A/N: I own nothing and all mistakes are mine. Enjoy, and please review.

Spoilers: Family Ties

Paring: Cam/Vala

Vala Mal Doran sighed and looked up at the stars above her. They shone brightly, like glitter on black paper. Her thoughts drifted to her father. She wondered when he was. He could be anywhere, drifting through space alone.

She had emptied her jewellery box earlier that night, reliving forgotten memories as she looked though all of the accessories. She had one of the necklaces he had given her around her neck. It was a rare stone found only in the mountains of the planet Tirinus. Jasec had pretended it was worthless and had ripped the guy off. Vala smiled and fingered the electric blue jewel.

She knew she shouldn't be feeling this way. She had never been particularly close to or fond of her father; but that's who he was, the man who had a hand in creating her. She thought about something Sam had once said to her.

"Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad," she had said.

Vala thought about Sam's words. Jasec had tried to be a dad to her, but she had pushed him away, not wanting to trust him.

She heard the door open behind her, but didn't bother to turn around. People knew not to disturb her, whoever it was would probably go away.

Except they didn't. Cameron Mitchell walked up next to Vala, not saying anything, just looking ahead.

"You OK?" he asked after a while.

She nodded.

"Want to talk about it?"

"I'm fine, Cam. Really," she said, looking up at him.

He put his hand over hers, grinning and looking at the night sky. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Vala smiled. "The stars on Earth look a lot different than the ones on my home planet."

"What's your home planet like? I don't think you've ever mentioned it before."

She looked down and watched him entwine their fingers. "Not a lot to say really. It's a lot like this one. Except it's fifty percent land fifty percent water."

He nodded. "Sounds nice. Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes. But I'm really beginning to feel like I belong here."

"You do belong here," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. "I'm glad you joined SG-1."

"Me to."

Cameron smiled and looked at his watch. Most of the staff would be going home for the night. "Do you want to dance?"

She looked confused. "But there's no music."

He shrugged as if to say 'so?' "You don't need music to dance."

"Can you dance?" she teased.

"You'll see."

He wrapped his arms around her and began to sway. Vala rested her head on his chest, enjoying the human contact. There were times when she felt desperately alone. Trapped on an alien world where everyone knew each other and knew where their place was.

After a few minutes she got into it and forgot about the silence that surrounded them.

A while later she moved her hands lower until they rested on the small of his back. "Cam," she said, looking into his swimming pool blue eyes. She tilted her head and closed her eyes as she pressed her lips against his.

Cameron started to kiss her back but then pulled away. He took a moment to study her expression before asking, "But what about Jackson?"

"What about Daniel?"

He averted her gaze, not wanting to appear jealous. "I thought you liked him. Like liked him."

She shrugged. "It never would have worked out between us. He's made it clear that he doesn't want to be more than friends and I would hate to lose that. I realised it was pointless chasing after someone who doesn't return my affection."

"I will," he smiled, leaning closer to her. "I do. Ever since I first met you."

Vala wrapped her arms around his neck and the two kissed again.

"We're having a team movie night in a few minutes. Carter's place. You coming?" asked Cam once they came up for breath.

"What are we watching?"

"Sleepless in Seattle. You seen it?"

She shook her head.

"I think you'll like it," he said, giving her a flirtatious look. He held out his arm and they walked down to the parking lot.

Cam held the door open for her and then got in himself. He started the engine and turned to Vala. "Do you know how to drive?"

She shook her head. "No, Daniel refused to teach me. He said he was scared at the thought of me behind the wheel and then mumbled something about women drivers."

He smiled and nodded. "I'll have to show you sometime," he said as he drove towards Sam's house. He made a mental note to check the insurance.