his fingers playing with hers. "Adorable."
Daniel gave her a sweet smile, but his eyes were serious. "I'm sorry for saying what I did."
Vala nodded. "I know...you never intended it to be anything more than a joke. But it still hurt."
"Sorry again." Daniel sighed, looking down at her hand in his. "Next time, I'll just keep my mouth shut."
"No you won't." Vala laughed quietly. She closed the space between them, and placed a hand to his cheek. When he looked at her, she leaned up to place a forgiving kiss to his accepting lips. His arm wrapped around her, and squeezed her tighter against him.
Vala slowly pulled her tongue out of his mouth, and fixed him with an amused smirk. "So how many beers HAVE you had?"
Daniel smiled and nodded, picking up on her subtle reprimand. "A few." As her eyebrows shot up a little, he sighed. "Okay, quite a few. What can I say...I was feeling very guilty." He batted his eyes a few times innocently.
Vala backed out of his grasp. "YOU are a coward, Daniel Jackson!" She laughed as she gave him a playful shove.
Daniel laughed as he took a step back. He picked up his beer from the counter and took a sip. "Only when it comes to you. You scare me." He stopped as a loud boom shook the house gently. He smiled and reached out to Vala. "Come on..."
He led her back outside, where the evening fireworks show had just started in the park across from them. They came to stand by the railing of the porch, where the others had gathered. Vala settled back against Daniel's chest as his arms came to wrap around her waist, beer bottle still dangling between his hands.
"Take it everything's okay in space cadet camp?" Jack asked with amusement as he looked up at them from where he was sitting on the porch steps. Daniel took a sip from his bottle, smiled, and squeezed Vala gently. She smiled as well. Their gaze drifted upwards as a variety of colors erupted above them.
"So beautiful." Vala whispered as she watched the sky.
"Indeed." Daniel whispered in return, his sights set on her rather than the sky. Vala turned to look at him, and smiled when she realized he wasn't talking about the light show above. Daniel smiled back, and leaned in for a passionate kiss.
Their tongues crashed together as the fireworks exploded overhead.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE!!! (whether you be from the US or not!! :D)
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Date: 2007-07-06 02:53 am (UTC)