so_out_of_ideas (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
so_out_of_ideas) wrote2006-09-07 06:12 pm
so_out_of_ideas) wrote2006-09-07 06:12 pm
Entry tags:
...Tim was home...
Oh my goodness!! An actual challenge response for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
scifi_five YAY! I can't believe it; I feel like I haven't come up with one forever.
Incidentally, this is also the promised fic for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
teddibear. The prompts worked really well with it. It didn't turn out quite as I envisioned, but I'd definately say it's squee-worthy.
Title: More
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: He realized his hand was moving slowly up and down her back, that it had been for some time…and he didn't want to stop.
Rating: PG
Length: 2100 words
Category: H/C
Pairings:Daniel/Vala
A/N: From an idea byteddibear Written for scifi_five with impossibly fluffy dialogue by literarylitany Post Ep for 10x07 Counterstrike, therefore possible spoilers.
More
Daniel lowered himself tiredly onto the edge of the bed, holding the old framed photo with gentle hands. His eyes slid closed, burning with both exhaustion and the inevitable hint of tears. As his throat began to tighten, though, he quickly opened them and forced a smile. He tilted his head, slipped his right hand down to trace the contour of her cheek, and tried not to think about the fact that there were times when Sha're's face was a blur to him.
It had been ten years since she was taken as host to Ammaunet--almost seven since she died. His rational mind knew that it was perfectly natural for his memories to lose their clarity, but that didn't stop the tightening in his chest as he found himself having to look at the picture to recall exactly what she looked like. She was his wife. He'd come back to Earth, joined SG-1 for no other reason than to save her. How could her face fade when he still felt her arms, heard her laugh, tasted her lips?
Abydos was gone. Aside from the picture, which would in time fade as well, he had nothing left of her to touch. He needed his memories. He depended on them. Sha're had been the key that unlocked those memories when he returned from his brief time as an Ascended being. The dream he'd had of her had given him his first real hope of remembering who he was. If he couldn't hold the image of her face, what else would he lose?
Sighing, he carefully set the picture on the nightstand, laid his glasses beside it, and pulled his legs into the bed. The sheets were stiff and scratchy, and he suddenly wished that he'd driven home after all. Everyone had been exhausted, though, by the time they returned from Dakara. Sam and Mitchell had both decided to crash on base tonight as well.
It was for the best anyway, Daniel told himself as he pulled the covers up and turned onto his side. If they were all here, they could get an early start in the morning--and, he added firmly, his decision to stay overnight had nothing to do with his proximity to Vala. Pushing her from his mind, he propped his head on his elbow, studied the photograph for a few minutes longer, then finally turned out the light.
"Goodnight, Sha're," he murmured as he settled back on the pillows.
Despite his weariness, he laid awake for some time, and was still only half asleep when he felt he felt the covers move back. His eyes popped open in confusion, and he lifted his head partially off the pillow, but Vala quickly slid in behind him, cutting off the chill of the night air against his back. Her arms had slid around his chest before he could offer a coherent objection.
"What are you--what are you doing?" he whispered as her chin came to rest on his shoulder.
"I thought you could use a hug, darling," she replied close to his ear, and he fought a shiver at the feel of her breath on his neck.
His head flopped back down in disbelief. "You thought I could use a hug," he repeated.
"Mmm-hmm," Vala's chin moved against his shoulder as she nodded. "I know it must've been difficult for you to tell me about Sha're today. Despite what you may think, Daniel, I'm not completely insensitive…"
"I don't--think that," Daniel replied, then frowned as he tried to pinpoint exactly what he did think now. Vala had changed profoundly during the time she spent in the Ori Galaxy. In fact, if he'd been paying attention, he probably would have seen her changing even before the Beachhead. Oh, she was still ambitious and conniving--probably always would be--but she certainly had learned to care about more than lining her pockets or finding some fabled fortune in stolen treasure. He knew he'd seen genuine empathy from her about Sha're as well--but Daniel wanted more.
"You don't?" she asked hesitantly.
"No," he replied, resisting the urge to pull her arms tighter around him.
"Oh," Vala said flippantly, already attempting to mask the show of vulnerability. He winced, wishing he'd made some gesture after all.
"Relief," she'd snapped at him today. "That's what I feel. Relief…"
Even the admission had been painful for her; he'd seen it. He'd understood it, too, which he supposed was what had prompted him to answer her questions about Sha're later on. For him, there had always been a measure of comfort in knowing that someone--even partially--understood how he felt, but if she still couldn't share her emotions with him now that the initial crisis had passed…
Then what? he asked himself suddenly. If she won't share her feelings with me, what?
"Vala," he sighed aloud.
"Hmm?" she asked, and he could almost see her forehead pucker in a frown.
The answer was simple. He wanted more.
He turned, trying hard not to notice the warmth of her thighs as their legs tangled. "Thank you," he said, his arms tightening around her. She held him closer in response, and he let his eyes close, allowing himself to finally enjoy her warmth, the softness of her skin, her scent around him.
"Tell me about Sha're," she said quietly.
Daniel's eyes reluctantly opened. "What?" he asked, frowning in confusion.
"Well, how did you meet her?" Vala asked.
He sighed again. There was almost no one he talked about Sha're with--and as much as he might want more from Vala, she hadn't given him any indication that she was ready to trust him with her real feelings--about Adria or anything else. Her admission of relief aboard the Odyssey had been a defensive instinct--an attempt to scare him off, not a show of trust. Finally, though, he decided that she probably wouldn't trust him if he didn't open up first.
"Never mind, darling," she said, starting to pull away. "I'll go."
"No," Daniel said quickly, tugging her back against his chest before he'd even realized he'd done it. Somehow, his hand found its way to the back of her head, and he stroked her hair awkwardly. "I--uh--I'm sorry. It--it's just that I don't--there aren't many people--um. Okay. Well, when the Stargate was first discovered on Earth, Jack O'Neill and I were part of the first expedition to a planet called Abydos…"
"That's where you met Sha're?" she interrupted.
"Yes," Daniel nodded. "The Abydonian people were enslaved to Ra, and we…eventually… sort of helped them stage a rebellion…"
"And she married you out of gratitude?" Vala asked.
"Not exactly," Daniel replied.
"What do you mean 'not exactly'?" she wanted to know.
"Vala, I'm trying to tell you," he sighed in exasperation.
"Oh, right," she nodded, settling her head on his chest. "Sorry, go on."
He shook his head, feeling a fond smile tug at his lips, and began again. It was surprisingly easy once he found his way past his initial shyness. Vala did interrupt occasionally, but her questions quickly came to be less distracting. He soon found himself able to anticipate which details would interest her and which would illicit a bored yawn. Before long, questions from her only came during the lulls in his story, and always managed to draw him back out again when he hesitated or lost himself in some memory.
She seemed perfectly at ease, her cheek resting softly against his heart. One arm was draped lightly over him, the fingers of that hand moving idly along his shoulder. The rhythm of her breathing was deep and even, and he slowly realized that she was enjoying the closeness of his body in a way that had nothing to do with sex or even romance. Gratified, Daniel cast about for more to say when he finished with burial of the Abydonian 'Gate, but Vala supplied it for him.
"That's a wonderful story, darling, but you haven't told me one thing," she said.
"What's that?" he asked.
"You had a life here, although from what you've said it does sound rather dull," she pointed out. "So what was it about this woman that made you want to stay--give up everything and spend the rest of your life on another world?"
A wistful smile touched Daniel's lips, but as he drew a breath to reply, he began to feel uncomfortable again. He became suddenly and acutely conscious of what he was doing--lying in bed late at night, whispering with another woman--with Vala--about Sha're. He realized his hand was moving slowly up and down her back, that it had been for some time…and he didn't want to stop.
"She--made me realize a lot of things," he said evasively. "About life--about myself."
"Like…?" Vala asked.
He closed his eyes against the tears that sprang up and felt her hand slide down his arm, her slim fingers lacing through his. Slightly surprised, he gave them a grateful squeeze and said slowly, "She made me realize how little I knew about really living. That it wasn't just books and languages. Sha're's life was about people. She taught to appreciate people and who they were…but more than that, she helped me learn who I was.
"Abydos was the first place I really remember feeling like I fit," he went on. "But I guess it wasn't Abydos, really; it was Sha're and her family, and eventually all their people. They accepted me in a way I don't think I ever really had been."
"Hmm," Vala said noncommittally, her body tensing against him.
"Are you okay?" Daniel frowned. She relaxed again, but he could tell it was forced. His stomach knotted with regret as he realized that he might have inadvertently brought the unexpected intimacy to an end.
"Fine," she lied. "Tell me more about Sha're."
"No, really…"
"Daniel, please tell me more about Sha're," she interrupted.
He sighed and nodded. "What do you want to know?"
"What was it like after Jack left?" she prompted.
"Well, there was…truthfully a lot of hard work," he related. "Days were long; desert nights could get really cold. We actually spent the majority of them doing this."
Her grin at the statement warmed him, and he fell quite easily back into the role of storyteller. Somewhere along the way, the mood shifted, though he wasn't really sure how he had gotten from the idyllic year he'd spent on Abydos to Jack's return. He'd certainly had no intention of telling Vala anything about Ammaunet or Apophis--or about returning to Abydos to find his wife pregnant with a Harsessis
child.
She listened patiently, offering gentle questions when he needed them and comfortable silence when he didn't. When his voice grew ragged, she quietly shifted onto her back and drew him with her, cradling his head on her chest. Daniel's arms wound tightly back around her as he told of watching Sha're leave--the pain of having had her back and yet knowing all along that he would lose her once the child was born.
Vala stayed quiet for a long time. When she did speak again, her voice was rough and husky with emotion. "She never got to hold him, did she? The baby?"
"No," Daniel cleared his throat and tried to keep his own voice from shaking. "As soon as the delivery was over, Ammaunet took control."
She nodded, falling silent again. Slowly, his breath began to come more evenly, and he raised his head to look at her. He thought he saw her lashes flutter, and expected her to stiffen or turn away, but she made no attempt to hide the tears.
"You…didn't get to hold Adria, either, did you?" he asked gently.
"I know it's ridiculous," Vala sniffled as she shook her head. "She never really was 'my baby', after all."
"Of course it's not ridiculous," Daniel murmured, cupping her face in his hands. "No matter what she is, Adria is still your child, the--the same way Shifu was still Sha're's."
"Shifu?" Vala asked.
"The Harsessis boy," explained Daniel. "It's…a long story, but he was…more…than what the Goa'uld wanted to make him, Vala."
Vala smiled a little--tremulously, but he could see that it was genuine--and slid back against him. "I…guess you weren't the only one who needed a hug tonight," she admitted.
"It's okay," Daniel assured her, smiling as her head came to rest on his shoulder.
Neither spoke for a while, and Daniel finally began to drift off to sleep.
"Do you really think I might reach her?" Vala asked, jolting awake suddenly.
"Yes, I do," he told her thickly.
She seemed to accept that, slipping into silence again, and he closed his eyes.
"Daniel?" she asked again, fearfully.
"Mmm?" he mumbled.
"You're not just--saying that?" she persisted.
He dragged himself awake and turned to press his lips against her temple. "I'll never lie to you, Vala. I promise."
"Thank you," she whispered, closing her eyes.
scifi_five YAY! I can't believe it; I feel like I haven't come up with one forever.Incidentally, this is also the promised fic for
teddibear. The prompts worked really well with it. It didn't turn out quite as I envisioned, but I'd definately say it's squee-worthy.Title: More
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: He realized his hand was moving slowly up and down her back, that it had been for some time…and he didn't want to stop.
Rating: PG
Length: 2100 words
Category: H/C
Pairings:Daniel/Vala
A/N: From an idea by
teddibear Written for scifi_five with impossibly fluffy dialogue by literarylitany Post Ep for 10x07 Counterstrike, therefore possible spoilers.Daniel lowered himself tiredly onto the edge of the bed, holding the old framed photo with gentle hands. His eyes slid closed, burning with both exhaustion and the inevitable hint of tears. As his throat began to tighten, though, he quickly opened them and forced a smile. He tilted his head, slipped his right hand down to trace the contour of her cheek, and tried not to think about the fact that there were times when Sha're's face was a blur to him.
It had been ten years since she was taken as host to Ammaunet--almost seven since she died. His rational mind knew that it was perfectly natural for his memories to lose their clarity, but that didn't stop the tightening in his chest as he found himself having to look at the picture to recall exactly what she looked like. She was his wife. He'd come back to Earth, joined SG-1 for no other reason than to save her. How could her face fade when he still felt her arms, heard her laugh, tasted her lips?
Abydos was gone. Aside from the picture, which would in time fade as well, he had nothing left of her to touch. He needed his memories. He depended on them. Sha're had been the key that unlocked those memories when he returned from his brief time as an Ascended being. The dream he'd had of her had given him his first real hope of remembering who he was. If he couldn't hold the image of her face, what else would he lose?
Sighing, he carefully set the picture on the nightstand, laid his glasses beside it, and pulled his legs into the bed. The sheets were stiff and scratchy, and he suddenly wished that he'd driven home after all. Everyone had been exhausted, though, by the time they returned from Dakara. Sam and Mitchell had both decided to crash on base tonight as well.
It was for the best anyway, Daniel told himself as he pulled the covers up and turned onto his side. If they were all here, they could get an early start in the morning--and, he added firmly, his decision to stay overnight had nothing to do with his proximity to Vala. Pushing her from his mind, he propped his head on his elbow, studied the photograph for a few minutes longer, then finally turned out the light.
"Goodnight, Sha're," he murmured as he settled back on the pillows.
Despite his weariness, he laid awake for some time, and was still only half asleep when he felt he felt the covers move back. His eyes popped open in confusion, and he lifted his head partially off the pillow, but Vala quickly slid in behind him, cutting off the chill of the night air against his back. Her arms had slid around his chest before he could offer a coherent objection.
"What are you--what are you doing?" he whispered as her chin came to rest on his shoulder.
"I thought you could use a hug, darling," she replied close to his ear, and he fought a shiver at the feel of her breath on his neck.
His head flopped back down in disbelief. "You thought I could use a hug," he repeated.
"Mmm-hmm," Vala's chin moved against his shoulder as she nodded. "I know it must've been difficult for you to tell me about Sha're today. Despite what you may think, Daniel, I'm not completely insensitive…"
"I don't--think that," Daniel replied, then frowned as he tried to pinpoint exactly what he did think now. Vala had changed profoundly during the time she spent in the Ori Galaxy. In fact, if he'd been paying attention, he probably would have seen her changing even before the Beachhead. Oh, she was still ambitious and conniving--probably always would be--but she certainly had learned to care about more than lining her pockets or finding some fabled fortune in stolen treasure. He knew he'd seen genuine empathy from her about Sha're as well--but Daniel wanted more.
"You don't?" she asked hesitantly.
"No," he replied, resisting the urge to pull her arms tighter around him.
"Oh," Vala said flippantly, already attempting to mask the show of vulnerability. He winced, wishing he'd made some gesture after all.
"Relief," she'd snapped at him today. "That's what I feel. Relief…"
Even the admission had been painful for her; he'd seen it. He'd understood it, too, which he supposed was what had prompted him to answer her questions about Sha're later on. For him, there had always been a measure of comfort in knowing that someone--even partially--understood how he felt, but if she still couldn't share her emotions with him now that the initial crisis had passed…
Then what? he asked himself suddenly. If she won't share her feelings with me, what?
"Vala," he sighed aloud.
"Hmm?" she asked, and he could almost see her forehead pucker in a frown.
The answer was simple. He wanted more.
He turned, trying hard not to notice the warmth of her thighs as their legs tangled. "Thank you," he said, his arms tightening around her. She held him closer in response, and he let his eyes close, allowing himself to finally enjoy her warmth, the softness of her skin, her scent around him.
"Tell me about Sha're," she said quietly.
Daniel's eyes reluctantly opened. "What?" he asked, frowning in confusion.
"Well, how did you meet her?" Vala asked.
He sighed again. There was almost no one he talked about Sha're with--and as much as he might want more from Vala, she hadn't given him any indication that she was ready to trust him with her real feelings--about Adria or anything else. Her admission of relief aboard the Odyssey had been a defensive instinct--an attempt to scare him off, not a show of trust. Finally, though, he decided that she probably wouldn't trust him if he didn't open up first.
"Never mind, darling," she said, starting to pull away. "I'll go."
"No," Daniel said quickly, tugging her back against his chest before he'd even realized he'd done it. Somehow, his hand found its way to the back of her head, and he stroked her hair awkwardly. "I--uh--I'm sorry. It--it's just that I don't--there aren't many people--um. Okay. Well, when the Stargate was first discovered on Earth, Jack O'Neill and I were part of the first expedition to a planet called Abydos…"
"That's where you met Sha're?" she interrupted.
"Yes," Daniel nodded. "The Abydonian people were enslaved to Ra, and we…eventually… sort of helped them stage a rebellion…"
"And she married you out of gratitude?" Vala asked.
"Not exactly," Daniel replied.
"What do you mean 'not exactly'?" she wanted to know.
"Vala, I'm trying to tell you," he sighed in exasperation.
"Oh, right," she nodded, settling her head on his chest. "Sorry, go on."
He shook his head, feeling a fond smile tug at his lips, and began again. It was surprisingly easy once he found his way past his initial shyness. Vala did interrupt occasionally, but her questions quickly came to be less distracting. He soon found himself able to anticipate which details would interest her and which would illicit a bored yawn. Before long, questions from her only came during the lulls in his story, and always managed to draw him back out again when he hesitated or lost himself in some memory.
She seemed perfectly at ease, her cheek resting softly against his heart. One arm was draped lightly over him, the fingers of that hand moving idly along his shoulder. The rhythm of her breathing was deep and even, and he slowly realized that she was enjoying the closeness of his body in a way that had nothing to do with sex or even romance. Gratified, Daniel cast about for more to say when he finished with burial of the Abydonian 'Gate, but Vala supplied it for him.
"That's a wonderful story, darling, but you haven't told me one thing," she said.
"What's that?" he asked.
"You had a life here, although from what you've said it does sound rather dull," she pointed out. "So what was it about this woman that made you want to stay--give up everything and spend the rest of your life on another world?"
A wistful smile touched Daniel's lips, but as he drew a breath to reply, he began to feel uncomfortable again. He became suddenly and acutely conscious of what he was doing--lying in bed late at night, whispering with another woman--with Vala--about Sha're. He realized his hand was moving slowly up and down her back, that it had been for some time…and he didn't want to stop.
"She--made me realize a lot of things," he said evasively. "About life--about myself."
"Like…?" Vala asked.
He closed his eyes against the tears that sprang up and felt her hand slide down his arm, her slim fingers lacing through his. Slightly surprised, he gave them a grateful squeeze and said slowly, "She made me realize how little I knew about really living. That it wasn't just books and languages. Sha're's life was about people. She taught to appreciate people and who they were…but more than that, she helped me learn who I was.
"Abydos was the first place I really remember feeling like I fit," he went on. "But I guess it wasn't Abydos, really; it was Sha're and her family, and eventually all their people. They accepted me in a way I don't think I ever really had been."
"Hmm," Vala said noncommittally, her body tensing against him.
"Are you okay?" Daniel frowned. She relaxed again, but he could tell it was forced. His stomach knotted with regret as he realized that he might have inadvertently brought the unexpected intimacy to an end.
"Fine," she lied. "Tell me more about Sha're."
"No, really…"
"Daniel, please tell me more about Sha're," she interrupted.
He sighed and nodded. "What do you want to know?"
"What was it like after Jack left?" she prompted.
"Well, there was…truthfully a lot of hard work," he related. "Days were long; desert nights could get really cold. We actually spent the majority of them doing this."
Her grin at the statement warmed him, and he fell quite easily back into the role of storyteller. Somewhere along the way, the mood shifted, though he wasn't really sure how he had gotten from the idyllic year he'd spent on Abydos to Jack's return. He'd certainly had no intention of telling Vala anything about Ammaunet or Apophis--or about returning to Abydos to find his wife pregnant with a Harsessis
child.
She listened patiently, offering gentle questions when he needed them and comfortable silence when he didn't. When his voice grew ragged, she quietly shifted onto her back and drew him with her, cradling his head on her chest. Daniel's arms wound tightly back around her as he told of watching Sha're leave--the pain of having had her back and yet knowing all along that he would lose her once the child was born.
Vala stayed quiet for a long time. When she did speak again, her voice was rough and husky with emotion. "She never got to hold him, did she? The baby?"
"No," Daniel cleared his throat and tried to keep his own voice from shaking. "As soon as the delivery was over, Ammaunet took control."
She nodded, falling silent again. Slowly, his breath began to come more evenly, and he raised his head to look at her. He thought he saw her lashes flutter, and expected her to stiffen or turn away, but she made no attempt to hide the tears.
"You…didn't get to hold Adria, either, did you?" he asked gently.
"I know it's ridiculous," Vala sniffled as she shook her head. "She never really was 'my baby', after all."
"Of course it's not ridiculous," Daniel murmured, cupping her face in his hands. "No matter what she is, Adria is still your child, the--the same way Shifu was still Sha're's."
"Shifu?" Vala asked.
"The Harsessis boy," explained Daniel. "It's…a long story, but he was…more…than what the Goa'uld wanted to make him, Vala."
Vala smiled a little--tremulously, but he could see that it was genuine--and slid back against him. "I…guess you weren't the only one who needed a hug tonight," she admitted.
"It's okay," Daniel assured her, smiling as her head came to rest on his shoulder.
Neither spoke for a while, and Daniel finally began to drift off to sleep.
"Do you really think I might reach her?" Vala asked, jolting awake suddenly.
"Yes, I do," he told her thickly.
She seemed to accept that, slipping into silence again, and he closed his eyes.
"Daniel?" she asked again, fearfully.
"Mmm?" he mumbled.
"You're not just--saying that?" she persisted.
He dragged himself awake and turned to press his lips against her temple. "I'll never lie to you, Vala. I promise."
"Thank you," she whispered, closing her eyes.
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And how utterly heartbreaking when she asks him if Sha're got to hold Shifu. *sigh* I've always imagined what this conversation would be between them about Sha're and the similarities of their lives and you played it out so beatifully here. There was lots of emotional hurts but a ton of emotional comfort and that's where my *happy sigh* came in. So thank you again :)
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The scene between Daniel and Teal'c is something that I just found incredibly telling about their friendship, as well as about Daniel's growth as a person. So, it was very much on my mind as I wrote this.
My first thoughts when I heard about Adria were honestly, "Oh, gosh, it's going to be Sha're and Shifu all over again..." and then that scene in Flesh and Blood where all Vala wants is to hold the baby. That was heartbreaking. I just had to do something with it.
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Brain--Oooh, character?
Me--*facepalm*
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he he on a side not i've finally started a d/v fic :)) first chapter is off to by beta ..i'm so excited lol
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Thanks, btw.
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well b/c you asked nicely :)
it's going to be a multi-chapter one, post counterstrike as well actually :PP
Angst, romance, h/comfort :)) i hope to get it posted in a day or so, all depends on how fast my beta is lol
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Oh, my, that was just *lovely.*
There was so much subtext in the brief scenes between these two in Counterstrike, and I so wanted to see more. I love the similarities the writers have been hinting at between where Daniel was when he first came into the program, and where Vala is right now, and I adore the way you just touched on them here, then danced away...
"Abydos was the first place I really remember feeling like I fit," he went on. "But I guess it wasn't Abydos, really; it was Sha're and her family, and eventually all their people. They accepted me in a way I don't think I ever really had been."
"Hmm," Vala said noncommittally, her body tensing against him.
Right there, I just twisted right up...so perfect.
And it's nice to see Daniel recognize that he needs to extend trust before he can get it with Vala, and especially for him to see how badly Vala needs people to trust her, even though she may not have seemed worthy of it in the past. It's so easy for her to take the road of least resistance, when the rest of her life has been so difficult; part of me thinks that's some of the reason that she's drawn to Daniel. The more she sees that he's not had the soft life that she suspects, and has still chosen higher ground - that alternatively attracts and confounds her.
I also think that it's important for her to feel that she has something to offer him, so this opportunity to give him honest comfort is pretty valuable. I'm as much a fan of D/V smut as the next chick, but I'm glad you didn't go there - it was perfect just the way it was - tenuous, careful, and oh, so lovely. Thank you!
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I love what Vala brings to Daniel's life in so many ways...she's not a victim in the sense that a lot of his love interests have been; she doesn't need him to rescue her from the Goa'uld or some external menace, and I think that in her own way she has as much to teach him as Sha're did--but the things she does need, he's perfect to provide because he's both intuitive enough to see and stubborn enough to stick around. I see her as someone who has real potential to be a partner to him, and I've seen a lot of "Daniel helps Vala" stuff but not so much where she reciprocates. I was hoping to offer something balanced here.
This:
"Hmm," Vala said noncommittally, her body tensing against him.
almost didn't make it in because my stomach knotted at the end of Daniel's line when I realized what he was saying and that there was only one real way Vala would react. I could just see her freezing up and him realizing just a bit too late.
I was kind of stuck as to where to go after that, so I was going to delete Daniel's whole remark and then I thought, "Well, ok, if I was in Vala's position there, I'd probably try to get the focus back off myself." And the line I almost didn't use became a pivotal point. Gotta love it when that happens.
Thank you so much for your feedback, btw. It really means a lot to know I struck a chord.
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Her admission of relief aboard the Odyssey had been a defensive instinct--an attempt to scare him off, not a show of trust.
What an insight...I hadn't thought of it like that, but you are exactly right. And it makes the little look he gives her when he tells her he was relieved too mean so much more, he knows what she's doing, she can't hide from him anymore can she.
arrgg...I'm slain by how great this is...
Well done! :)
ps. hope I haven't double posted...my computer just had a nervous breakdown...
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And thanks. I don't think she could ever hide from him, but I also think that's why she's drawn to him, even if she doesn't know/won't admit it.
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Thanks.
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That's another reason I think Daniel can relate to Vala. She's a lot like Sha're. She was taken as a host herself but SHE survived. Maybe that's why he seems to resent her in the beginning. He lost HIS Sha're but now he's got this chance with Vala who actually SURVIVED the Goa'uld. And I really don't think that he ever forgave himself for Sha're's death. So maybe those feelings leaked out a bit when Vala first reappeared through the gate. Because honestly he was a bit harsher with her than he had to be. I like that he's finally coming to realize that she's a lot like Sha're in more ways than he thought and maybe that's what's scaring him. They're so alike and yet SO different and that's scary for him.
Beautifully done hun. You have a few grammaticals which I can point out if ya want (would give me an excuse to reread *g*) but other than that, it was just perfect. I can't wait to see what you do with Memento Mori's post ep tag. Thank you! *smooch*
Remind me, I owe you kiss icons. When I finish my claim. :)
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...she's a lot like Sha're in more ways than he thought and maybe that's what's scaring him. They're so alike and yet SO different and that's scary for him...
That statement is basically the genesis of Trust, and I WISH I wasn't so stuck on the stupid cake scene so I could finish it!!
Feel free to go through it again if you like; I'm gonna get RH to you today too. And... KISS icons? Oh yeah!
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It's funny, we wrote our latest fics around the same time, and I covered Vala's history while you covered Daniel's -- it's almost like they're unconscious counterparts, LOL!
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And my volcabulary has become monosyllabic...
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