Snapshots, page 1

Title: Snapshots, page 1
Author: revelried
Rating: PG-13/R
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Seriously, you wouldn't want to sue me.
Word Count: 5,315
Pairing: Daniel/Vala, mentions of Sam/Jack
Summary: Snapshots into Daniel and Vala's lives together, sometimes quite literally.
Warning: Here lies about as graphic making out as I get, some fluff + swearing. yarrrr be warned.
Author's Note: This started at 2.20 PM today as one simple ficlet [the last one], and now it's pretty much... um... a lot, illustrating the main points of D/V. Read, review, enjoy!


()()()()


Thursday, August 7th, 2008. Everyone who worked in the SGC wrote that date down. It was the day that the commissary went completely silent, which had only happened on two previous occasions, both now classified and therefore un-gossipable.

That was the day when Daniel Jackson – widely known as a semi-monk, greatly hypothesized that he had not actually had sex since 1994, rumored to be a flaming queer and into bondage – asked Vala Mal Doran – definitely nowhere near a monk, huge flirt with all the young SFs, would consider going the other way if the woman was attractive enough – out to dinner.

This happened not fifteen minutes after he’d told her that if she didn’t shut up, he was going to go back to the planet he’d been on when he first Descended and become a goatherd.

The wave of silence spread over the base, culminating in Landry’s office where Walter told him what happened and Landry immediately picked up the red phone and said, “The president please. Hey, Henry, you’ll never guess what just happened.” Long had the gossip mill said that the Prez was in on the SGC buzz, but for the proverbial wheat grinder – Walter – to actually see this from the horse’s mouth, well. It was a testimony to the news that the General was sharing that the news about the President didn’t get any attention for a full eight and a half weeks afterward.

In fact, it was astounding that they could find so much to talk about since the way that Dr Jackson actually worded his request was less like, “Vala, I realize my eternal devotion to you, will you join me for dinner?” and more like, “Oh, for God’s sake, FINE. I will take you out to dinner tomorrow at eight, will you please shut up now?” and this was muffled since his head was lying on the table.

Their dinner was cut short because of an emergency off-world, but they’d had fun and Daniel actually agreed to go out again. Shortly after that it became standard practice to knock and then wait a minute before going into Dr Jackson’s office.

Well, after the poor incident with Ensign Rawls, no one wanted to risk seeing anything like that again. The only thing he ever said about it was that “no one should be able to bend like that, on a metal desk. No one.”


()()()()


“I really hate key cards,” Vala murmured against his lips, as he felt through all his pockets to find the one that would open the door to his quarters. “So inconvenient. Just shoot the damn door down, that’s what I always say.”

“Unfortunately,” he said, breathing in sharply when her hand went down his pants, “the Air Force would – oh God – take offense to that. And fine me, probably.”

“So what?” Her hand twisted and he groaned, having to breathe deeply before he could respond.

“So, I wouldn’t be able to – mmmm – take you to the mall like we did the other day – don’tstop – because my credit cards would be all maxed out from replacing a door that probably cost a hundred grand.”

He finally found the card, swiped it through, and kicked the door open once the lock was not an issue. He also kicked it closed behind them and reached up to unplug the security camera. The SFs didn’t need to see this part of their evening. When he turned around, he saw that not only had she managed to shed her outer layers of clothing, but she’d also pushed a chair under the door handle, effectively cutting off any intrusion by inquisitive security staff.

Quickly he shucked off his shirt, shoes and socks and then she was in his arms, her fingers deftly unbuttoning his pants. Deftly, he noted, but slowly.

“What’s taking so long?” he asked, his words muffled by the skin of her neck.

“I’ve waited a long – ohhhh – time for this, darling,” she said, her fingers clutching his half-clad hips. “And I’m going to enjoy every second, if you don’t mind.”

“Well,” he murmured into her ear, before he nibbled her lobe, “in that case…” And his hand found her breast and his lips the other one. She moaned, and he pulled her on top of him into his – sparse – bed.

“Daniel,” she said. “Daniel,” this time it was louder, more of a moan, but she put her hand on his chest and pushed herself up so she could look him in the eye.

“Yeah, Vala?” he asked, his left hand cupped her cheek. His right hand was busy elsewhere.

“Before this goes any further-” she inhaled sharply, arching back, “-I want you to know something.” She wriggled against him and he stopped moving his fingers, so she was able to talk.

“What?” he asked, thinking she was going to tell him not to bother being gentle, or how she liked it, or something.

Vala looked him straight in the eye, her face completely honest and certain and said: “I love you.”

His hand – which had begun again, impatient for her answer – stilled. His breath stilled, too. She leaned down and, in a polar opposite to how the rest of the night had gone, gave him a completely chaste kiss. Just lips and her warm breath, barely three seconds worth of contact.

When she leaned back up, she looked so vulnerable, so scared of what he’d say to this, if he would believe what she said, or discount it as her attempt at as an additional aphrodisiac.

He licked his lips. They tasted like the future.

And he kissed her again.


()()()()


“I don’t see why you’re nervous,” Jack said, tossing a snow-globe up into the air and catching it, rhythmically. “It’s not really a big deal.” He gave a cursory glance to the interior of the globe and smirked when he saw that it was one of the $5 you could get made in the mall, with a picture from one of the photo booths – also in the mall – of Daniel and Vala.

“It’s not really a big deal?!” Daniel screeched, in what Jack recognized as his “Really Freaking Out” voice. “I’m asking her to marry me!”

“Like I said: Not a big deal.” He put the globe down when he saw Daniel scowling at him for tossing it and instead started with some sort of priceless Mesopotamian artifact and within two seconds the scowl was mostly gone.

“If it weren’t a big deal,” Daniel said nastily, “you’d’ve asked Sam to marry you ages ago.”

Only his catlike reflexes saved the artifact. “Now, Daniel,” he said, his tone as patient as he could make it, “I really don’t want to kill you before you make an honest woman out of Vala. So let me just make this clear: Do. Not. Go. There.” Daniel glared at him and then shrugged.

“Seriously, though, Jack. I need your opinion: The red or the blue?” Daniel held up two ties to his chest, which was already clad in a crisply ironed – thanks to Teal’c – white button-down shirt. Over that was his (good) black suit coat and then, of course, his suit pants – which were dry-cleaned because Mitchell about had a conniption fit when he heard Daniel was going to propose in his ratty blue suit “because the black one’s dirty.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Blue.”

Daniel harrumphed at his callousness and turned to Teal’c. “What do you think?” he asked.

Teal’c regarded him seriously, as he always did. “I believe that ValaMalDoran would say that the blue makes your eyes pop, DanielJackson.” He inclined his head. “In fact, if I am not mistaken, she gave you that tie for the previous Christmas.”

“You’re right,” Daniel said, snapping his fingers and dropping the red tie. “Excellent. She’ll love that.” He dashed away to get dressed and Jack rolled his eyes again.

Teal’c regarded him. “O’Neill,” he said.

“What?”

“Tonight would indeed be an excellent opportunity for ascertaining the status of ColonelCarter’s marital status and if she would be willing to affix hers to yours.” Teal’c raised his eyebrows, as he so often did when his statements were really questions. Jack looked at Mitchell, who was reading an archaeology journal.

“He means,” Mitchell said, licking his thumb and turning the page, “that tonight would be a great night to ask Carter to marry you.”

“Indeed,” Teal’c said. “Did I not just say that?”

“Give ‘im a break, T-man,” Mitchell said. “He’s just had Daniel ask him what tie he should wear while acting like it was the end of the world. His brain is probably broken.” He looked up and smirked. “I know I’m in shock.”

“Alright, I’m ready!” Daniel yelled, somewhere in the vicinity of the front door. “Let’s get going, I don’t want to lose my reservations! Sam’s picking Vala up and bringing her.”

Forty-five minutes later and they’d been waiting for twenty because they were there half an hour before Jack had told Carter to get there and he was starting to get antsy.

“I told you I should’ve brought my yo-yo,” Jack said, eying the kiddie menus that came with crayons.

“Indeed,” Teal’c said, as he calculated how much it would cost to order one of everything they had to order. So far he was up to $1,000, and only on page three of the fancy menu. The door to the restaurant opened and in came Carter and Vala, both dressed to the nines, as the place demanded.

Carter, he noted, was wearing a blue scoop-necked dress that put her on display quite efficiently while also maintaining her extreme ladylike-qualities. Vala, he noticed more as an afterthought, was wearing a royal blue strapless dress that went past her knees and had a flared, Disney-princess-like skirt. And she had three-inch stilettos on. He was impressed.

Dinner went well enough, with Daniel hardly seeming nervous, except for an occasional pull of his collar, which could be explained away as discomfort with the tightness of the tie. Daniel, at long last, stopped fidgeting when it came to dessert. In fact, he’d disappeared when they first got to the restaurant – nearly an hour and a half ago, which Jack still hadn’t forgiven him for. The waiter, who hadn’t taken any orders for desserts, swept over to Vala’s cleared spot and placed a covered dish before her. She giggled, exchanging amused looks with Sam as he swept the covering off.

On the plate was a single cube of red Jell-O, Vala’s favorite. Inside the Jell-O was a ring with – Jack’s eyes popped open – the biggest freaking diamond he’d ever seen.

Without anyone having seen him, Daniel was somehow on his knee at Vala’s side. He’d taken her hand in his and there was no hint of nervousness about him as he stared into her wide blue eyes.

“Vala,” he said. “I love you. I want you to spend the rest of your life here, with me, and I want to do the same with you. Will you marry me?”

She stared at him, but only for a fraction of a second before she exclaimed “YES!” and they were sprawled on the floor because she’d jumped onto him and was kissing the living daylights out of him.

Teal’c, as per his previously agreed upon duty, fished the ring out of the Jell-O and cleaned it off on his napkin, handing it to Daniel’s up stretched hand. Daniel settled into Vala’s chair with her on his lap – she wasn’t about to let him go anywhere – and he slid the ring onto her left hand’s ring finger.

“Vala Jackson,” she said slowly, letting the syllables slide over her tongue. Jack found himself glancing at Carter, wondering if she’d ever said “Samantha O’Neill” like that. “I like it,” Vala said, wrinkling her nose in her unique fashion and brushing it with Daniel’s.

“To the future Mr and Mrs Jackson,” Jack said, holding up a glass of the champagne he’d order – as per his previously agreed upon duty.

He grinned as he saw Vala and Daniel’s arms intertwine, their eyes on each other and no one else, as they all chorused, “To the future Mr and Mrs Jackson.”


()()()()


“Vala. Vala. Stop fussing.” Colonel Samantha Carter glared at Vala Mal Doran’s reflection, reaching out a hand to still the woman’s hand, as she straightened and re-straightened her veil, careful not to disturb her crown of gardenias. Behind them there was a window, and the roar of the ocean carried through the ancient glass.

Vala turned and looked embarrassed. “It’s just not perfect,” she moaned. “And it has to be- it has to be perfect.” Her lower lip wobbled and a tear ran down her perfectly made-up cheek.

Sam sighed, and took a deep breath. The bride had been her charge for the past twenty-four hours. Admittedly, the first six were fun, as they went to a festival on a trading planet where they attended the Pegasus Galaxy version of a Chippendale’s club.

But the past two had been hell.

Thank God for Teyla, the other bridesmaid, who now stepped forward and said, gently-but-firmly to Vala, “Perhaps you are just nervous. I can see no difference in your appearance now and your appearance in the photograph.” She nodded towards the snapshot, taken of Vala in the wedding boutique.

Quintessentially Vala, she had gone for the most expensive place she could find, and then for an equally expensive gown. It was white – she’d ignored Daniel’s inserts about wedding traditions and how white gowns were only for virgins and their Celtic or Gaelic origins, because she didn’t care – and off-the-shoulder. It had silver-embroidered flowers. It complimented her tremendously. In short, it was perfect.

Everything was perfect. The Atlantis gate room had been all decked out in the Vala-approved flowers (purple-and-white tulips, white roses, and pink lilies – she’d ignored Daniel’s observations that usually you only used one type of flower, or flower family). Chairs were set up, covered in the Vala-approved chair coverings (red satin, which Daniel hadn’t been informed about).

Bridesmaids had been forced into sending their measurements back to the Milky Way, and then gowns were sent to them about three weeks before the arrival of the bride herself (the gowns were pink, shiny, and completely form-fitting; only General O’Neill’s growl of approval and accompanying smirk kept Sam from stripping it off).

Daniel and his groomsmen – General O’Neill, Teal’c, and Cameron – were properly outfitted in Vala-approved tuxes. Daniel in his plain black one with a white shirt and black tie, the groomsmen in their black tuxes, white shirts and pink ties and boutonnieres (much to the chagrin of the General and Cameron, who displayed all manly signs of disliking pink; Teal’c just fastened it into his coat and raised his eyebrow). Sheppard, who was the third ‘bridal attendant,’ was wearing a pink shirt under a black suit. No one quite knew how he was just good friends with Vala, much less why he was in the bridal party, but they were and he was. Vala claimed it was a good thing he was there, since she didn’t want the photos to look unbalanced. Sheppard just asked if he could use her hairspray.

“Really?” Vala said, her voice quivering. Sam thought about her soothing words. Particle physics. Microorganisms. Jack O’Neill. Naked. In her shower.

“Yeah,” Sheppard said, edging in front of Vala in the mirror, shaping his faux-hawk. His girlfriend, an archaeologist who worked with Daniel, was going to be there and apparently, she thought pink was definitely his color. “Besides, once you get out there, Jackson’s not going to care about the seats or the decorations or the food – not that he does now – because all he’ll see is you. And all he’ll be thinking about is you.” He paused, poking a hair back into its place. “Oh, and probably, since it is you, what you’re wearing underneath your gown.” He grinned at her and she grinned back, the saucy Vala that Sam knew.

Oh, and the food. The food had been one of the primary causes of their bride-and-maid-of-honor crises (well, she said “crises;” everyone else said “freak outs”). Vala had been all ready to go with chicken-and-cheese tortilla rolls, both easy and inexpensive to make or obtain, when Teyla had introduced her to the finer points of Athosian hors d’oeuvres and Vala was hooked. After that, nothing would do but to import ten Athosian women – pretty much fresh of the kidnapped-by-a-former-Wraith circuit – and imprison them in an Atlantean kitchen until they turned out two to three hundred of five different menu choices.

Sam didn’t even try to explain the concept of labor laws to Vala. She knew it wouldn’t help anything, so she just doubled the amount of medical supplies due to the Athosians the next month.

“Alright,” Sam said, cheerful again, mostly because of her last six soothing words. “Let’s get going. Shep, you’re first, then Teyla, and I’m the maid of honor, so I’m last. Right?”

“Right,” the other two attendants chorused.

“Wait!” Vala exclaimed. They all looked at her, poised and tense for a crisis.

“What?” Sam asked warily. She could hear the music about to start. Somehow, two days and three visited planets after she’d arrived in Pegasus, Vala had found some musicians and shanghaied them back to Atlantis, practically forcing them at gun-and-Ronon-point to learn Mendelssohn’s Wedding March. Now, three weeks later, they could practically play it in their sleep, as she overheard one musician say.

“Where,” Vala said, “is the ring?”

Sam slapped a hand to her chest and then stuck it down there, pulling a black box out a moment later. “Here,” she said. “I’ll put it in with my bouquet, since I doubt anyone wants to see me do that during the ceremony.”

With that crisis solved, they all went down to the curtained-off control room and finished their preparations as the quartet started the music. Sheppard went down the stairs, walking with Cameron and holding a bouquet, wearing an expression that said if any of this was made fun of on the Atlantis blog circuit, that somebody would be cleaning Wraith goo off equipment for the next year or so. Teyla floated off next, her hand placed delicately on Teal’c’s forearm, her bouquet held up in her free hand, a serene look upon her face.

Then it was Sam’s turn. She took the General’s arm and as they were about to step onto the first step down, he said to her, “I hope you’re keeping that gown, Carter,” and she definitely caught him glancing at her cleavage once or twice. Not that she wasn’t doing her share of squeezing his arm muscles or wishing she could see his six. Those were the days, she thought dreamily, when I got to guard O’Neill’s six.

Finally they were all in their places, with Daniel fidgeting as O’Neill tried to make him stand still, Teal’c placid and Teyla serene, and Mitchell trying not to laugh as he watched Sheppard and his girlfriend make gooey eyes at each other. The bridal march started, and Vala came out. She was completely alone, as she had declined – graciously – General Landry’s offer to escort her, on the grounds that she was offering herself to Daniel, not anybody else.

Everyone thought that extraordinarily romantic, but Sam knew that Vala was only stating the complete truth. The only thing she had to offer Daniel was herself, and she was giving him everything. One glance at Daniel’s face as he watched Vala walk down the (short) aisle and Sam knew he not only got her intention, but he (and the only word she could think of didn’t express it nearly enough) appreciated it more than anyone could or would or should ever know.

When Vala arrived at the makeshift altar – set up in front of the Stargate, which was the one thing Daniel had insisted on, since that was the catalyst of their meeting – and took his hands, they both pretty much glowed as they recited their vows (traditional, Sam noted, not without some surprise) and exchanged rings. When the chaplain pronounced them man and wife and Daniel kissed his new wife, everyone burst into applause.

At the reception, their first dance was to an old song called ‘What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?’ which Sam knew Vala had chosen, not without some irony about Daniel’s many deaths and Ascensions and Descensions when she’d heard two of the lines.

In fact, when the song was playing and the singer’s dusky voice sounded with “I have only one request of your life/That you spend it all with me,” Daniel threw his head back and laughed, as did his bride and just then the photographer took a picture.

That was the photo that sat on the Jackson mantle, displayed for the whole world to see. The Jacksons, full of joy.


()()()()


When Vala woke up, the first thing she noticed was that it was pitch black. The second thing she noticed was that the barely-glowing face of her iHome proclaimed it 2:15 AM. The third thing she noticed was that her stomach hurt really badly. In fact, it hurt off and on, much like cramps did… She sat up as quickly as she could and flicked on the lamp next to the bed, ignoring Daniel’s groan of annoyance.

She flicked through the book that sat on her bedside table and as she read, her lips moved. “Hmm,” she said, rereading the last thing. “Right, then.” She put the book up and poked Daniel in the ribs. “Daniel.”

“Shmphg,” was his response before he rolled over. She poked him again.

“Daniel!”

“Hngh?”

“I’m having the baby.”

“What?!” He sat up so fast that he fell out of bed, taking most of the covers with him. “Ow! Shit!” His head appeared over the side of the bed and he was rubbing the back of it, grimacing. She would have sympathized, seeing as how it was a concrete floor since they’d been staying on base for the past month in anticipation of the baby’s birth – since the government ruled she couldn’t have the baby off-base until the we reassured that her birth would be a fully normal, Earth-type birth. “Okay, um, just breathe. Hee, hoo, hee, hoo.”

She just looked at him, amused, until he stopped babbling. “Perhaps you should call Doctor Lam, darling. Have her ready a room or something? I’m sure that- OH MY GOD, OW!” She doubled over. He lunged onto the bed and took hold of her, his arms wrapped around her. “It didn’t hurt this much with Adria,” she whimpered and he caressed her forehead.

“C’mon,” he said. “We’ll get you into the infirmary.”

Two hours later, they were firmly ensconced in a room, perfectly safe and ready for the birth with Doctor Lam standing by.

As per usual, Vala was arguing.

“I just don’t see,” she said, glaring about her at the various people in the room, “why Daniel can’t deliver the baby.”

“Because he’s not a trained medical professional,” Doctor Lam said – rather prissily, Vala thought, in her drug-and-pain induced state. “He shouldn’t have even delivered those two other babies; he might have killed them and their mothers.” She delicately refrained from mentioning that Sha’re died shortly after the birth of her child anyway.

“I don’t ca-aaaarreee-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA,” Vala screamed. “I want Daniel to do it.”

Doctor Lam took a look under the sheets. “She’s ten centimeters,” she proclaimed. “It’s time to push.”

“No,” hissed Vala, from between gritted teeth. “I absolutely refuse to push.” A string of very powerful Goa’uld curses came out after that, followed by a string of Ancient that even Daniel had a rough time following.

Everyone but Vala – Daniel, Dr Lam, Cameron, Sam, Teal’c, General Landry, and Jack – exchanged looks. Panicked looks.

“And for the sake of all that is holy,” Vala growled. “If this crowed doesn’t clear in two seconds I am going to kill you all when this baby is out. Not you, Daniel.”

The crowd dashed out of the room, simply relieved to be gone from the crazy soon-to-not-be pregnant lady. Only Daniel and Dr Lam remained.

“Vala, how about this,” the doctor – ever even-toned – said, “Daniel can deliver the baby, but I’ll stay here and step in if anything goes wrong. I’ll even stand over here.” She moved to the side. Vala considered this.

“Alright,” she said, and started to push. Daniel sat, hesitantly, in the chair that was placed between Vala’s legs and watched. After a moment, his eyes lit up.

“I can see the head,” he crowed, grinning. “It looks good. Okay, Vala, here come the shoulders…” He narrated the entire birth and when the baby’s feet were finally free, he picked up his child while the doctor cut the cord and tied it off. “Vala,” he whispered to his wife, who was grinning wider than he’d ever seen. The doctor left quietly and he sat on the bed next to Vala, handing her the baby and said, “Vala, this is our daughter.”

Vala’s heart, which Daniel had almost repaired after her emotional breakdown after Adria turned out to be a megalomaniac – basically Napoleon reborn but taller, Daniel said – healed completely, and almost broke again, it was so full of love for her new daughter. “She’s ours,” she said to Daniel, who smiled down at her.

He nodded, agreeing. “All ours.”

A camera clicked, somewhere in the direction of the door, but they didn’t care.


()()()()


“No, Vala,” Daniel said, frowning at her as he changed the baby’s diaper. “Absolutely not.” He threw the wipe into the diaper disposal thing and wrapped the diaper around the newborn’s torso. “I am not naming our daughter after Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.”

“But why not, darling?” Vala asked, fingers trailing up and down his torso as she gave him her widest-eyed Bambi stare.

Teal’c, who was observing this with all the other members of the team, raised an eyebrow. “Indeed, why not, DanielJackson?” he said, his deep voice booming in the quiet nursery. “I am to understand that it is incredibly odd for the Tau’ri to leave a hospital without naming their offspring.” His tone became more amused as he said, “Indeed, even Drey’auc and I named Rya’c after the first lunar cycle, as is the custom among the Jaffa.”

“What T is trying to say – very eloquently, by the way,” Jack O’Neill offered, “is that this baby is a month and a half old and is going to grow up thinking her name is Sweetheart if you don’t actually name her soon.”

Teal’c inclined his head. “Indeed,” he intoned. “And would that not be most awkward for the child?” Daniel groaned. Teal’c took this (correctly) as a sign that Daniel had just been out-argued but was prepared to be petulant about it.

“Tell you what, darling,” Vala said. “We’ll name her something that sounds like Elle, alright? You pick it. And her middle name can be whatever you want, alright? Since obviously my opinion matters about diddly-squant in this matter!” She glared at him.

Teal’c’s face took on the Jaffa equivalent of a smirk when Daniel said, “Vala, honey, I’m sorry. How about Elenor? And you can pick her middle name.”

Vala pouted for a second and then smiled. “Well, alright darling,” she said, appearing mollified. “If you insist.” She eyed the black-haired, blue-eyed baby and cuddled her to her chest. “Elenor Clare Jackson.”

Mitchell looked confused at the sudden tearing up that Daniel was doing, so Teal’c leaned over and murmured, “Clare was the first name of DanielJackson’s mother. I believe that this is of great emotional significance to him.”

“Oh,” Mitchell said, clearly relieved someone chose to enlighten him. “Smile for the camera, you three!” He took the picture.

Somehow, all three of them were smiling and little Elenor’s smile was exactly like her mother’s. It was also her first ever smile. Her parents treasured the photograph for the rest of their life.


()()()()


“Mommy, Mommy!”

A little girl with black pigtails that were tied with large pink ribbons burst through a crowd and attached herself to the legs of a woman with similar hair.

“Elenor!” called a man, barely three yards behind the little girl. He pushed his rectangle-framed glasses back up his nose and rubbed at his forehead, which was creased. “I’m so sorry,” he told the woman, prying the little girl off her legs. “It’s just that-”

“You’re not my mommy!” the little girl – Elenor – accused, loudly. She glared at the woman who had the audacity to resemble her mother.

The woman looked rather surprised, though she managed to give the man a flirtatious look. “It’s alright,” she told the man. “I’m Rachel Werner, nice to meet you.”

The man, who was now holding the little girl in his arms, freed a hand and shook hers. “Daniel Jackson, and this is my daughter Elenor. She’s been trying to find her mother ever since we lost her and-”

“I WANT TO FIND MOMMY,” Elenor declared, wriggling out of her father’s arms and taking off again. Daniel sighed.

“I’m so sorry, excuse me.” He took off after Elenor and Rachel followed.

“I’m so very sorry for your loss,” she put forth, catching up with him. He glanced at her, and smiled.

“Oh, it’s okay. It’s not like I didn’t expect it.” This comment so shocked her that she couldn’t manage a response. He didn’t seem to notice as he muttered, “Where did she- Oh, of course.” He was glaring over at Victoria’s Secret, where his young daughter had just dashed into.

“Why would she go in there?” Rachel asked.

“It’s her mother’s favorite store,” he said, sighing.

“Do you want me to-” Rachel began, and he flapped a hand at her.

“No, it’s alright. You can come if you’d like,” he added, and she followed him, just in case he needed an excuse.

“Terrible for a little girl to lose her mother,” she said, giving him her most sensual smile. It caused most men to melt in their shoes, and she expected no less from this man.

Daniel just blinked, rather owlishly, at her. “Yes, I suppose so,” he replied, his tone absent. He was looking around, frowning.

“Well, there you are, darling,” drawled a woman’s voice. Rachel didn’t even have to turn to see a woman, as black-haired as she was, with an – English? Australian? – accent so sultry it made even her want to acquiesce to the speaker’s demands. The woman gave Rachel an amused smile as she walked to Daniel, one arm full of the little girl, and unabashedly caressed his bottom with her free hand. “I thought you’d never find me,” she purred.

“Mommy,” Elenor said, smiling happily. She looked at her father, her smile turning smug. “I found her first. I win!”

Daniel laughed, and turned to thank the woman who’d helped him look for his miscreant daughter, but she was nowhere to be seen. He shrugged and turned back to his family.

His wife burst into giggles. “You just never get it, do you darling?”

“Get what?” He wound a strand of her hair around his finger.

“Whenever we play hide-and-seek, all these women helping you look for Elenor – they’re all just trying to get into your pants,” she told him. “You just never seem to know when they’re flirting with you. It’s hilarious.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’ve got you,” he told her, leaning towards her, his arms wrapped around her and Elenor. “You leave nothing to chance.” He kissed her and then muttered something in a foreign tongue. “Vala! Did you take my wallet again?”

She shook her head and looked at their daughter. “Elle?”

Elenor held up the brown leather billfold. “Mommy taught me how,” she said, grinning wickedly.

Daniel sighed. Like mother, like daughter.