Vala had a series of escape plans worked out even before she stepped through the Gate that first time to Daniel's world, plans that were discarded and replaced as soon as she got a thorough evaluation of the layout of the SGC. Throughout her stay with the Tau'ri, the constant calculations for strategic withdrawal running through her head became a soothing background noise. A jarring note introduced itself, though, when she realized how much she would miss what she would be leaving behind.
Sam Carter
It was utterly trite and embarrassing, but she'd never had a friend like Sam: an attractive female who was completely uninterested in flaunting it. Vala had to resist a scream the first time she suggested that Sam play up her natural appeal to distract Landry from blustering at a failed mission, to which Sam had shot her a puzzled look, then an outraged glare before storming off. Honestly, if she'd been blessed with that devastating combination of blue eyes and blond hair, Vala could have made a killing in her various negotiations across the system. It just never seemed to occur to Sam that she was beautiful, let alone the advantages she could obtain from it. Vala tried a few helpful tips, just the barest suggestions, really. Sam bore them with long-suffering patience, then finally dragged Vala home with her for a girl's night in and a heart-to-heart about the boy's club and its pervasive impact on the military. Vala, finding the whole thing utterly ridiculous, was outraged on Sam's behalf. She covered up the awkwardness by offering to help Sam revel in her femininity after hours, something that Sam admitted she had let lapse for a long time. Vala found it refreshing: with Sam, there were none of the usual unspoken competitions or sizings up as to who was the more striking of the two women. Really, the delighted glee on Sam's face at her appearance when Vala coaxed her into dressing up in something more shapely than BDUs and pampering herself with various girly products was simply charming.
Once Vala grudgingly recognized that people paid more attention to Sam's brain than her face, she considered how much further she herself could advance her own schemes if she openly displayed her intellect instead of hiding it behind her formidable charms. It made Sam smile encouragingly even as Daniel and Cameron looked even more suspicious. Teal'c maintained his inscrutable façade, but she had long since learned to observe and treasure the small gleam of amusement in his eyes.
Teal'c
Of the constant stream of surprises in her time on Earth, few were bigger than the example of Teal'c and herself. That a former First Prime to one of the most powerful System Lords and a former Goa'uld host should become colleagues, even unspoken friends...well, it would surely boggle a lesser mind than hers. She learned to look for Teal'c's discreet eyeroll when one of SG-1's members complained about some petty detail, or the power of his scowl when he disagreed with a plan. Those who thought Teal'c was a man of few words had never learned to read the volumes of his face. On those occasions that the alien surroundings of the SGC closed in on her like another prison, Teal'c would invite her with a nod to join him in his quarters to meditate and share a few careful memories. Though their team tried their best, Earth would never truly be home to the two outcasts. But the struggle to find their own homes, places to truly belong, could just as well be fought from the stronghold of their allies and friends.
Four things Vala would miss about Earth if she left, & one that she wouldn't (part 1)
Vala had a series of escape plans worked out even before she stepped through the Gate that first time to Daniel's world, plans that were discarded and replaced as soon as she got a thorough evaluation of the layout of the SGC. Throughout her stay with the Tau'ri, the constant calculations for strategic withdrawal running through her head became a soothing background noise. A jarring note introduced itself, though, when she realized how much she would miss what she would be leaving behind.
Sam Carter
It was utterly trite and embarrassing, but she'd never had a friend like Sam: an attractive female who was completely uninterested in flaunting it. Vala had to resist a scream the first time she suggested that Sam play up her natural appeal to distract Landry from blustering at a failed mission, to which Sam had shot her a puzzled look, then an outraged glare before storming off. Honestly, if she'd been blessed with that devastating combination of blue eyes and blond hair, Vala could have made a killing in her various negotiations across the system. It just never seemed to occur to Sam that she was beautiful, let alone the advantages she could obtain from it. Vala tried a few helpful tips, just the barest suggestions, really. Sam bore them with long-suffering patience, then finally dragged Vala home with her for a girl's night in and a heart-to-heart about the boy's club and its pervasive impact on the military. Vala, finding the whole thing utterly ridiculous, was outraged on Sam's behalf. She covered up the awkwardness by offering to help Sam revel in her femininity after hours, something that Sam admitted she had let lapse for a long time. Vala found it refreshing: with Sam, there were none of the usual unspoken competitions or sizings up as to who was the more striking of the two women. Really, the delighted glee on Sam's face at her appearance when Vala coaxed her into dressing up in something more shapely than BDUs and pampering herself with various girly products was simply charming.
Once Vala grudgingly recognized that people paid more attention to Sam's brain than her face, she considered how much further she herself could advance her own schemes if she openly displayed her intellect instead of hiding it behind her formidable charms. It made Sam smile encouragingly even as Daniel and Cameron looked even more suspicious. Teal'c maintained his inscrutable façade, but she had long since learned to observe and treasure the small gleam of amusement in his eyes.
Teal'c
Of the constant stream of surprises in her time on Earth, few were bigger than the example of Teal'c and herself. That a former First Prime to one of the most powerful System Lords and a former Goa'uld host should become colleagues, even unspoken friends...well, it would surely boggle a lesser mind than hers. She learned to look for Teal'c's discreet eyeroll when one of SG-1's members complained about some petty detail, or the power of his scowl when he disagreed with a plan. Those who thought Teal'c was a man of few words had never learned to read the volumes of his face. On those occasions that the alien surroundings of the SGC closed in on her like another prison, Teal'c would invite her with a nod to join him in his quarters to meditate and share a few careful memories. Though their team tried their best, Earth would never truly be home to the two outcasts. But the struggle to find their own homes, places to truly belong, could just as well be fought from the stronghold of their allies and friends.