(no subject)
Yay! I finished my first claim fic! Whee!
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1/25
Someone asked me how Vala got her cold, so I wrote this to explain it. There will be further explanation tomorrow. I know you don't get a cold by being cold.
1/26
One more out of order part coming and then I'll post these over to the fic comm they were written for. Thanks to teddibear, the series is now going to be titled
The Games People Play
Parts 1 & 2
Title: Devil's Due
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "You're still a fruitcake..."
Rating: G
Length: Around 1200 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: Part 3 of The Games People Play. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. I'm not exactly sure how far after the Pigtails fic this one takes place. I know it's around Halloween. Which will be relevant in the next few installments. Heh. Written for fic101.
Devil's Due
"How do I look?" Vala's voice sounded from the doorway.
Daniel jerked his head up from the notes he was scribbling and turned toward the office door. She stood with her arms out to either side and spun around to display the new winter coat, hat, scarf, and mittens that Sam had taken her shopping for. He fought his smile for a second, then remembered that he didn't have to anymore, and grinned as she held up her foot to show off the boots.
"It's great," he told her.
Vala bounded inside with a grin of her own and slid onto his lap. Her arms coiled around his neck, and Daniel closed his eyes as their lips met. "Did you miss me?" she asked teasingly.
He responded with a noncommittal noise and gave a shrug, glancing back at his half-written notes. Vala scowled, raising a hand to snatch the notebook away, but he quickly caught it and guided her palm to his lips. "Yes," he nodded.
"Good. Now, darling. There are two brand new, gorgeous feet of pristine snow on the ground outside, and you are going to come out and play with me," Vala announced.
"What?" Daniel's eyes widened.
Vala gave him a determined glare. "Daniel, you have been working since yesterday. You promised that when I got back from shopping, we could go and do something fun."
"Yeah, but I didn't say anything about playing in the snow, Vala!" he protested. "We--we can go watch a movie in your quarters or something--"
"I'm tired of watching movies in my quarters," Vala said, hopping off his lap in annoyance.
"Okay…" Daniel blinked in surprise.
"The only time I'm ever not shut in down here is when we're offworld. And then there's always the disturbing tendency for our lives to be in jeopardy. Just once I'd like to do something a little less hazardous to my health."
"You just went out shopping with Sam," he pointed out.
"With you?" she rolled her eyes, planting her hands on her hips.
"All right," Daniel scrubbed his face with his hand. "What if--what if we go to a movie tonight?"
"Uh-uh," Vala shook her head, walking over to the closet. She reached inside to pull out his coat and then turned, holding it open. "Come on, put this on. "
Daniel hung his head. After a long sigh, he trooped over to the closet and took the coat. "Okay. But absolutely no snowball fights. Do you understand me?"
***
They drove to a nearby park, where Vala contented herself with building a snowman for the first hour. When the body and head were complete, she plucked Daniel's glasses off his face and fixed them on the snowman.
"Hey!" he protested.
"You can have them back later, darling," she promised smoothly. Then, she took a step back and frowned, examining the results critically. Daniel shook his head, squinting for a better look at it, and tried to restrain a laugh.
"Something's missing," she decided.
"What?" frowned Daniel.
"I don't…" Vala started, then spun suddenly toward him.
Daniel took a wary step back. "What now?"
She grinned impishly and reached out, snatching his scarf before he could raise his hand to stop her. He sighed heavily as she wrapped it around the snowman's neck, but finally decided that it wouldn't do any good to suggest that they use her scarf anyway.
"Stop being so stuffy, darling. We're supposed to be having fun." she told him.
"Whaddaya mean, stuffy?" he demanded.
"I mean stuffy, Daniel Jackson," she replied, bending to scoop up a double handful of snow and pack it into a circle between her hands.
His eyes bulged. "Vala--we had a deal--"
"Did we?" she asked as she stepped closer. She pulled her arm back threateningly and grinned.
"No snowball fights!" Daniel cried, diving out of the way. He landed face first in the powdery white snow, but grabbed a double handful and rolled quickly to his feet again. His shot went wide, and Vala shrieked with pretended outrage. She scooped up more ammunition, but by the time she was ready to throw, Daniel had hurled a second snowball. It smacked her square in the face, and she stood there stunned for a moment, then raced toward him.
He took off running, but she leapt at his back, bowling him over into the snow again. They wrestled around in it until both were soaked to the skin and numb. Then Vala scrambled to her feet and the real pelting began. Daniel found it only slightly less intense than their fight aboard the Prometheus, but with the entire park to encompass this conflict, by the time they were through chasing and ducking, climbing the jungle gym, and crawling though the snow, he was ready to drop. Vala gave him the perfect opportunity to do so, ending the battle by swinging down out of a tree and landing on top of him.
He tumbled backward and lay there for a moment, then slowly raised his hands to brush her hair back from her face. Her cheeks were bright red with cold, and damp from the snow. She grinned down at him, blue eyes shining playful excitement. She'd lost her mittens by then, and one finger came up to trace along his lips.
"Are we done?" she asked teasingly.
"You're still a fruitcake," Daniel replied with a breathless laugh.
She responded by lowering her head to meet his lips, and this time he didn't pull away. His arms tightened reflexively around her, and for a while, he was aware of nothing but the heat of her body and the fullness of her mouth on his. Then the wind picked up, and he felt her shiver. Reluctantly breaking the kiss, he smiled again.
"How 'bout we pick this up at my apartment?" he suggested.
"Only if you promise we can pick up right where we left off," Vala winked.
"Deal," Daniel agreed.
As they climbed out of the snow, he realized that the sky had taken on the deep red of sunset, and his eyes widened. "I didn't realize it was so late," he murmured as he slid an arm around Vala and drew her against him.
"Time flies when you're having a good time?" she asked.
"Fun," Daniel corrected lightly as they walked.
"What?" she frowned.
"Time flies when you're having fun," he said.
"Isn't that what I said?" Vala asked.
He closed his eyes, giving his head a fond shake, and didn't reply. When they reached the snowman, he paused to retrieve his scarf and glasses. The scarf was stiff in places and soaked in others, completely beyond being able to offer him protection from the cold. He stuffed it absently into a pocket and focused on cleaning the snow from his glasses. Vala wandered on ahead of him, but he was too preoccupied to notice where she was going until he reached the park entrance and looked up to realize that she had veered off and was watching a group of children who were gathered around one of the few remaining patches of unbroken snow.
Daniel smiled slightly and turned to join her, reaching the group just as the kids began to drop backwards into the powder. Vala frowned curiously, and he resisted the urge to grin at her puzzlement. Then the kids began to scissor their arms and legs, and she turned to him with wide eyes.
"What are they doing?" she whispered.
"Watch," Daniel said mysteriously,
A few of the group who'd remained standing helped the angel-makers up and Vala's face transformed with delight. Then, slowly, that innocence turned markedly devilish, and she grabbed Daniel's arm.
"Hey! What--no--!"
"Our turn!" she declared gleefully.
Title: Expectations
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "Are you sure it wasn't just a convenient excuse for people to cuddle by a fire?" Vala smiled, tilting her head in invitation.
Rating: PG
Length: Around 1100 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: The Games People Play Part 4. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101. Literary works mentioned are: The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot; A Man's Requirements and Bianca Among the Nightingales by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Expectations
Daniel paused in the doorway, his eyes widening with surprise. He rested the side of his head on the doorframe, wet hair still dripping from the shower. A smile twitched over his lips, and he hoped that she wouldn't see him. Vala sat cross-legged on his living room floor, one hand raised to absently pat her hair down with a towel, but the motion was entirely automatic. Her attention was riveted on the beat-up paperback in her other hand, but he couldn't make out the title in the firelight. She bit her lip in thought as she turned the page, and the towel finally slid out of her grasp. She still didn't notice, and Daniel couldn't quite stifle a laugh.
She jumped, then let out a breath at the sight of him. Glancing back at the book, she dog-eared her page, then closed it and held out a hand. "Darling, come get warm. You'll end up with one of those cold things that Mitchell had last week."
"You don't get a cold by being cold," he said fondly, but he pushed himself away from the door and walked inside, taking the hand she offered.
"You don't?" she frowned.
"It's a virus," he explained as he sank down across from her, brushing a finger lightly against her cheek.
"Oh. Well, why is it called a cold, then?" she wanted to know.
"Well, because that's what people used to think. No one really knew about things like germs that caused disease," he explained.
"Are you sure it wasn't just a convenient excuse for people to cuddle by a fire?" Vala smiled, tilting her head in invitation.
"I doubt it," Daniel laughed, leaning forward to brush her cheek with his lips. Her hand slid up against the back of his head, and he closed his eyes. He traced his mouth over the contour of her cheek and down her jaw, then left a trail of long, languorous kisses along her neck, paused, and finally drew back.
"What's wrong?" Vala whispered.
Daniel smiled and shook his head, reaching for her hands. Her brow creased in confusion, but she allowed him to take them, and he gently pulled her into his lap. She went without resistance, snuggling deep into his arms. Her cheek settled firmly against his heart, and he gave a contented sigh, resting his lips in her hair. Neither spoke for a while, simply enjoying the closeness of one another's bodies and the warmth of the fire.
"What were you reading?" he asked after a few minutes.
"Hmm?" Vala tilted her head back to give him a surprised look.
"When I came in," he said. "What book is that?"
"Oh. Sam loaned it to me. It's called The Mill on the Floss," she replied.
Daniel's eyes widened. "Eliot?" he asked.
"Mmm," Vala nodded enthusiastically. "It's about a girl named Maggie Tulliver. Have you read it?"
"Uh…yeah…" Daniel said slowly.
"You don't like it," her face fell.
"No, I do. It--it's just, I--" he broke off, clearing his throat.
"What?" she raised an eyebrow.
"It's just…not exactly the kind of book I'd expect you to like," he said.
"Why not?" Vala frowned.
"Well," Daniel shrugged. "The--the classics are pretty heavy reading…"
"Oh. Too smart for me, is that it?" she demanded.
"No!" he shook his head.
"Really? Then what would you expect me to be reading?"
Daniel opened his mouth to reply and then bit his lip, quickly deciding that it would be a very bad idea to point out that last week Vala had been reading a trashy romance that someone had left in the commissary. His gaze flicked nervously off toward one of the nearby shelves, though he had no real hope of finding an answer there.
"Here!" he exclaimed, suddenly seizing on an idea. He gently shifted her off his lap and scrambled up, hurrying to grab an old leatherbound volume. The shelves were tightly packed, and a few others spilled out as well. He quickly stuffed them back in and turned to face Vala, who was watching with her arms folded across her chest.
He smiled a little nervously and stepped back toward her, opening the book and flipping pages as he went. "Elizabeth Barrett Browning," he said by way of introduction.
"Love me Sweet, with all thou art,
Feeling, thinking, seeing;
Love me in the lightest part,
Love me in full being.
Love me with thine open youth
In its frank surrender;
With the vowing of thy mouth,
With its silence tender…"
Slowly, Vala let her arms fall, and he smiled again. Kneeling on the floor in front of her, he handed her the book and cupped her face in his hands.
"Love me with thine azure eyes,
Made for earnest grantings;
Taking colour from the skies,
Can Heaven's truth be wanting?
"You're trying to ply me with poetry and make me forget that I'm annoyed with you," she smiled, bringing a finger to his lips.
"Is it working?" Daniel asked.
Vala laughed softly and let her finger slide away. She held his gaze for a long moment and then nodded, replacing the finger with her lips. Without breaking the kiss, Daniel gently guided her down until they were both stretched out on their sides.
"Tell me the rest of it," she murmured, finally sliding her mouth away.
"Hmm?" he asked bemusedly.
"The poem, Daniel," she chuckled, resting a hand on his cheek.
"Oh! Oh, right," he nodded. "Um…"
"You don't remember anymore, do you?" she laughed.
"Sure I do," he nodded. "Uh--gimme a second."
After a few false starts, he did manage to remember and recite the rest of A Man's Requirements. Vala rewarded him with another kiss, and then shifted and stretched her arm to pull the book over from where she'd laid it. She handed it to him with a winning grin, but he shook his head.
"You read me one now," he said.
"But I don't know them," she objected.
"It's okay, just…read through the beginnings. Find one you like and read it to me," he replied.
"All right," Vala bit her lip nervously. She sat up to give herself more of the firelight to see by and began scanning the pages. Daniel pushed himself up as well and repositioned himself behind her. He wound his arms around her, pulling her snugly against his chest, and settled his chin on her shoulder. She turned her head to look at him, leaving a light kiss on his lips before returning her attention to the book and beginning,
"The cypress stood up like a church
That night we felt our love would hold…
Title: Just Lucky
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU The first sound he heard was a sneeze.
Rating: G
Length: Around 1200 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: The Games People Play Part 5. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101.
Just Lucky
The first sound he heard was a sneeze. Daniel groaned and rolled over in bed, reaching automatically for Vala. He found only tangled covers and his eyes sprang open. He looked around the still-dark bedroom in confusion until a second sneeze came and his sleep-muddled brain registered that she had only gone into the bathroom.
"You okay?" he called.
She didn't reply, but he heard the bathroom door open, and her footsteps trudged back down the hall. He sat up, stretching an arm to snap on the lamp beside the bed, and waited. She appeared in the doorway flush-faced and with dark, pronounced circles under her eyes. Her usual morning bounce had evaporated, and she plodded across the room to drop down beside him.
"Are we allowed to call out sick?" she asked, burying her face in her hands.
"What's the matter?" Daniel asked, boosting himself up to slip his arms around her.
"I told you that we'd catch cold," she replied with a cough.
"Must've been those kids," Daniel chuckled. "A couple of them were sniffling."
"Well, you played with them too. And we spent the night together. Why aren't you sneezing and coughing?" she wanted to know.
"Just lucky, I guess," he shrugged, hiding a grin as he kissed her neck.
Title: Evasive Action
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "Since when do you read Elizabeth Barrett Browning?" Sam wanted to know.
Rating: G
Length: Around 500 words
Category: Gen
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Sam friendship; Daniel/Vala implied
A/N: The Games People Play Part 6. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101.
Evasive Action
He didn't know Sam was behind him until her hand brushed his shoulder. He jumped, his elbow striking the coffee cup on the table beside him. They both moved to catch it, but the cup tottered onto its side, spilling the brown liquid all over the notebook he'd been scribbling in.
Daniel shoved his chair back to avoid a coffee bath while Sam dove for the napkins. She sopped up the mess and they both carried napkins and notes over to the nearest trash can. She dumped the napkins into it while he tried in vain to salvage the last hour's work.
Vala's cold had postponed the day's offworld mission, since SG-1 had been scheduled to rendezvous with some of her old smuggling contacts. SG-3 and SG-12 had both brought back artifacts that appeared Mayan in origin, though they'd been visiting two separate worlds this week. Daniel had been itching to start a comparative analysis of their finds, and had decided to take the unexpected opportunity and get started. He'd been occupied with it for most of the morning, but fresh coffee had seemed like an appropriate reason for a break. He'd told himself that at least he could bring his notes with him.
"Sorry," Sam murmured apologetically.
"Oh…s'okay," Daniel shrugged.
"So," she smirked. "Since when do you read Elizabeth Barrett Browning?"
Daniel pursed his lips, raising his eyebrows as if in surprise at the question. "I read lots of things," he said vaguely.
"We borrow books from each other all the time. I've never seen that one in your collection," she pointed out.
"Oh. Well--you must have missed it," he smiled, heading quickly back toward the table.
"Right," Sam snickered, moving to sit on the other side.
"Sam, I'm a scholar. I keep lots of books around for research purposes," he said.
"You've done research on 19th century British poets?" Sam raised a disbelieving eyebrow.
"I…think understanding the literature of any period is important to having an accurate view of the culture it comes from," he coughed.
"Sure, Daniel," she looked down at the table to hide a grin.
"What?" he demanded.
"Nothing. That was really smooth, by the way. Reading her love poetry to get yourself out of trouble," Sam said mischievously.
"Good thing I just happened to have Elizabeth Barrett Browning handy," he shrugged again.
"I'll say. So, where'd you get it?" she persisted.
"Get what?" he asked, feigning confusion.
"The poetry book, Daniel," Sam rolled her eyes.
"Oh. I dunno," he said absently, turning his attention back to his notebook.
"Daniel, I've been your friend for ten years. In all that time you've never not known where you got any book you own," Sam said, reaching to snatch the pencil from his hand.
He let out an exaggerated sigh and looked up again. "Well, if you must know, I got it--"
"UNSCHEDULED OFFWORLD ACTIVATION!"
Title: When She Lets Her Hair Down
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU Daniel gets to see a new side of Vala.
Rating: G
Length: Around 1200 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: The Games People Play Part 7. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101.
When She Lets Her Hair Down
The coughing fit started before she even reached the door. Waiting in the hallway, Daniel winced and wondered if Robitussin might have been a better choice than the Tupperware container of chicken soup he was holding. Vala's hacking finally tapered off, and she opened the door.
Her hair was tousled and she was dressed in some bright blue frog pajamas that he recognized as Sam's. The color was a stark contrast to the vivid red of her nose, but he firmly resisted the smile that tugged at his lips.
"Nice PJs," he offered.
"Sam said they'd be more comfortable than anything I had," she explained as she moved aside to let him in.
He nodded and bent to kiss her, but she quickly turned her face away. "Bad idea, darling," she said.
"Right," he sighed, making his way into her quarters. "Well…I brought you some chicken soup."
Vala sighed, gesturing toward the table, where several similar containers were already stacked. "You're the third person to bring me chicken soup, Daniel. Would you care to explain the significance?"
"It's…um…an old wives' tale," Daniel began as he carried the soup over to the table. "Or a folk remedy, I guess. Or…maybe more of a tradition. I think essentially it's the idea that it's warm and comforting."
"Like the pajamas?" Vala frowned. "Oh--hold on--"
Daniel turned in time to see her rush toward the loveseat, where she grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the cushion. She sneezed violently several times, then let out a groan and flopped down amid the pile of blankets and pillows.
"Oh, this is just awful," she moaned. "I'm sure Carolyn's wrong. It's much more serious than a cold. I'm all stuffed up, I ache from head to toe, my throat feels like sandpaper, and every time I cough or sneeze it makes my head pound."
"Sounds like a cold to me," Daniel smiled as he walked over to her. He nudged the blankets carefully out of the way and lowered himself onto the cushion, then slid his arm around her. Drawing her gently against his chest, he pressed his lips into her hair and ran a hand over the tense muscles of her back.
"Thank you for that observation, darling," Vala said testily. She rolled her eyes and shoved him away with a whine. "Daniel, I'm sick! Will you get off of me!"
Daniel frowned, his mouth popping open. "Well, I was just trying to make you feel better!" he huffed.
"I'd feel better if I didn't have someone smothering me while I don't feel well," she grumbled.
Daniel rolled his eyes but said nothing, reaching for the remote control. He supposed that at least it was a positive sign that she would let herself be grouchy and childish with him. Flipping absently through the channels, he hoped that if he appeared to have his attention focused elsewhere, she would be less apt to pick a fight. Before he could settle on something to watch, though, she edged closer and started snuggling into his side.
Letting out a long sigh, he slid his arm around her again. He almost expected to be pushed away, but her arm wound around him, and she rested her head against his shoulder. Another spasm of coughing shook her, and he turned with a worried frown.
"Did Carolyn give you anything for that?" he asked.
"Mmm, but it just tastes so awful," she replied, pouting. "Why does medicine always taste terrible?"
"I don't know," he admitted.
"My throat's so tight and raw, Daniel," she complained.
"Might help if you stop talking for a while," he pointed out.
"Oh, very funny," she rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious," he protested.
"I'm sure you are," Vala sighed.
"Look, the more you talk, the more you irritate your throat…"
"What I really need is a popsicle," she interrupted.
"A popsicle?" he repeated, running a hand over his face in exasperation.
"To make my throat stop hurting!" she nodded, then turned a pleading look on him.
"You've got all this soup," he reminded her.
"But it's hot. I can't eat anything hot, Daniel, it hurts when I swallow!" she insisted.
Daniel raised his eyes to the ceiling and sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll go down to the commissary and get you a popsicle," he said, getting up again.
"Thank you, darling," she coughed as he left.
The sound of it melted his irritation, and he nodded, hurrying out. Maybe a popsicle would be good for her; if not it would at least keep her from talking for a while, he thought as he went. That idea, however, went out the window as soon as he returned and presented her with the frozen treat she'd asked for.
Vala's brow puckered. "I wanted a red one," she told him.
"All they had was grape," he said apologetically. "It'll still help your throat."
"But I don't like those. It's Mitchell who likes the grape ones. I like cherry," she reminded him, pouting.
Daniel closed his eyes. "Vala, I love you, but I am not going out to the store to get you a cherry popsicle."
"Why not?" she demanded.
"Because!" he snapped.
Vala opened her mouth to retort, but twisted her head instead, diving for another handful of Kleenex. The sneeze seemed to trigger more coughing, which ended in her flopping sideways on the couch. "Never mind," she wheezed. "Of course you love me, darling."
Daniel hung his head. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
***
She didn't answer when he knocked the second time, so Daniel carefully eased the door open and slid inside. He heard the snoring before he saw her and stifled a laugh. Quietly setting the brown paper bag on the table, he unpacked the tissues and cough drops, fished out the book of crossword puzzles he'd picked up at the check-out counter, and then stowed the soup and popsicles in her mini-fridge.
When she hadn't woken up by the time he finished, he made his way back to her and stood watching for a minute. She had fallen asleep in the same position she'd been in when he left. Her slippered feet were still on the floor, and her upper body was draped across the cushions with the top of her head crammed uncomfortably up against the arm of the loveseat.
A fond smile spread across Daniel's lips, and he shook his head, bending to pick her up. She stirred in his arms, giving him a sleepily confused look. He freed a hand to brush her cheek and gave her forehead a reassuring kiss.
"You're gonna get a stiff neck," he mumured, but she had already settled her head on his chest and drifted back to sleep.
Grinning to himself, Daniel carried her to the bed and pulled back the covers. Her brow creased fretfully as he set her down, but she only coughed a few times and didn't wake. He froze, holding himself completely still until she seemed to relax again, then carefully pulled the blankets back up around her. Before he left, he brought one of the Kleenex boxes and set it on the bed where she'd find it if she woke and needed it.
"'Night, Vala," he whispered finally, pressing his lips to her forehead.
Title: I Am Not Lucy
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU Cam settles an argument.
Rating: G
Length: Around 400 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala; Team friendship
A/N: The Games People Play Part 8. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101.
I Am Not Lucy
"You are so Lucy!" Daniel laughed as he and Vala left the lunch line in the orange-and-black decorated commissary.
"I am not! I'm nothing like her!" huffed Vala, folding her arms across her chest. Her cold had finally gone away, but she'd still been sick enough the night before to be able to wheedle him into watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Peanuts had become a regular fixture in Vala's life since she'd discovered the Sunday comics, and she'd been thrilled to discover that the strip had been adapted for television.
"C'mon. Holding the football and pulling it away? Tell me you wouldn't!" he challenged.
"I wouldn't," she insisted as they paused in front of the freezers to pick the desserts Daniel had paid for with the rest of their meals. "Ooh, look, darling. Red ones!"
Daniel smiled and shook his head, gesturing for her to take the popsicles out. She grinned mischievously and grabbed them, then bounced over to the table where the rest of SG-1 was having lunch. Once there, she doled out popsicles to each of them and then stood beside an empty chair, giving Daniel an expectant look.
Cameron gave a small snort of amusement and Sam hid a smirk behind her hand. Teal'c commendably showed no reaction, but as Daniel set the lunch trays down and moved to pull out Vala's chair, he had the distinct feeling that the Jaffa was laughing behind his stoic expression.
"Thank you, Daniel," Vala smiled, giving his cheek a peck before sliding into her seat. Then, turning to Cam, she said, "Mitchell, settle an argument for us."
"Oookay," he replied, looking warily from her to Daniel and back.
"I don't know, Cam, I'd stay out of romantic squabbles if I were you," Sam advised.
"Indeed," agreed Teal'c.
Vala ignored them, smoothly explaining, "Daniel keeps saying that I am Lucy. I told him that's ridiculous, but he insists."
Cam laughed, shaking his head. "Sorry, Vala. This time I gotta agree with Jackson. You are definitely Lucy."
"What?" Vala's mouth dropped open. She quickly recovered, though, and stabbed a finger at him, replying, "Fine, then. If I'm Lucy, then you are Snoopy!"
"Snoopy!" Cam cried in protest.
"Hey," laughed Sam. "Does that make Teal'c Woodstock?"
The Jaffa's eyes narrowed at the question and he turned a frown on his teammates, pronouncing firmly, "I am not Woodstock."
Title: Meant to Be
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "I don't know, darling. If Lucy likes Charlie Brown, why doesn't she let him kick the football?"
Rating: G
Length: Around 500 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: The Games People Play Part 9. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101.
Meant to Be
"Okay," Daniel laughed when they were back in her quarters later. "If you're not Lucy, who are you then?"
Vala spun to face him, folding her arms over her chest. She opened her mouth, then paused, and snapped it shut with a clack. His smile widened.
"I know. Peppermint Patty," he taunted.
"What?!" Vala gasped. "Daniel, her fashion sense is horrid. Those open-toed sandals? Not to mention the fact that she's so stupid she doesn't even realize that Snoopy is a beagle! How about the Little Red-haired girl? I wouldn't blame Charlie Brown for being infatuated with me."
"Nope, doesn't work. Your hair's not red. Besides, nobody ever sees the Little Red-haired Girl," Daniel pointed out.
"So?" Vala raised an eyebrow.
"You wanna be a character who never even gets a line in the strip?" he asked.
"All right, you have a point," she admitted. "But I'm still not going along with this Lucy business."
"Violet?" Daniel asked.
"Violet's an imbecile!" Vala scoffed. "She's goes to school on Saturdays and can't figure out why no one else is there. I may be a lot of things, Daniel, but I'm far from stupid."
"Sally?"
"Charlie Brown's sickeningly cute, blonde little sister?" Vala rolled her eyes.
"Okay, then who's left? What's her name--Marcie?" he asked.
"The geek with glasses!" Vala exclaimed, her mouth dropping open in shock.
Daniel narrowed his eyes, giving her a hard look. After a moment's pause, she bit her lip, turning a bright smile on him. "Um. Not, of course, that there's anything wrong with geeks. Or glasses. But you have to admit--Sam is much more suited to being Marcie than I am."
"Uh-huh," Daniel folded his arms, eyeing her with a distinctly unimpressed expression. "So that brings us back to Lucy."
Vala sighed and let her arms drop, walking over to place a hand on his arm. "Okay. But if I have to be Lucy, will you at least be my Schroeder?"
He smiled a little and slid his arms around her waist. "Y'know, I've always kinda thought that if Charlie Brown ever stopped chasing after the Little Red-haired girl, he'd see that Lucy's been waiting the whole time."
"Charlie Brown and Lucy?" Vala's eyes widened as her arms slid around his neck. "But what about Schroeder?"
"Schroeder's a challenge," Daniel shrugged.
Vala bit her lip thoughtfully. "Oh, I see. So, if she ever got his attention, she wouldn't want it anymore."
"Same thing with Charlie Brown and the Little Red-haired Girl," Daniel nodded.
"I don't know, darling. If Lucy likes Charlie Brown, why doesn't she let him kick the football?" Vala pointed out.
"Well, she can't let him know that she likes him," Daniel replied.
"Ohhh," Vala nodded in understanding. "Sort of like pulling on pigtails?"
"Sort of," Daniel agreed with a chuckle. She leaned forward to kiss him, but he suddenly frowned and pulled back. "Wait a minute. Where'd you pick up the word geek anyway?"
"Uh--Mitchell," Vala replied, her gaze flicking uncomfortably away.
"Do I want to know who you were talking about?" Daniel inquired.
"Not really…"
Title: A New Look
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "You mean you made me drive an hour and a half for these costumes and you don't like them now?"
Rating: G
Length: Around 500 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: The Games People Play Part 10. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101.
A New Look
Vala wiggled her hips and turned to either side, examining the cut of the shimmering gold dress again. She wrinkled her nose distastefully and sighed, stepping away from the mirrored wall of the store. "Daniel, as much I like the idea of you in the Mark Anthony costume, I'm just not feeling Cleopatra."
Behind her, Daniel's eyebrows shot up. "You mean you made me drive an hour and a half for these costumes and now you don't like them?"
"Sorry, darling," Vala shrugged, bouncing back off to the dressing rooms. "Let me change and we'll look for something else."
Daniel sighed, running a hand over his face. She happily disappeared into the back of the shop, and he shook his head, turning to peruse the costume racks behind him. As soon as she'd heard about the costume contest at the annual SGC Halloween party, Vala had been determined to win the prize for Best Couple. He'd known better than to try to dissuade her and let himself be dragged along on her hunt for the perfect outfits.
The Charlie Brown and Lucy costumes were hidden so well between Darth Vader and Big Bird that he almost missed them. The familiar brown zig-zag pattern on the bright yellow fabric caught his eye, though, and he pushed his way through. Grinning, he carefully took them off the rack and headed for the dressing rooms.
***
Mitchell made his entrance about a half an hour into the party. Vala was busy dancing with Bluebeard the Pirate and almost didn't see him. Suddenly though, she glanced over the pirate's shoulder and let out a squeal of delight.
"SNOOPY!" she shrieked happily.
The pirate spun around to see what she was looking at and lifted his eye-patch to reveal General Landry. His jaw dropped at the sight of Mitchell, then he shook his head at Vala, who was racing off the dance floor to throw her arms around Daniel's neck.
"What's that for?" Daniel laughed.
"You got him to dress as Snoopy!" she cried.
Still in the doorway, Cam froze. He lifted off the head of the costume and gave his head an annoyed shake. "I wear the giant beagle head and he gets a hug?"
"Oh. Right," Vala said apologetically. She started toward him, but Woodstock appeared in the hall behind him and shouldered his way past. The bird stood at rigid attention, managing to maintain the dignified air of a Jaffa despite the roar of laughter that swept the room.
***
"So you're happy with second place?" Daniel asked with a tired smile.
Vala finished arranging the trophy and turned, nodding. "I really did want to win," she admitted.
"It's hard to beat Snoopy and Woodstock," Daniel chuckled.
"The looks on their faces were priceless," she grinned as she slid onto the loveseat beside him.
He nodded agreement and pulled her head onto his chest. Resting his chin on her hair, he remarked, "You know, they're gonna fight over who gets to keep the trophy all year."
__Edit__
1/25
Someone asked me how Vala got her cold, so I wrote this to explain it. There will be further explanation tomorrow. I know you don't get a cold by being cold.
1/26
One more out of order part coming and then I'll post these over to the fic comm they were written for. Thanks to teddibear, the series is now going to be titled
The Games People Play
Parts 1 & 2
Title: Devil's Due
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "You're still a fruitcake..."
Rating: G
Length: Around 1200 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: Part 3 of The Games People Play. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. I'm not exactly sure how far after the Pigtails fic this one takes place. I know it's around Halloween. Which will be relevant in the next few installments. Heh. Written for fic101.
Devil's Due
"How do I look?" Vala's voice sounded from the doorway.
Daniel jerked his head up from the notes he was scribbling and turned toward the office door. She stood with her arms out to either side and spun around to display the new winter coat, hat, scarf, and mittens that Sam had taken her shopping for. He fought his smile for a second, then remembered that he didn't have to anymore, and grinned as she held up her foot to show off the boots.
"It's great," he told her.
Vala bounded inside with a grin of her own and slid onto his lap. Her arms coiled around his neck, and Daniel closed his eyes as their lips met. "Did you miss me?" she asked teasingly.
He responded with a noncommittal noise and gave a shrug, glancing back at his half-written notes. Vala scowled, raising a hand to snatch the notebook away, but he quickly caught it and guided her palm to his lips. "Yes," he nodded.
"Good. Now, darling. There are two brand new, gorgeous feet of pristine snow on the ground outside, and you are going to come out and play with me," Vala announced.
"What?" Daniel's eyes widened.
Vala gave him a determined glare. "Daniel, you have been working since yesterday. You promised that when I got back from shopping, we could go and do something fun."
"Yeah, but I didn't say anything about playing in the snow, Vala!" he protested. "We--we can go watch a movie in your quarters or something--"
"I'm tired of watching movies in my quarters," Vala said, hopping off his lap in annoyance.
"Okay…" Daniel blinked in surprise.
"The only time I'm ever not shut in down here is when we're offworld. And then there's always the disturbing tendency for our lives to be in jeopardy. Just once I'd like to do something a little less hazardous to my health."
"You just went out shopping with Sam," he pointed out.
"With you?" she rolled her eyes, planting her hands on her hips.
"All right," Daniel scrubbed his face with his hand. "What if--what if we go to a movie tonight?"
"Uh-uh," Vala shook her head, walking over to the closet. She reached inside to pull out his coat and then turned, holding it open. "Come on, put this on. "
Daniel hung his head. After a long sigh, he trooped over to the closet and took the coat. "Okay. But absolutely no snowball fights. Do you understand me?"
***
They drove to a nearby park, where Vala contented herself with building a snowman for the first hour. When the body and head were complete, she plucked Daniel's glasses off his face and fixed them on the snowman.
"Hey!" he protested.
"You can have them back later, darling," she promised smoothly. Then, she took a step back and frowned, examining the results critically. Daniel shook his head, squinting for a better look at it, and tried to restrain a laugh.
"Something's missing," she decided.
"What?" frowned Daniel.
"I don't…" Vala started, then spun suddenly toward him.
Daniel took a wary step back. "What now?"
She grinned impishly and reached out, snatching his scarf before he could raise his hand to stop her. He sighed heavily as she wrapped it around the snowman's neck, but finally decided that it wouldn't do any good to suggest that they use her scarf anyway.
"Stop being so stuffy, darling. We're supposed to be having fun." she told him.
"Whaddaya mean, stuffy?" he demanded.
"I mean stuffy, Daniel Jackson," she replied, bending to scoop up a double handful of snow and pack it into a circle between her hands.
His eyes bulged. "Vala--we had a deal--"
"Did we?" she asked as she stepped closer. She pulled her arm back threateningly and grinned.
"No snowball fights!" Daniel cried, diving out of the way. He landed face first in the powdery white snow, but grabbed a double handful and rolled quickly to his feet again. His shot went wide, and Vala shrieked with pretended outrage. She scooped up more ammunition, but by the time she was ready to throw, Daniel had hurled a second snowball. It smacked her square in the face, and she stood there stunned for a moment, then raced toward him.
He took off running, but she leapt at his back, bowling him over into the snow again. They wrestled around in it until both were soaked to the skin and numb. Then Vala scrambled to her feet and the real pelting began. Daniel found it only slightly less intense than their fight aboard the Prometheus, but with the entire park to encompass this conflict, by the time they were through chasing and ducking, climbing the jungle gym, and crawling though the snow, he was ready to drop. Vala gave him the perfect opportunity to do so, ending the battle by swinging down out of a tree and landing on top of him.
He tumbled backward and lay there for a moment, then slowly raised his hands to brush her hair back from her face. Her cheeks were bright red with cold, and damp from the snow. She grinned down at him, blue eyes shining playful excitement. She'd lost her mittens by then, and one finger came up to trace along his lips.
"Are we done?" she asked teasingly.
"You're still a fruitcake," Daniel replied with a breathless laugh.
She responded by lowering her head to meet his lips, and this time he didn't pull away. His arms tightened reflexively around her, and for a while, he was aware of nothing but the heat of her body and the fullness of her mouth on his. Then the wind picked up, and he felt her shiver. Reluctantly breaking the kiss, he smiled again.
"How 'bout we pick this up at my apartment?" he suggested.
"Only if you promise we can pick up right where we left off," Vala winked.
"Deal," Daniel agreed.
As they climbed out of the snow, he realized that the sky had taken on the deep red of sunset, and his eyes widened. "I didn't realize it was so late," he murmured as he slid an arm around Vala and drew her against him.
"Time flies when you're having a good time?" she asked.
"Fun," Daniel corrected lightly as they walked.
"What?" she frowned.
"Time flies when you're having fun," he said.
"Isn't that what I said?" Vala asked.
He closed his eyes, giving his head a fond shake, and didn't reply. When they reached the snowman, he paused to retrieve his scarf and glasses. The scarf was stiff in places and soaked in others, completely beyond being able to offer him protection from the cold. He stuffed it absently into a pocket and focused on cleaning the snow from his glasses. Vala wandered on ahead of him, but he was too preoccupied to notice where she was going until he reached the park entrance and looked up to realize that she had veered off and was watching a group of children who were gathered around one of the few remaining patches of unbroken snow.
Daniel smiled slightly and turned to join her, reaching the group just as the kids began to drop backwards into the powder. Vala frowned curiously, and he resisted the urge to grin at her puzzlement. Then the kids began to scissor their arms and legs, and she turned to him with wide eyes.
"What are they doing?" she whispered.
"Watch," Daniel said mysteriously,
A few of the group who'd remained standing helped the angel-makers up and Vala's face transformed with delight. Then, slowly, that innocence turned markedly devilish, and she grabbed Daniel's arm.
"Hey! What--no--!"
"Our turn!" she declared gleefully.
Title: Expectations
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "Are you sure it wasn't just a convenient excuse for people to cuddle by a fire?" Vala smiled, tilting her head in invitation.
Rating: PG
Length: Around 1100 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: The Games People Play Part 4. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101. Literary works mentioned are: The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot; A Man's Requirements and Bianca Among the Nightingales by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Expectations
Daniel paused in the doorway, his eyes widening with surprise. He rested the side of his head on the doorframe, wet hair still dripping from the shower. A smile twitched over his lips, and he hoped that she wouldn't see him. Vala sat cross-legged on his living room floor, one hand raised to absently pat her hair down with a towel, but the motion was entirely automatic. Her attention was riveted on the beat-up paperback in her other hand, but he couldn't make out the title in the firelight. She bit her lip in thought as she turned the page, and the towel finally slid out of her grasp. She still didn't notice, and Daniel couldn't quite stifle a laugh.
She jumped, then let out a breath at the sight of him. Glancing back at the book, she dog-eared her page, then closed it and held out a hand. "Darling, come get warm. You'll end up with one of those cold things that Mitchell had last week."
"You don't get a cold by being cold," he said fondly, but he pushed himself away from the door and walked inside, taking the hand she offered.
"You don't?" she frowned.
"It's a virus," he explained as he sank down across from her, brushing a finger lightly against her cheek.
"Oh. Well, why is it called a cold, then?" she wanted to know.
"Well, because that's what people used to think. No one really knew about things like germs that caused disease," he explained.
"Are you sure it wasn't just a convenient excuse for people to cuddle by a fire?" Vala smiled, tilting her head in invitation.
"I doubt it," Daniel laughed, leaning forward to brush her cheek with his lips. Her hand slid up against the back of his head, and he closed his eyes. He traced his mouth over the contour of her cheek and down her jaw, then left a trail of long, languorous kisses along her neck, paused, and finally drew back.
"What's wrong?" Vala whispered.
Daniel smiled and shook his head, reaching for her hands. Her brow creased in confusion, but she allowed him to take them, and he gently pulled her into his lap. She went without resistance, snuggling deep into his arms. Her cheek settled firmly against his heart, and he gave a contented sigh, resting his lips in her hair. Neither spoke for a while, simply enjoying the closeness of one another's bodies and the warmth of the fire.
"What were you reading?" he asked after a few minutes.
"Hmm?" Vala tilted her head back to give him a surprised look.
"When I came in," he said. "What book is that?"
"Oh. Sam loaned it to me. It's called The Mill on the Floss," she replied.
Daniel's eyes widened. "Eliot?" he asked.
"Mmm," Vala nodded enthusiastically. "It's about a girl named Maggie Tulliver. Have you read it?"
"Uh…yeah…" Daniel said slowly.
"You don't like it," her face fell.
"No, I do. It--it's just, I--" he broke off, clearing his throat.
"What?" she raised an eyebrow.
"It's just…not exactly the kind of book I'd expect you to like," he said.
"Why not?" Vala frowned.
"Well," Daniel shrugged. "The--the classics are pretty heavy reading…"
"Oh. Too smart for me, is that it?" she demanded.
"No!" he shook his head.
"Really? Then what would you expect me to be reading?"
Daniel opened his mouth to reply and then bit his lip, quickly deciding that it would be a very bad idea to point out that last week Vala had been reading a trashy romance that someone had left in the commissary. His gaze flicked nervously off toward one of the nearby shelves, though he had no real hope of finding an answer there.
"Here!" he exclaimed, suddenly seizing on an idea. He gently shifted her off his lap and scrambled up, hurrying to grab an old leatherbound volume. The shelves were tightly packed, and a few others spilled out as well. He quickly stuffed them back in and turned to face Vala, who was watching with her arms folded across her chest.
He smiled a little nervously and stepped back toward her, opening the book and flipping pages as he went. "Elizabeth Barrett Browning," he said by way of introduction.
"Love me Sweet, with all thou art,
Feeling, thinking, seeing;
Love me in the lightest part,
Love me in full being.
Love me with thine open youth
In its frank surrender;
With the vowing of thy mouth,
With its silence tender…"
Slowly, Vala let her arms fall, and he smiled again. Kneeling on the floor in front of her, he handed her the book and cupped her face in his hands.
"Love me with thine azure eyes,
Made for earnest grantings;
Taking colour from the skies,
Can Heaven's truth be wanting?
"You're trying to ply me with poetry and make me forget that I'm annoyed with you," she smiled, bringing a finger to his lips.
"Is it working?" Daniel asked.
Vala laughed softly and let her finger slide away. She held his gaze for a long moment and then nodded, replacing the finger with her lips. Without breaking the kiss, Daniel gently guided her down until they were both stretched out on their sides.
"Tell me the rest of it," she murmured, finally sliding her mouth away.
"Hmm?" he asked bemusedly.
"The poem, Daniel," she chuckled, resting a hand on his cheek.
"Oh! Oh, right," he nodded. "Um…"
"You don't remember anymore, do you?" she laughed.
"Sure I do," he nodded. "Uh--gimme a second."
After a few false starts, he did manage to remember and recite the rest of A Man's Requirements. Vala rewarded him with another kiss, and then shifted and stretched her arm to pull the book over from where she'd laid it. She handed it to him with a winning grin, but he shook his head.
"You read me one now," he said.
"But I don't know them," she objected.
"It's okay, just…read through the beginnings. Find one you like and read it to me," he replied.
"All right," Vala bit her lip nervously. She sat up to give herself more of the firelight to see by and began scanning the pages. Daniel pushed himself up as well and repositioned himself behind her. He wound his arms around her, pulling her snugly against his chest, and settled his chin on her shoulder. She turned her head to look at him, leaving a light kiss on his lips before returning her attention to the book and beginning,
"The cypress stood up like a church
That night we felt our love would hold…
Title: Just Lucky
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU The first sound he heard was a sneeze.
Rating: G
Length: Around 1200 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: The Games People Play Part 5. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101.
Just Lucky
The first sound he heard was a sneeze. Daniel groaned and rolled over in bed, reaching automatically for Vala. He found only tangled covers and his eyes sprang open. He looked around the still-dark bedroom in confusion until a second sneeze came and his sleep-muddled brain registered that she had only gone into the bathroom.
"You okay?" he called.
She didn't reply, but he heard the bathroom door open, and her footsteps trudged back down the hall. He sat up, stretching an arm to snap on the lamp beside the bed, and waited. She appeared in the doorway flush-faced and with dark, pronounced circles under her eyes. Her usual morning bounce had evaporated, and she plodded across the room to drop down beside him.
"Are we allowed to call out sick?" she asked, burying her face in her hands.
"What's the matter?" Daniel asked, boosting himself up to slip his arms around her.
"I told you that we'd catch cold," she replied with a cough.
"Must've been those kids," Daniel chuckled. "A couple of them were sniffling."
"Well, you played with them too. And we spent the night together. Why aren't you sneezing and coughing?" she wanted to know.
"Just lucky, I guess," he shrugged, hiding a grin as he kissed her neck.
Title: Evasive Action
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "Since when do you read Elizabeth Barrett Browning?" Sam wanted to know.
Rating: G
Length: Around 500 words
Category: Gen
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Sam friendship; Daniel/Vala implied
A/N: The Games People Play Part 6. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101.
Evasive Action
He didn't know Sam was behind him until her hand brushed his shoulder. He jumped, his elbow striking the coffee cup on the table beside him. They both moved to catch it, but the cup tottered onto its side, spilling the brown liquid all over the notebook he'd been scribbling in.
Daniel shoved his chair back to avoid a coffee bath while Sam dove for the napkins. She sopped up the mess and they both carried napkins and notes over to the nearest trash can. She dumped the napkins into it while he tried in vain to salvage the last hour's work.
Vala's cold had postponed the day's offworld mission, since SG-1 had been scheduled to rendezvous with some of her old smuggling contacts. SG-3 and SG-12 had both brought back artifacts that appeared Mayan in origin, though they'd been visiting two separate worlds this week. Daniel had been itching to start a comparative analysis of their finds, and had decided to take the unexpected opportunity and get started. He'd been occupied with it for most of the morning, but fresh coffee had seemed like an appropriate reason for a break. He'd told himself that at least he could bring his notes with him.
"Sorry," Sam murmured apologetically.
"Oh…s'okay," Daniel shrugged.
"So," she smirked. "Since when do you read Elizabeth Barrett Browning?"
Daniel pursed his lips, raising his eyebrows as if in surprise at the question. "I read lots of things," he said vaguely.
"We borrow books from each other all the time. I've never seen that one in your collection," she pointed out.
"Oh. Well--you must have missed it," he smiled, heading quickly back toward the table.
"Right," Sam snickered, moving to sit on the other side.
"Sam, I'm a scholar. I keep lots of books around for research purposes," he said.
"You've done research on 19th century British poets?" Sam raised a disbelieving eyebrow.
"I…think understanding the literature of any period is important to having an accurate view of the culture it comes from," he coughed.
"Sure, Daniel," she looked down at the table to hide a grin.
"What?" he demanded.
"Nothing. That was really smooth, by the way. Reading her love poetry to get yourself out of trouble," Sam said mischievously.
"Good thing I just happened to have Elizabeth Barrett Browning handy," he shrugged again.
"I'll say. So, where'd you get it?" she persisted.
"Get what?" he asked, feigning confusion.
"The poetry book, Daniel," Sam rolled her eyes.
"Oh. I dunno," he said absently, turning his attention back to his notebook.
"Daniel, I've been your friend for ten years. In all that time you've never not known where you got any book you own," Sam said, reaching to snatch the pencil from his hand.
He let out an exaggerated sigh and looked up again. "Well, if you must know, I got it--"
"UNSCHEDULED OFFWORLD ACTIVATION!"
Title: When She Lets Her Hair Down
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU Daniel gets to see a new side of Vala.
Rating: G
Length: Around 1200 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: The Games People Play Part 7. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101.
When She Lets Her Hair Down
The coughing fit started before she even reached the door. Waiting in the hallway, Daniel winced and wondered if Robitussin might have been a better choice than the Tupperware container of chicken soup he was holding. Vala's hacking finally tapered off, and she opened the door.
Her hair was tousled and she was dressed in some bright blue frog pajamas that he recognized as Sam's. The color was a stark contrast to the vivid red of her nose, but he firmly resisted the smile that tugged at his lips.
"Nice PJs," he offered.
"Sam said they'd be more comfortable than anything I had," she explained as she moved aside to let him in.
He nodded and bent to kiss her, but she quickly turned her face away. "Bad idea, darling," she said.
"Right," he sighed, making his way into her quarters. "Well…I brought you some chicken soup."
Vala sighed, gesturing toward the table, where several similar containers were already stacked. "You're the third person to bring me chicken soup, Daniel. Would you care to explain the significance?"
"It's…um…an old wives' tale," Daniel began as he carried the soup over to the table. "Or a folk remedy, I guess. Or…maybe more of a tradition. I think essentially it's the idea that it's warm and comforting."
"Like the pajamas?" Vala frowned. "Oh--hold on--"
Daniel turned in time to see her rush toward the loveseat, where she grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the cushion. She sneezed violently several times, then let out a groan and flopped down amid the pile of blankets and pillows.
"Oh, this is just awful," she moaned. "I'm sure Carolyn's wrong. It's much more serious than a cold. I'm all stuffed up, I ache from head to toe, my throat feels like sandpaper, and every time I cough or sneeze it makes my head pound."
"Sounds like a cold to me," Daniel smiled as he walked over to her. He nudged the blankets carefully out of the way and lowered himself onto the cushion, then slid his arm around her. Drawing her gently against his chest, he pressed his lips into her hair and ran a hand over the tense muscles of her back.
"Thank you for that observation, darling," Vala said testily. She rolled her eyes and shoved him away with a whine. "Daniel, I'm sick! Will you get off of me!"
Daniel frowned, his mouth popping open. "Well, I was just trying to make you feel better!" he huffed.
"I'd feel better if I didn't have someone smothering me while I don't feel well," she grumbled.
Daniel rolled his eyes but said nothing, reaching for the remote control. He supposed that at least it was a positive sign that she would let herself be grouchy and childish with him. Flipping absently through the channels, he hoped that if he appeared to have his attention focused elsewhere, she would be less apt to pick a fight. Before he could settle on something to watch, though, she edged closer and started snuggling into his side.
Letting out a long sigh, he slid his arm around her again. He almost expected to be pushed away, but her arm wound around him, and she rested her head against his shoulder. Another spasm of coughing shook her, and he turned with a worried frown.
"Did Carolyn give you anything for that?" he asked.
"Mmm, but it just tastes so awful," she replied, pouting. "Why does medicine always taste terrible?"
"I don't know," he admitted.
"My throat's so tight and raw, Daniel," she complained.
"Might help if you stop talking for a while," he pointed out.
"Oh, very funny," she rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious," he protested.
"I'm sure you are," Vala sighed.
"Look, the more you talk, the more you irritate your throat…"
"What I really need is a popsicle," she interrupted.
"A popsicle?" he repeated, running a hand over his face in exasperation.
"To make my throat stop hurting!" she nodded, then turned a pleading look on him.
"You've got all this soup," he reminded her.
"But it's hot. I can't eat anything hot, Daniel, it hurts when I swallow!" she insisted.
Daniel raised his eyes to the ceiling and sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll go down to the commissary and get you a popsicle," he said, getting up again.
"Thank you, darling," she coughed as he left.
The sound of it melted his irritation, and he nodded, hurrying out. Maybe a popsicle would be good for her; if not it would at least keep her from talking for a while, he thought as he went. That idea, however, went out the window as soon as he returned and presented her with the frozen treat she'd asked for.
Vala's brow puckered. "I wanted a red one," she told him.
"All they had was grape," he said apologetically. "It'll still help your throat."
"But I don't like those. It's Mitchell who likes the grape ones. I like cherry," she reminded him, pouting.
Daniel closed his eyes. "Vala, I love you, but I am not going out to the store to get you a cherry popsicle."
"Why not?" she demanded.
"Because!" he snapped.
Vala opened her mouth to retort, but twisted her head instead, diving for another handful of Kleenex. The sneeze seemed to trigger more coughing, which ended in her flopping sideways on the couch. "Never mind," she wheezed. "Of course you love me, darling."
Daniel hung his head. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
***
She didn't answer when he knocked the second time, so Daniel carefully eased the door open and slid inside. He heard the snoring before he saw her and stifled a laugh. Quietly setting the brown paper bag on the table, he unpacked the tissues and cough drops, fished out the book of crossword puzzles he'd picked up at the check-out counter, and then stowed the soup and popsicles in her mini-fridge.
When she hadn't woken up by the time he finished, he made his way back to her and stood watching for a minute. She had fallen asleep in the same position she'd been in when he left. Her slippered feet were still on the floor, and her upper body was draped across the cushions with the top of her head crammed uncomfortably up against the arm of the loveseat.
A fond smile spread across Daniel's lips, and he shook his head, bending to pick her up. She stirred in his arms, giving him a sleepily confused look. He freed a hand to brush her cheek and gave her forehead a reassuring kiss.
"You're gonna get a stiff neck," he mumured, but she had already settled her head on his chest and drifted back to sleep.
Grinning to himself, Daniel carried her to the bed and pulled back the covers. Her brow creased fretfully as he set her down, but she only coughed a few times and didn't wake. He froze, holding himself completely still until she seemed to relax again, then carefully pulled the blankets back up around her. Before he left, he brought one of the Kleenex boxes and set it on the bed where she'd find it if she woke and needed it.
"'Night, Vala," he whispered finally, pressing his lips to her forehead.
Title: I Am Not Lucy
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU Cam settles an argument.
Rating: G
Length: Around 400 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala; Team friendship
A/N: The Games People Play Part 8. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101.
I Am Not Lucy
"You are so Lucy!" Daniel laughed as he and Vala left the lunch line in the orange-and-black decorated commissary.
"I am not! I'm nothing like her!" huffed Vala, folding her arms across her chest. Her cold had finally gone away, but she'd still been sick enough the night before to be able to wheedle him into watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Peanuts had become a regular fixture in Vala's life since she'd discovered the Sunday comics, and she'd been thrilled to discover that the strip had been adapted for television.
"C'mon. Holding the football and pulling it away? Tell me you wouldn't!" he challenged.
"I wouldn't," she insisted as they paused in front of the freezers to pick the desserts Daniel had paid for with the rest of their meals. "Ooh, look, darling. Red ones!"
Daniel smiled and shook his head, gesturing for her to take the popsicles out. She grinned mischievously and grabbed them, then bounced over to the table where the rest of SG-1 was having lunch. Once there, she doled out popsicles to each of them and then stood beside an empty chair, giving Daniel an expectant look.
Cameron gave a small snort of amusement and Sam hid a smirk behind her hand. Teal'c commendably showed no reaction, but as Daniel set the lunch trays down and moved to pull out Vala's chair, he had the distinct feeling that the Jaffa was laughing behind his stoic expression.
"Thank you, Daniel," Vala smiled, giving his cheek a peck before sliding into her seat. Then, turning to Cam, she said, "Mitchell, settle an argument for us."
"Oookay," he replied, looking warily from her to Daniel and back.
"I don't know, Cam, I'd stay out of romantic squabbles if I were you," Sam advised.
"Indeed," agreed Teal'c.
Vala ignored them, smoothly explaining, "Daniel keeps saying that I am Lucy. I told him that's ridiculous, but he insists."
Cam laughed, shaking his head. "Sorry, Vala. This time I gotta agree with Jackson. You are definitely Lucy."
"What?" Vala's mouth dropped open. She quickly recovered, though, and stabbed a finger at him, replying, "Fine, then. If I'm Lucy, then you are Snoopy!"
"Snoopy!" Cam cried in protest.
"Hey," laughed Sam. "Does that make Teal'c Woodstock?"
The Jaffa's eyes narrowed at the question and he turned a frown on his teammates, pronouncing firmly, "I am not Woodstock."
Title: Meant to Be
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "I don't know, darling. If Lucy likes Charlie Brown, why doesn't she let him kick the football?"
Rating: G
Length: Around 500 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: The Games People Play Part 9. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101.
Meant to Be
"Okay," Daniel laughed when they were back in her quarters later. "If you're not Lucy, who are you then?"
Vala spun to face him, folding her arms over her chest. She opened her mouth, then paused, and snapped it shut with a clack. His smile widened.
"I know. Peppermint Patty," he taunted.
"What?!" Vala gasped. "Daniel, her fashion sense is horrid. Those open-toed sandals? Not to mention the fact that she's so stupid she doesn't even realize that Snoopy is a beagle! How about the Little Red-haired girl? I wouldn't blame Charlie Brown for being infatuated with me."
"Nope, doesn't work. Your hair's not red. Besides, nobody ever sees the Little Red-haired Girl," Daniel pointed out.
"So?" Vala raised an eyebrow.
"You wanna be a character who never even gets a line in the strip?" he asked.
"All right, you have a point," she admitted. "But I'm still not going along with this Lucy business."
"Violet?" Daniel asked.
"Violet's an imbecile!" Vala scoffed. "She's goes to school on Saturdays and can't figure out why no one else is there. I may be a lot of things, Daniel, but I'm far from stupid."
"Sally?"
"Charlie Brown's sickeningly cute, blonde little sister?" Vala rolled her eyes.
"Okay, then who's left? What's her name--Marcie?" he asked.
"The geek with glasses!" Vala exclaimed, her mouth dropping open in shock.
Daniel narrowed his eyes, giving her a hard look. After a moment's pause, she bit her lip, turning a bright smile on him. "Um. Not, of course, that there's anything wrong with geeks. Or glasses. But you have to admit--Sam is much more suited to being Marcie than I am."
"Uh-huh," Daniel folded his arms, eyeing her with a distinctly unimpressed expression. "So that brings us back to Lucy."
Vala sighed and let her arms drop, walking over to place a hand on his arm. "Okay. But if I have to be Lucy, will you at least be my Schroeder?"
He smiled a little and slid his arms around her waist. "Y'know, I've always kinda thought that if Charlie Brown ever stopped chasing after the Little Red-haired girl, he'd see that Lucy's been waiting the whole time."
"Charlie Brown and Lucy?" Vala's eyes widened as her arms slid around his neck. "But what about Schroeder?"
"Schroeder's a challenge," Daniel shrugged.
Vala bit her lip thoughtfully. "Oh, I see. So, if she ever got his attention, she wouldn't want it anymore."
"Same thing with Charlie Brown and the Little Red-haired Girl," Daniel nodded.
"I don't know, darling. If Lucy likes Charlie Brown, why doesn't she let him kick the football?" Vala pointed out.
"Well, she can't let him know that she likes him," Daniel replied.
"Ohhh," Vala nodded in understanding. "Sort of like pulling on pigtails?"
"Sort of," Daniel agreed with a chuckle. She leaned forward to kiss him, but he suddenly frowned and pulled back. "Wait a minute. Where'd you pick up the word geek anyway?"
"Uh--Mitchell," Vala replied, her gaze flicking uncomfortably away.
"Do I want to know who you were talking about?" Daniel inquired.
"Not really…"
Title: A New Look
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "You mean you made me drive an hour and a half for these costumes and you don't like them now?"
Rating: G
Length: Around 500 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: The Games People Play Part 10. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101.
A New Look
Vala wiggled her hips and turned to either side, examining the cut of the shimmering gold dress again. She wrinkled her nose distastefully and sighed, stepping away from the mirrored wall of the store. "Daniel, as much I like the idea of you in the Mark Anthony costume, I'm just not feeling Cleopatra."
Behind her, Daniel's eyebrows shot up. "You mean you made me drive an hour and a half for these costumes and now you don't like them?"
"Sorry, darling," Vala shrugged, bouncing back off to the dressing rooms. "Let me change and we'll look for something else."
Daniel sighed, running a hand over his face. She happily disappeared into the back of the shop, and he shook his head, turning to peruse the costume racks behind him. As soon as she'd heard about the costume contest at the annual SGC Halloween party, Vala had been determined to win the prize for Best Couple. He'd known better than to try to dissuade her and let himself be dragged along on her hunt for the perfect outfits.
The Charlie Brown and Lucy costumes were hidden so well between Darth Vader and Big Bird that he almost missed them. The familiar brown zig-zag pattern on the bright yellow fabric caught his eye, though, and he pushed his way through. Grinning, he carefully took them off the rack and headed for the dressing rooms.
***
Mitchell made his entrance about a half an hour into the party. Vala was busy dancing with Bluebeard the Pirate and almost didn't see him. Suddenly though, she glanced over the pirate's shoulder and let out a squeal of delight.
"SNOOPY!" she shrieked happily.
The pirate spun around to see what she was looking at and lifted his eye-patch to reveal General Landry. His jaw dropped at the sight of Mitchell, then he shook his head at Vala, who was racing off the dance floor to throw her arms around Daniel's neck.
"What's that for?" Daniel laughed.
"You got him to dress as Snoopy!" she cried.
Still in the doorway, Cam froze. He lifted off the head of the costume and gave his head an annoyed shake. "I wear the giant beagle head and he gets a hug?"
"Oh. Right," Vala said apologetically. She started toward him, but Woodstock appeared in the hall behind him and shouldered his way past. The bird stood at rigid attention, managing to maintain the dignified air of a Jaffa despite the roar of laughter that swept the room.
***
"So you're happy with second place?" Daniel asked with a tired smile.
Vala finished arranging the trophy and turned, nodding. "I really did want to win," she admitted.
"It's hard to beat Snoopy and Woodstock," Daniel chuckled.
"The looks on their faces were priceless," she grinned as she slid onto the loveseat beside him.
He nodded agreement and pulled her head onto his chest. Resting his chin on her hair, he remarked, "You know, they're gonna fight over who gets to keep the trophy all year."