The Seduction of Daniel Jackson

***I own nothing of SG1, SGA, or their characters, I just love to play with them from time to time. No money being made, etc….***

***A/N—this is after AoT and before Continuum*****

Vala Mal Doran sighed and sipped her wine staring into the fire. It was nice to be out of the SGC. She was going to miss Col. Samantha Carter like crazy, but house-sitting for Sam was a welcome opportunity. With Sam's new assignment running the Atlantis expedition, Vala had been worried about ever getting off the base again. Daniel… Vala shook her head and sipped her wine again, no she would not think of Daniel, yearn for him, miss him, anything!

With the Ori problem settled and her marriage to Tomin ended amicably, it was time for Vala to finally take stock of her life and decide what was best for her. She had been so used to running; one step of those that wanted to kill her, exploit her, or abuse her; that having real options was a first. She wanted to make her decisions based on long-term goals and plans, not just her immediate fears. She cared deeply for Daniel, but he wasn't interested. It was time she accepted that and became content with being his "friend and colleague" to quote Daniel himself. Vala took another sip of wine staring into the flames.

Meanwhile back at the SGC-

Col. Cameron Mitchell poked his head into Daniel Jackson's office. "hey Jackson I am off for the weekend, do you need anything before I leave.?"

Daniel looked up from the manuscript he had been studying for hours, "uh no, not really…wait do you know where Vala is? I could really use her help." Daniel blinked a couple of times at Cam and then put his glasses back on.

Mitchell leaned against the door jamb hiding a smirk. "What's the matter sunshine? Can't keep track of the girlfriend huh?" Daniel looked more confused if possible.

"Keep track? She is NOT my girlfriend Mitchell." He turned back to his desk. "I just need her help, that does not make me her boyfriend." Daniel admitted to himself that he was getting tired of the "girlfriend jokes" from Cam. Daniel was afraid they gave Vala "the wrong idea". He liked her as a friend and colleague, heck he even depended on her, but (and this was a huge BUT) he wanted a drama-free personal life so he could focus on his work. Life with Vala would be anything but drama-free.

Cam took pity on Daniel, it was fun seeing the archeologist so confused but Cam didn't want to raise Daniel's ire. "She is off-base this weekend…."

"What!?!!?! Where did she go? Who is with her? When is she due back?" Daniel felt blindsided by fear. He hadn't realized how he worried about Vala until that moment. She had been ripped from his side before by the Ori and by the Trust, he couldn't deal with it happening again.

Mitchell raised a hand to halt Daniel's outburst, "Jackson if you would me finish, Vala is at Sam's, she's house-sitting while Sam is in Atlantis. This way Vala gets off base at a known secure location and she can enjoy some independence." Mitchell waited to see what Daniel would do next.

Deflated, Daniel replied "oh, well, that's, that's nice for Vala and Sam." He seemed to think a minute or two. "Hey, if she is there tonight maybe I can get her to help me with this."

Mitchell laughs to himself as Daniel began hurriedly packing up. "see ya Monday Jackson, tell the princess I said hello." Mitchell waved over his shoulder as he walked away chuckling to himself about Daniel's transparency. Looks like he might win the base pool on the Daniel/Vala situation after all.

Daniel finished packing up his work, stopped to change back into his jeans, and headed for the surface. He checked his watch, it was nearing 7 pm and he was starved. He could stop to eat before he got to Sam's or better yet bring take-out to Vala.

At Sam's-

Vala heard the doorbell ring and debated on answering, she didn't know who it could be and was enjoying the quiet. She was dressed in some cast-off sweats of Sam's for comfort and didn't want to get changed. Suddenly there was a pounding on the door. "C'mon Vala I know you are there, my hands are full, I am going to drop something." Daniel impatiently called.

"Oh Daniel!" Vala rushed to answer the door. "I didn't expect you." Daniel brushed by her with a smile, leaving Vala speechless holding the door.

"I need you to help me translate the manuscript we got from P3X-282. It's an obscure dialect that you seem to know. Oh and I brought food because I am hungry and thought you might be too." Daniel made himself at home in Sam's kitchen. He placed his work on the countertop and began taking the take-out containers from their bags. "Find us some plates and flatware will you?"

Vala closed the door slowly trying to figure out what was happening. She thought Daniel wouldn't even notice her being gone and if he did he would be relieved. But she never expected him to go looking for her. What was going on with the good Dr. Jackson? Vala passed Daniel plates and flatware from Sam's kitchen. "I've got a bottle of wine open, would you like some? There is other stuff to drink here I am sure."

"No, wine will be fine for me." Daniel smiled at her again as he began to dish up the Chinese takeout he had brought with him. He couldn't believe how relieved he felt when Vala finally opened the door. He had been half afraid she wasn't alone, but her answering the door in ratty old sweats and barefoot settled his mind of those concerns.

"I rant into a roadblock with the manuscript I have been translating and I wanted your help." His blue eyes smiled into hers as he placed their plates on Sam's kitchen table. "I know you are more familiar with the dialect than I am, but let's eat first." Daniel held Vala's chair and then seated himself across the table from her.

Vala filled a wine glass for Daniel and refreshed her own. She was puzzled by Daniel tonight. When he pounded on the door he sounded almost angry, but as soon as she answered it, out came "charming" Daniel. Now he was smiling fondly at her. Vala took another sip of her wine, she would never figure out Daniel Jackson.

Vala found that dinner with Daniel at Sam's was actually fun. Instead of getting out the manuscript to work, he began entertaining her with some tales of early SG1 experiences. He had her laughing over the look on Sam's face at the naked elderly Dr. Littlefield hugging her, in awe at his description of the Nox's floating city, and dying to see the mission report for the time they were stuck in 1969. "Did Teal'c really dress like an American hippy? Pictures of that would be great for a little blackmail!"

Vala and Daniel had moved to the floor in front of the fire with their wine glasses. Work appeared to be forgotten by Daniel and they were simply two friends talking. Vala hadn't felt this relaxed around Daniel for sometime. She didn't feel he was waiting for a chance to say good bye. Daniel wasn't sure what was different this time, but tonight with Vala had been the most fun he had had in a long time. It was nice to be talking about SG1's past with someone who had the clearance. Unlike Mitchell, she hadn't read (ok make that memorized) all of their mission reports, so many of the stories were new to her, allowing him to see her responses to events that shaped him into the man he is now.

As the conversation began to ebb, Daniel added wood to the fireplace. He went to Sam's CD player and turned on some music, then returned to sit even closer to Vala than before. He found Vala entrancing in the firelight. She didn't have any make-up or sexy clothing on, her hair was just in a simple barrette, but her eyes were sparkling with her laughter and the smile on her face made him want to get even closer to her. They sat silently, sipping wine, and listening to the music.

The firelight seemed to mesmerize Vala. She could feel Daniel's small movements, they were so close. His arm brushing hers, the way he would turn his head every now and then to smile at her, his thigh rubbing against her as he shifted his position. Vala closed her eyes briefly, shivered, fighting down the urge to curl up in Daniel's arms. They flew open as she felt his arm come around her. As her gaze connected with his, Daniel smiled at her and said "you look chilled". He sipped his wine again and stared into the fire. Vala sat so very close to Daniel and tried not to start hoping…..