Disclaimer: I do not own "Stargate SG1" or any of its characters, this story is written for entertainment purposes only, no profit made, no infringement of any rights intended.

AN: This is intended as a oneshot, just an idea of what Sam and Vala could come up with during their 'girls' nights in'. Because we all know that the rules of the rational, adult world don't apply in those magic, cocktail-filled hours.

Timeframe: late season 10. No obvious spoilers, but in case some crept in and I couldn't spot them, everything up to "Unending" is fair game. (funny how I can't seem to stop mentioning that episode in my author's notes...)

Girls' Night In

The curtains wafted silently as the chilly night breeze snuck in through the open window, ruffling the shiny pages of a magazine forgotten on the edge of the couch. Lazily, the wind swept through the cozy living room, while the lively rhythm of some traditional Brazilian song played in the background. The pages moved again with the draft, and the red wine rippled in its glass.

"It's getting chilly, I'll just close the window," Sam commented, setting the wine glass down as she sat up from the sofa. "Hope it doesn't jam again."

"Why did you open it if it jams? You've got…" she took a second to remember the term, then tentatively provided it, "air conditioning, don't you?"

By the window, Sam was moving the curtains out of the way.

"Yeah. But…" She inhaled deeply, feeling the sweet, moist night air fill her lungs. "You don't get this with air conditioning," she finished after a second, smiling as the breeze tousled her hair.

Vala just gave her a funny look.

"It's just air, Sam."

"Yes, but this one's fresh and damp and smells like chrysanthemums," the blonde smiled, amused at her own childishness. "And like green grass and like the full moon."

"I thought your moon didn't have an atmosphere, how do you know what it smells like?"

Sam arched an eyebrow, returning a warning mock-glare.

"You're not much of a nature person, are you?"

"Sure I am," Vala argued, bringing her feet under her on the plushy sofa, and taking another sip of wine. "I love the nature. As long as it's warm and sunny and there's running hot water and convenient transportation."

Her lips formed a small pout, and she glared at the telephone on the small glass table. All those TV show rules stated that girls' nights in required silly phone calls! Unfortunately for Vala, a Daniel working on his latest translation wasn't the best person to call just to 'let him know we're having fun at Sam's place'. Not to mention, she'd actually called him because it was Saturday night, and according to Earth customs work was not allowed, and she just wanted to con him into taking a break.

Apparently, conning didn't come so easy these days, or so Sam had pointed out with a small grin, and Vala was decided to set her friend straight.

"Nonsense…men will be men. You just have to know how to push their right buttons."

"I don't know…that didn't work so well the other minute, did it?"

Oh, Daniel's none-too-subtle brush off. Well. A smirk crept to her lips, and she asked in an exaggeratedly husky voice.

"Are you doubting my feminine wiles?"

Vala's tone, not to mention her ridiculously fast eyelash-batting, sent Sam into a small fit of laughter.

"I'm just saying manipulation doesn't always get you your way."

"Ohhh…okay," the other grinned, then nodded decidedly. "I'll prove it!"

"Really?" Sam beamed with obvious amusement, then quirked an eyebrow as mischief twinkled in her eyes. "Alright then…prove it," she challenged, idly wondering if she should switch to soda. "Get Daniel to let you work on the translation—"

"Work with him?" Vala huffed derisively. "Come on, Sam, I'm sure you can come up—"

"Instead of him."

Vala's mouth formed a small 'o' of surprise, then the woman grinned widely.

"Now we're talking."

Sam returned the grin, with a hint of childish excitement. If someone had told her, one year before, that she'd invite the eccentric thief—who caused more headaches at the SGC than the winter cold—to a girl's night in at her place, she would have recommended medical leave. But when Vala had joined them on a more permanent basis, Sam had been shocked to discover in the quirky brunette the female friend she had never known she was missing. After Janet's death, she had never quite tied a friendship with another woman, and it surprised her more than anyone when she began warming up to Vala.

They were so different, it made no sense whatsoever. In some ways, Vala was like the fresh, surprising night breeze, Sam thought to herself. Where she was grounded, organized and warm, the other was wild, hasty and aggressive. Where Sam was self-possessed, confident and trusting, Vala was insecure, dismissive and sly. While she had found all her own traits reflected in Janet, with Vala it seemed that each was everything that the other was not.

At least up to a certain point. But then both would risk everything to make sure they accomplished what was needed of them. Both got angry when someone hurt the ones they cared about—no, more importantly, Sam had realized, both cared. Both were making the best of the hand that had been dealt to them, dooming and saving the world all the time, and trying to live a little in the process.

Because, Sam mused with a hint of a smile, even girls who spent half their time on other planets, blowing up suns or commandeering starships, deserved the odd shopping spree every now and then. And Victoria's Secret with Vala was tons more fun than it could ever have been with Daniel, Cam or Teal'c—she almost chocked on the wine at that mental image. Then she briefly considered how she would never have pictured it before--being friends with Vala certainly added new dimensions to her thinking.

"Sam…?"

Oh, right. Manipulating men, Daniel's translation, Vala getting him to give it up. She shook her head—like that would ever happen.

"So," she took another sip of wine. "Think you can do it?"

"Of course." Vala spoke, taking her own glass to her lips, so that her voice came out a bit muffled. "Now for your part of this little game."

"Game, huh?"

"Well of course…you challenge me, I challenge you back, isn't that how it works, Sam?"

A woman-to-woman challenge. That sounded unreasonably funny, and Sam suspected the wine was making her giddy, but she grinned happily nonetheless.

"Alright then…let's talk business." Lazily, she reclined against the back of the sofa, resting the wine glass on the arm and holding it carelessly with one hand. "Issue your challenge!"

There was absolutely nothing that Vala could come up with that would even be comparable to making Daniel willingly surrender his work. She calmly took another sip…

"You get General O'Neill to propose."

….and promptly choked on it, sputtering the wine all over the plush pillows.

"What? Now, wait just a minute, we were talking realistic things here, uh, we have to keep the challenges within reason, I didn't ask you to get…I don't know…Siler to propose—"

"Do you want me to?"

"No!" She froze for a second, and winced at the prospect. "Anyway, there should be a rule. Nothing too absurd…General O'Neill has nothing to do with our little game, he and I are friends…he's a superior officer, he—"

"Called while you were in the shower," Vala deadpanned.

Sam's mouth hung open for a second, then she snapped it shut. Feeling her throat dry, she reached for another sip of wine, but the glass was empty.

"Oh. So," she uncomfortably cleared her throat, "what did he…say?"

Vala was giving her a long look from beneath her eyelashes, smirking slightly, and Sam cringed as she waited for the answer. Finally, the brunette lowered her eyes and relaxed against the couch.

"Nothing," she admitted. "I didn't pick up the phone. Thought it would be invading your privacy."

Sam let out the breath she'd been holding. Good.

"The answering machine picked up."

BAD!!

She tried to say something more, but some evil invisible hand squeezed her airways. Meanwhile, Vala was innocently twisting a lock of hair around her finger.

"I have to say, I've never heard such delightfully original metaphors," she sang, while Sam felt her neck flaring red. "I mean, I knew you humans have too much fun with subtleties and euphemisms…but honestly Sam…never knew fishing could be so much fun…or is it only when you're doing it in…." she frowned, trying to remember the words, "…'the President's back yard', was it? I didn't quite get that one, really—"

"There was nothing to get!" She felt flushed, and was it her, or had the room just gotten a lot smaller? "Look, Vala, I don't know what you understood, from, eh, the message, but—"

"That's okay, I can just ask Daniel about the back yard thing."

"No!" Sam heard her own high-pitched voice, and suddenly the adult in her caught up. Sighing in exasperation, she rolled her eyes at Vala's seemingly unwavering smirk. "Is this fun for you?"

"Endlessly," the other giggled.

"Great." Friends, fresh night breeze and girls' fun were all nice and good, but she wasn't quite that drunk yet. "Can we, uh, talk about something else?"

Vala considered it for a second, then nodded with surprising ease, and Sam's respect for her discretion went up a notch…

"Sure. We haven't sorted out your part of the challenge yet. I take it that getting O'Neill to propose will have to wait—"

…and promptly plummeted again.

"Yes! I mean, no!" Sam took a deep breath, repeating to herself that she was an adult who could handle things. "I'm not going to get the General to propose—"

"The General…" Vala couldn't contain a grin, and the blonde saw the next comment coming. She frowned menacingly, causing the other to bite back the remark and return to the issue at hand. "Alright then, how about this? I get Daniel to abandon his oh-so-important translation…"

"The one he's been working on round the clock for the past week," Sam specified, all too happy to change topics, "letting no one else near it…"

"That very one. So, I get him to let me do it instead of him…if…"she screwed up her face, trying to think of a challenge, then pointed a victorious finger at Sam. "You get the General…to send Daniel…on a trip to Atlantis. How's that?" She sensed the loophole and hurried to cover it. "General O'Neill, that is."

Sam groaned. What was that about proposing again?

"Well, that one's still on the table…" Vala beamed, making the other realize she had spoken out loud.

With another sigh, Sam reckoned that even that would probably be easier than getting Jack to willingly send Daniel to Atlantis. But somehow, things didn't seem so embarrassing and delicate anymore, and her giddiness was returning with a vengeance.

"Alright." She laughed mischievously as the excitement of the challenge started to set in. "I'll get General O'Neill to willingly send Daniel to Atlantis, you get Daniel to surrender his work to you, and we'll see who does it first."

Vala refilled the wine glasses, than extended her hand with a wide grin. Matching it, Sam firmly shook the proffered hand.

"Deal."

"Deal."

And the both took long sips of red wine.

AN: I have no idea where this came from, but it had to leave my system before I could focus on my other story! So, here it is ;-) Please let me know your thoughts!

Until next time, then!

Myosotis