Epilogue

Vala heard the knock on her door and scrambled off her bed to answer it, leaving the magazine she was reading behind her. She stared in shock at Sam. The military officer had been absent from the SGC for the previous week recovering from exposure, so Vala was surprised to see her but besides that, she didn't think the other woman had visited her in her quarters before.

'Can I come in?' Sam asked. She brought her arms forward, revealing the bottle of wine and two glasses that she carried. 'General Landry said I could bring a present.'

Vala stepped back and allowed Sam to enter.

Sam sat cross-legged on the bed and took the cap off the bottle, pouring a large glass of wine for Vala and herself. Vala climbed back onto the bed and took the glass from Sam a little cautiously.

'Cheers.' Sam said and presented her glass to Vala.

Vala tapped it gently with her own. 'Cheers.' She took a sip and watched Sam do the same. 'So, not that this isn't nice but…'

'Why am I here?' Sam asked. She set the glass down on the bed, keeping hold of it to prevent it from tipping over. She smiled a little hesitantly. 'I wanted to say thank you.'

'What for?' Vala asked.

'Healing me.' Sam said simply.

'I didn't heal you completely.' Vala pointed out.

Sam gestured with her wine glass. 'You healed the worst of it. Actually, I wanted to ask you if you would teach me how to use the Goa'uld healing device.'

Vala raised her eyebrows. 'I rather got the impression you didn't like using it.'

'I don't.' Sam admitted. Her fingers plucked at the coverlet on the top of the bed. 'It hasn't worked when I've tried in the past. My Dad and Selmak tried to teach me but they weren't around for long enough stretches of time for it to make a difference.' She shrugged. 'I never had the benefit of seeing Jolinar use it.'

'It's weird, isn't it?' Vala murmured. 'Being an ex-host.'

Sam nodded. 'We've both survived though.'

'Yes.' Vala nodded and drank some of her wine. 'We have.'

'And we kicked butt back on the planet.' Sam topped up the glasses.

Vala gestured at her. 'You kicked butt. You should probably teach me some of those moves you used in exchange for the healing device lessons.'

'It's a martial art.' Sam said with a smile. 'And I'll be happy to teach you.'

'I take it you heard about P3R418?' Vala asked.

Sam nodded. 'General O'Neill told me before he went back to Washington that the Prior carried out his threat even though the Tarcadians weren't there. On the plus side, the Tarcadians have agreed we can reuse whatever resources are left on P3R418.'

'Is that a plus?' Vala asked idly.

'Definitely.' Sam smiled wickedly. 'The beam the Ori ship emitted caused a reaction in the naquadah, turning it into naquadria. We'll have enough to power the ships we have for a long while.'

'Wow.' Vala blinked. She sat up a little. 'Sam…'

'Hmmm?'

'I just wanted to,' Vala took a large gulp of the wine. 'I just wanted to apologise for leaving you behind.'

Sam stared at her in surprise. 'You had to leave. If you hadn't, the others wouldn't have known about the bomb.'

'I know but I didn't realise that leaving someone behind was such a big deal.' Vala stared at her wine.

'Hmmm.' Sam peered over the top of her glass at the brunette. 'I tell you what, how about we add lessons on the rules around here and fitting in with Earth customs to our deal?'

'I think I'm getting the best out of this deal.' Vala noted. 'Not that I'm complaining.'

Sam smiled. 'I don't mind.' She took a sip of wine and gestured at Vala. 'You know it must be strange for you.'

Vala looked at her questioningly.

'Having to consider others.' Sam said bluntly. 'I get the impression you've been alone a long time.'

'Yes…' Vala's voice faltered and she shrugged. 'It doesn't matter.'

'Well, you're not alone anymore.' Sam pointed out. 'You're one of us now.'

Vala felt tears prick the back of her eyes at the unequivocal acceptance. She set the wine glass down to fan her face in a desperate attempt not to cry.

Sam set her own glass down and reached across to hug Vala. 'Hey.' She rubbed the back of Vala's back briskly. 'You're ruining your image as a tough cookie.'

'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be.' Sam said. She eased back and handed Vala a tissue. 'You should know as part of our first lesson in Earth customs that crying is completely allowed on a girl's night.'

'A girl's night?' Vala asked as she blew her nose noisily.

'A girl's night.' Sam picked up the wine glasses. 'It's an Earth custom.'

'So what else do you do?' Vala asked, taking her glass back from Sam.

'Drink wine,' Sam raised her glass, 'eat ice-cream, gossip about the boys,' she gave a wicked grin, 'and discuss the best way to kick butt.'

Vala smiled widely. 'I think I'm going to like this custom.'

The End