She sat in her quarters, in front of the huge mirror on her dressing table. Running the brush down her long hair, she couldn't help but admire how gorgeous she looked, as always.

On the dressing table were several bottles of perfumes, another hair brush set and a packet of hair clips. The real fancy kind too with lots of sparkles and glitter! And next to that was something in a pot, given to her by Shelley Jackson. Vala had a hard time remembering what it was. Although it made her laugh when she thought about it, "Cactus," sounding like something else in her vocabulary. Vala stared at it, realising that it was unlike herself, prickly and hard to handle. Understand why the botanist had given it to her.

Vala blinked several times, the banging at her door distracting her from staring at herself. She stood up, adjusting her robe, wrapping it around her.

A smile appeared on her face as she saw Daniel standing in front of her, all flustered and red in the face. She'd thought he'd gone home hours ago. Home to his loving wife and 2 kids. Sometimes it was a little too much to handle. He wasn't wearing his sgc clothes anymore and was wearing jeans and a rather nice leather jacket. But there was something else different about this Daniel, he looked worried.

"So, you've finally come around," she said, teasing him a little.

Daniel shook his head, in no mood to be teased.

"No. I'm looking for Shelley. Have you seen her?"

Vala turned her head, looking jokingly around her apartment.

"No, no botanists in here. Why?"

She saw the look on Daniel's face. Only ever seeing it a few times! Realising that he must be worried!

"It's almost 12am and she hasn't come home yet. I've tried her cell. Left her about 50 messages." Daniel said.

He stood in the hallway, scratching his head. Feeling panicked.

"Have you tried her lab?" Vala asked.

"Of course I have. It was the first place I looked. It was empty. After last year I thought she'd be okay..."

Vala was curious.

"Why'd you say that?" she asked.

Daniel didn't answer.

"I don't want to ask you this, but could you help me look for her?"

"Okay. Just give me 10 minutes,"

"10?"

"A girl has to make herself presentable, you know,"

Daniel was horrified by her selfishness. Could she possibly be any more self obsessed!

"I'm gonna go check her office again. Just... check the briefing room and the infirmary, just in case."

Vala nodded, watching as Daniel rushed down the hallway toward the elevator.

She hadn't seen him look so worried before. It was unusual for Shelley to be out for so long, without telling someone where she was going. And she would never worry Daniel. It definitely wasn't like her at all.

Vala roamed several levels of the base, opening rooms and closets, not being able to find the missing botanist. Bumping into Daniel after another 10 minutes, seeing the strain beginning to take its toll! The worry lines on his forehead, prominent. They parted company, Vala deciding to check the infirmary.

To the one side of the infirmary were the observation rooms. A perfect hiding place for someone who didn't want to be found! They weren't used, unless in an emergency.

Vala peered inside, looking around the room. Seeing a shadow on the floor in the far corner of the room!

"Shelley," Vala whispered.

The shadow raised its head, turning in the direction of the doorway.

"Yeah," a voice called back.

Vala entered the room, turning on a lamp on a nearby table. Shelley shielded her eyes for a moment, watching as Vala stood in front of her for a moment, then sat down besides her. But not before dusting off the floor with the palm of her hand.

"Daniel's looking for you!" she said.

"Yeah I know,"

Vala looked at the cell phone Shelley was holding in her hand. Noticing that it was ringing again!

"He's worried about you,"

Shelley nodded. She hadn't wanted to be away for so long, but the time had gotten away from her.

"He must be desperate if he asked me to help look for you,"

"He did,"

Maybe she shouldn't have told her that.

"It's almost 12.30am, you know," Vala said.

"I know. I...."

Vala looked at her more closely, seeing that her eyes were red and swollen.

"Are you okay, looks like you've been crying,"

"I...."

"Is there something wrong?"

Vala was all about the questions. There was definitely something wrong in Shelley's world.

"I've just been sitting here for hours, just feeling sorry for myself,"

"Why?"

"Do you know what today is?"

Vala shook her head. Thinking back to her earlier conversation, remembering him mention something about last year! Maybe it was something to do with that?

"No," she said.

"The anniversary of .....when Daniel ascended. 6 years ago today, in this very room." Shelley said, looking around the room.

"Oh."

Shelley looked up at the woman next to her, seeing the hair grips in her hair. Actually quite liking them. Trying to find anything to avoid this conversation! The tears began to form in her eyes again, desperately not wanting them to relent.

"He never let me see him, you know. He was so sick and he never left me see him," the redhead said. "I pleaded with him but.... I deserved that, didn't I?" she asked.

"I guess."

"I deserved to say goodbye. Instead I was turned away, by my own brother."

Finally the tears fell from Shelley's eyes, finding it hard to breath.

"I hated Daniel for that for so long. Why, why couldn't he have let me say goodbye."

"I don't know. Maybe he was trying to protect you from the pain."

"I just... I just wanted t be with him. I needed to be with him. After what we went thru to be together! Did he tell you that I was pregnant before we got married?" Shelley asked.

Vala nodded, remembering that Sam had mentioned it, briefly.

"I pushed him away after I lost it. I guess he was paying me back."

Vala shook her head. It didn't sound like the Daniel she knew and was sure that he would never do anything like that.

"I doubt that," she said. "You know as well as I do, that Daniel's not like that."

"Then why? Why did he force me to watch outside? Everyone else was in that room, apart from me. I'm his wife. Why wasn't it me?"

Shelley's head fell against Vala's shoulder. At first her first instinct was to pull away, but there was something about seeing her in this state that was comforting. Knowing that she wasn't perfect after all!

Vala turned, wrapping her arm around Shelley. The botanist sunk into the space, nuzzling against her chest, needing to be comforted, wanting to be comforted. Vala ran her hand down the redhead's back, also smoothing down her hair. This had never happened to her before. She was never the maternal type, until Adria. Even though that had worked out badly, she had still been her mother. And felt the same bond now, with Shelley.

"Daniel mentioned something about last year? What happened last year?"

Shelley pulled back, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I didn't speak to him for a week. I stayed in Minnesota with some friends. This is the first time in 6 years that I've been on base on the same day. I just couldn't... Every time I closed my eyes I just remember seeing him from outside in the hallway. The sound of the machine! That loud beeping! Then seeing that light floating to the ceiling. I've never felt so much pain."

Shelley let it all out, pouring out her heart to Vala. Letting herself being comforted by something who knew of the pain of losing someone the same way.

They sat talking for another half an hour. Vala noticing that Daniel was sitting outside in the hallway, listening. They'd never spoken about his ascension before. Shelley always changing the subject when he approached it! He never wanted to push her. Of course he felt guilty about not letting her say goodbye. But he couldn't bare her last memory of him seeing him in so much pain.

Vala had left them to talk, on the way home. It was now almost 2am. Sitting on the edge of the bed, combing her hair, again. It had been a strange few hours. Her conversation with Shelley had given her an insight into her relationship with Daniel. That it was as strong now as it had been 6 years ago, despite a few bumps along the way. They loved each other. Part of her was relieved. She knew that Daniel would never hurt his wife and that's why Vala respected him so much.

She pulled open the sheets on her bed, pulling them over body. Tomorrow, Vala knew that Shelley wouldn't say anything about their conversation and hostilities would probably continue as normal.