Disclaimer: Stargate: SG1 isn't my creation; I'm only playing here and the only things I own are any original haracters that came from my own mind.

Title: "…the Best is Yet to Be."

Summary: "Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be." – Robert Browning.

These will be a series of vignettes creating 30 years of life together.

Spoilers: Everything that has aired up to this point is fair game. Any references to the DVDs will be noted in the Author's Notes.

Pairings: Daniel/Vala, obviously, Sam/Jack at some point and Cam/someone implied.

Rating: Now "M". Will remain "M" for the duration of the story.

Genre: Drama/Angst/Humour/Romance…the only genre that won't apply here would be 'slash'.

A/N: Life isn't providing me time and brain space to complete this fiction the way I want to and there's the possibility that in the near future my life may be changing so drastically that I won't have time to even think about writing let alone actually mentally compose anything.

SO, starting with this posting I'm going to start just offering what I've got written. Most of these vignettes will be unfinished, I will add A/Ns though to explain how the scene was supposed to play out.

Any questions feel free to IM me. Sorry that I have to do this.

~d/v~

Early July 2013 (47 &42) (7- Gr 1 & 11- Gr 3)

The faint sound of the grandfather clock on the first floor chiming 4 PM broke the silence.

Daniel tossed the pen between his fingers onto the paper. Leaning back in the chair, he pushed his fingertips under his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He'd been struggling for the better part of the afternoon to finish his final report for the IOA about the dig-site on R2Z 276. The house was proving too quiet for him to concentrate.

There had been a time when he sought solitude to work. Solitude that he could use to get lost in his work; forgetting for awhile just how truly alone he was.

Now utter silence was distracting. He could no longer work without the sound of his family's voices and activities in the background of his thoughts.

With a sigh he resigned himself to not getting any further with his report until the others were home. He got up and wandered downstairs to the kitchen.

Empting the last of the coffee from the insulated carafe into his mug he strolled through the expanse of family room and dining room. He stopped at the large glass doors leading to the backyard. The lush shade and oval pool of sparkling water beckoned. For a moment he considered quickly changing into his swimsuit to get in a quiet dip before Andreas and Cybele made their usual beeline for the pool when they arrived home from their tutoring session. He glanced at his watch. He wouldn't make it. They'd be coming in the door by the time he'd changed. Not that he actually minded. He would just coax Vala into a late-night tryst in the pool instead. She hadn't exactly taken to the water like a duck but she was usually more than willing to take advantage of an opportunity to flaunt herself in one of her skimpy bikinis for him. That image made him smile. He took a sip of coffee, his mind conjuring the probable outcome of her prancing around in a barely-there bathing suit. He shook his head. His life really wasn't turning out the way he'd assumed it would. After losing Sha're he'd never really expected to marry again, and never in a million years…a million, million years had he ever seen himself marrying a woman who he'd let entice him into sex…outside… in the swimming pool behind their house. Truthfully though he'd never imagined himself living in a middle-class suburban house with a pool either. It's not that he hadn't wanted a settled home - he'd hungered for one since he was 8. He was a scientist, an archeologist though; an explorer like his parents and his grandfather and maintaining a settled home for children was challenging when one spent months at a time in far distant places exploring ancient civilizations. A wry smile tugged at his mouth. Unless, of course, there was a device that could transport one to those distant places and then bring one back every night in time to read bedtime stories.

The door leading in from the garage banged open, shattering the silence. The tumble of voices drew him into the hallway. Cybele and Andreas caught sight of him first.

"Daniel, Daniel," they crowed together, loping towards him with Cybele launching herself at him, "we're going…we're going!"

"Woah!" he blurted, lurching backward slightly as he caught her in mid-leap, "wait…what?...where are you going?

"Scholeio!" they chorused in excitement

"Seriously?" Daniel directed the question over Cybele's head at Vala.

She nodded, "Seriously. Jayne thinks it's time."

"Wow, that's really exciting guys," he grinned at them then suddenly directed a look of concern at Vala, "wait, if I remember from Cass, school starts in August…that's next month…can we still get them registered?"

Vala shook her head. "Jayne says not to worry she'll look after what needs to be done…she just wants to see them in school now. They've already been here more than six months and she really feels they need to be with kids their own age.

He nodded silently as he lowered Cybele to the floor who'd been squirming to get down since Andreas had disappeared up the stairs.

"Is Jayne sure they're ready?" he asked watching the little girl scamper up to the second floor.

When there was no response after a moment he turned to find Vala nibbling at her bottom lip while she stared up the stairs.

"Vala," he said sharply.

She jumped slightly, dropped her gaze to his and then blinded him with her megawatt smile.

"What?"

He peered at her, "What's wrong?"

Her expression sobered for a split second, then she re-aimed her smile at him and lifted her hand to give his cheek what was supposed to be a soothing pat.

"Absolutely nothing darling. Why would you think there was?"

She turned abruptly on her heel and trotted away from him before he could reply.

"Uhh, because I know you," he said following her towards the kitchen, "when you start chewing at your lip you've got something on your mind. Now spill. Do you disagree with Jayne?"

"No, of course not. Who am I to disagree with her? She's the professional, not me. I'm sure she knows better than me whether they need to be with kids their own age…"she trailed off, opening a glass-fronted cupboard and reaching for a wine tumbler.

"But…?" Daniel prompted.

"I don't know Daniel…" she said shrugging as she went to the 'fridge and drained the last of a bottle of white wine into her glass, "perhaps children are less spiteful here on Earth, but the ones I grew up with certainly weren't pleasant to other children they considered," she raised her hands to make mock quotes, "'different'."

The pit of his stomach gave a twist. Memories of being mocked by classmates,

each time he moved to a new foster family and a new school, for his accented English and not knowing much about American pop culture, came flooding back.

He shook his head, "Nope, I'm pretty sure kids behave the same way all over the galaxy. I must say though that it's commendable that you recognize the impact it must've on the kids you were taunting."

Her eyes widened behind her glass. Shaking her head she swallowed the mouthful of wine she'd taken.

"Believe me, I wasn't the one doing the taunting," she said as Andreas and Cybele came barreling through the kitchen, headed for the sliding doors to the backyard.

He watched her follow the children outside. Despite being almost constant companions for the previous six years there were still parts of her past that could surprise him. Thoughtfully he trailed after them.

"Sorry," he said, stretching out on the deck chair beside her, "never thought of you as anything but a ringleader."

She glanced sideways at him with a shrug, "It was really only bad when Jacek showed up in town…he wasn't what one would call an upstanding citizen" she shifted in her chair and took another sip of wine, "I suspect they were only repeating what they were hearing at home."

"Very likely, the opinions of the patriarchs' in a small town like that would be taken as gospel, but Vala," he sat up and turned completely towards her, "we live in a more enlightened society, and…"

"And what Daniel?" she swung a look of disbelief at him before he could continue, "and that means that people no longer harass others that they consider different?"

With a shake of her head she turned her gaze back to the antics of the children in the water. "I can think of several recent news stories that say otherwise."

"Yes, fine," he conceded with a sigh, "that is true, but the vast majority of people don't tolerate it. I think as long as we let their teachers know our concerns and make sure that 'Drea and Cybele understand that other kids shouldn't treat them like that then I think they'll be okay."

He leaner closer and fixed her with steady but gentle eyes.

"We brought them here Val," he said softly, "we have to give them the chance to find their way."

She moved her head enough to meet his gaze.

"Oh I know that Daniel. I just don't want anything to make them regret coming here."

The uncertainty in her eyes made his heart hurt. He leaned over to slip his hand along the side of her cheek.

"How could anyone regret having a mother as fabulous as you?" he said with a gentle teasing smile.

She grimaced slightly, "Doubt Adria felt like that."

"Yeah, but she wasn't exactly a normal kid was she?"

Vala lifted her shoulders in a faint shrug as she refocused her attention on Andreas executing a massive "cannonball" into the water.

"C'mon," he said, standing up, "whatya say we take them," he motioned with a backward motion of his head at the two kids in the water, "to that Chinese place they like so much to celebrate their hard work?"

"Then," he purred, bracing his hands on the arms of the lounge to stoop low enough so only she could hear him, "after they're in bed we can come back here and see how long it takes me to get you out of that red bikini with the polka dots?"

May 2014(48 & 43), (8 & 12)

(A/N: Cam's wedding – I couldn't see him marrying Dr. Lam, but I did think he would marry someone at the SGC so they understood what he did for a living. His bride is Anne, a nurse at the SGC and also happens to be from his area of the country, so the wedding takes place in his hometown).

"Now remember what we discussed," Daniel let his gaze sweep back and forth between the two children, "I'm a translator and..."

"Vala works in the accounting department." Andreas intoned sullenly.

"Ah yeah…r…right," Daniel finished with a frown directed over his glasses at Andreas.

"Excellent," Vala leapt in before the exchange became hostile, "now that we know we're all on the same page, let's go in shall we…we're already late."

She waved her arms, shooing them all on ahead of her. Sighing she trotted up the wide stone steps. This trip wasn't turning out to be as pleasant as anticipated. Sometime in the last nine months Andreas had acquired an attitude. She wasn't sure if it was the influence of his classmates or just his age. Or perhaps it was both. She could remember being rather disdainful of adults when she was the same age. Whatever the reason it was still catching Daniel off guard and he was tending to respond with an uncharacteristic harshness. Which was putting her in the unfamiliar role of peacekeeper. So much for the fun family excursion she'd been looking forward to.

Following the others into the building she lifted her sunglasses off her face. The sudden lack of sunlight made her blink. Pausing while her eyes adjusted to the lower light levels, she surveyed her surroundings. In all the time she been on Earth this was the first time she'd ever been inside an actual Tau'ri place of worship. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting. She'd seen on TV the guys Cameron called Holey Rolls, but they all seemed to be in large arenas

The simple serenity of this grey stone building was unexpected.

Aug 2014 (49 & 43, 8 & 12)

(A/N: was supposed to be about the Jackson family adopting a tortoise-shell cat that Daniel recognizes as part Egyptian Mau)

English/ Greek Glossary

blakas- stupid, idiot

"Annndreaass," Cybele wailed running after the ball, "you kicked it too hard!"

"That's how ya play the game, blakas,"her brother yelled after her figure disappearing down the hill, "you're supps'd to kick it hard, ta keep it away from the other team."

"Andreas, don't call your sister names," Daniel scolded, "and since you kicked it hard enough to send it down the hill, you can help her find it."

"Okay, okay," Andreas muttered, following Cybele down the hill in a half-hearted lope.

A soft snicker of laughter drew Daniel's gaze to Vala at his side.

"What's so funny?" he scowled down at her.

"You," she smirked, "you sound suspiciously like a parent."

"No kidding," he grinned, "I seem to be channeling my own father more and more every day."

"Better than channeling my father," she shrugged.

Huffing only a small snort of amusement in response, he leaned back against the bench and closed his eyes.

Dusk, when heat of the day was cooling and the air was soft like velvet, had long been his favourite time of day. This habit the four of them had fallen into of spending time together after dinner in the park near their house took him back to spending quiet time with his own parents at the same time of day. It filled him with a peace he hadn't known since he was little.

"So what did Ishta say about Teal'c?" Vala asked quietly.

"Oh just what ya'd expect," he sighed, slouching further back on the bench, "ya know how the Jaffa are…philosophical and stoic to the end. Bra'tac lived a long and honourable life so Teal'c is wholly content that he simply passed away in his sleep without loss of dignity from disease."

"Would that we all die with such ease," Vala said softly.

"Amen," he replied in the same soft tone.

"And what are the plans?"

"Ahh…again, just what you'd expect…the ceremony commending his soul to the afterlife and then the journey to take his remains to Kheb."

"Are you going?"

Daniel shot a quick glance at her, trying to decipher her feelings on the matter, but like him she was also leaning back against the bench with her eyes closed

"Uhh yeah, I was…did you want to?"

She shrugged. "I was thinking about it but you're likely to be gone at least a week and since the only people I'd be comfortable with foisting the kids on for a whole week are likely to be going too…I guess I'm staying here."

"Yeah I guess," he nodded and then suddenly looked around, "speaking of the kids, I would've expected them to be back with that ball by now."

He stood, stretching as he did a thorough scan of their surroundings.

Vala stood up, slipping a hand into his while she also surveyed the area.

"Hope this isn't a problem" she said.

He caught the edge of worry in her voice. Glancing down at her, he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Doubt it…probably just got distracted by something…I used to do the same thing all the time…drove my mother nuts. C'mon we'll take the path down the hill… we should spot them pretty quickly."