Disclaimer: As always, I own no part of Stargate SG1 or its characters.

Alright, I've been hemming and hawing over this chapter for the last two days, never quite satisfied with it, but I hope you enjoy it. Please, let me know what you think, whether it's junk or not. :)

Chapter 9

Things were strained and the air was filled with tension as Sam and Daniel sat in a sofa across from the loveseat that held Cam and Vala. A roaring fire Cam started in his fireplace burned brightly off to their side and his Christmas tree in the corner of the room was lit up with blinking lights, casting a festive glow that failed to match the atmosphere of hard feelings. Cam was beginning to think that getting everyone together to work out their feelings was going to be a marathon effort.

They ate dinner, which was no more than a pizza takeout from the only place open in town on Christmas night, with very little conversation. Vala picked at her toppings, not really eating, just staring into her paper plate. Every once in a while she would look up and shoot a glare towards Sam and Daniel and both of them knew that she was still royally upset and hurt, so they kept any touching between the two of them to a minimum.

Cam checked his watch for the tenth time. Where was Teal'c? He called over an hour ago to say he was on his way. He should have been there by now, then they could finally get started on what they really needed to do; talk to each other.

The silence was deafening and he could barely stand it. Getting SG1 back together had been the highlight of his career, but if things continued to be this way, he couldn't see the team lasting very long. He couldn't let that happen. He would do just about anything if it could to keep his 'band' together. He already made up his mind to ask Landry for a special dispensation for Sam and Daniel, but Vala was still an issue. He thought he had gotten through to her earlier on the planet, but her emotions were stilling running high and seeing the way she was acting tonight, he knew he had his work cut out for him.

Unable to take another second of the quiet, Mitchell cleared his throat and addressed everyone as he stood.

"Anyone want a drink? I've got beer."

"Uh, sure I'll take one." Sam said.

"Me too." Daniel added, though he wasn't much of a beer fanatic.

"Got anything stronger?" Vala asked.

"I do have a bottle of Irish cream I was going to give to my Uncle Ray, but seeing as how I'm going to miss him this year, I suppose I can share some with you, my dear."

He headed for the kitchen and grabbed the beers from the fridge and poured a glass of Irish cream for Vala. After passing out the drinks, Cam took a pull from his beer bottle while Vala downed her drink like a shot, making a face at it's milky texture. Sam sipped at her beer, but Daniel chug-a-lugged, nearly gagging on the taste, hoping the alcohol would help dull his senses some. After a few more minutes, the quiet was broken by a knock at the front door. Cam sighed in relief.

"Oh, good. That better be Teal'c" He hopped over to the door and opened it, allowing the large Jaffa to enter.

"Hey. Teal'c! Glad you made it."

"Good Christmas to you, ColonelMitchell." Teal'c bowed.

"Merry Christmas to you too, how's the family?" Teal'c entered, shaking snow from his shoulders.

"They are most well, thank-you. I must apologize for my tardiness, I was delayed by road conditions. I am afraid that driving has become quite treacherous. I would recommend that no one travel any further under these conditions. However, I have brought pie." Teal'c held up a bag and handed it to Mitchell

"Thanks, big guy." Mitchell opened the pastry box and smiled before walking and talking on his way to the kitchen to put it in the fridge. "Yeah, it was getting pretty bad earlier. Guess that means you're all stuck here tonight." Cam called back to the others. Sam and Daniel exchanged looks while Vala huffed. Teal'c walked in to the living area, removing his coat and hat , making a note of the distinct lack of joviality emanating from his teammates this Christmas night. He took a seat in an armchair and joined the non-action.

"What has transpired?" Teal'c asked of anyone who would answer.

"It's a long story." Daniel started. "But to make it short. Uh...." Daniel looked at Sam with a look that communicated all that Teal'c needed to assess the situation. "Sam and I ...we uh...."

"You are in love." He finished the sentence for him with one raised eyebrow being the only physical sign of his surprise.

"Yes." They both said together and grinned at each other. Vala rolled her eyes. Teal'c noted all of their reactions and looked back to Mitchell walking to the loveseat to have seat next to Vala.

"That's kinda why I wanted us all to get together tonight. Even though it's Christmas, we need to talk about this and what we're going to do about it as a team."

"Indeed. There is much to discuss."

"Hold that thought! I have an idea." Mitchell jumped up and ran down the hallway to his room. Moments later he came bounding back, in his hands a deflated blow-up toy.

"What's this?" Daniel asked slowly and suspiciously.

Mitchell held up his finger before he began to blow up the toy, turning red in the face as he inflated it.

"What is it?" Vala asked

"It's a blow-up baseball bat." Sam answered, eying Mitchell like he was touched.

"No, it's a talking stick." Cam started, trying to catch his breath and shake off the dizziness that the quick inflation had caused. He hoisted the yellow, plastic, air-filled bat, one that he one at a carnival years ago, and held it aloft for everyone to see.

"When I was a cub scout we used a talking stick whenever we had meetings. Now, whoever had the talking stick, had the floor and could speak their mind without anyone else interfering. So, that's what we'll do tonight; anyone who wants to speak, uses the bat....er, talking stick. Got it?"

Looks were exchanged across the room, most of them of incredulity directed towards him, but he ignored them for the most part.

"Okay....I'll start." He cleared his throat. "I just want you all to know that since I joined the team, I've had more adventures, excitement, scary moments, near-death experiences and fun than I think I have had in all of the years before and I've come to think of y'all as family. With that being said, I think the time has come for us all to talk about the future of our team and where we go from here. I'm determined to see that we stick together-we're a team and we're a pretty damn good one, but things as they are, can't stand and none of are leaving until we get things straightened out."

"Mitchell...." Daniel started, before Cam could start speaking again, but was cut off by a whack across the head from the plastic bat in Cam's hands.

"Ow-what was that for?"

"Sorry, I forgot to mention that anyone who interrupts the person with the talking stick gets whumped."

"Funny, I don't think cub scouts were allowed to hit each other." Daniel complained, but was cut short again by another blow from the toy.

"Okay! Shutting up."

"Good...As I was saying. We need to talk." He held the bat out. "Anyone who wants to talk, just grab the stick and we'll listen."

For a moment everyone was silent and no one moved.

"C'mon...." Cam waggled the bat. Vala then grabbed it from his hands.

"Alright. I've got a few things I would like to say. I think you all know why I joined SG1 and was ever allowed to be a part of the team. It's no secret that the SGC only wanted me because I was Adria's incubator for the Ori and had a connection with her. But now that she's gone and the Ori are defeated and the Goa'uld aren't much of a threat anymore, I'm not sure why I'm still here. I've been doing a lot of thinking and I'm wondering if it might be time for me to move on....."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow, Sam gasped a little, Mitchell shot her a surprised look while Daniel just got angry.

"Vala, don't be stupid..." Daniel shot out and stood. Vala was up quickly, hitting him over the head with the bat just as Mitchell had done earlier.

"Don't interrupt the talking stick, Daniel." In retaliation he snatched the bat out of her hands.

"Fine, Gimme that thing." He whirled on her, pointing the toy in her direction.

"Are you crazy, Vala?" He nearly shouted, taking everyone by surprise. "Do you really think that the SCG, General Landry, Mitchell, and the rest of us only wanted you on the team because we needed you to get to Adria? It's so stupid, I can barely wrap my head around it! You proved yourself, you changed and you earned your place here. I think we all know the real reason you want to run....." He trailed off and looked back to Sam, softening his voice and turning back to Vala with a heavy sigh.

"I know that seeing Sam and I together must have hurt you and I'm truly, very sorry, but running doesn't solve anything, it just leaves hurt feelings and friends behind. You were right earlier, I am a hypocrite. I told you repeatedly that I didn't want to be more than friends with you because we were teammates, and now I want so much to be more than teammates with Sam. It was an excuse and a cowardly way to avoid you, but I just can't help the way I feel about Sam. I didn't want to hurt you, but I did anyway and I'm sorry. I sorry too that you thought that we could be more than just friends but that's all I ever really wanted to be.....and you are one of my best friends, Vala and I hope always will be. I care about you...I really do. But I'm in love with Sam and we nearly lost our friendship because of things left unsaid, but I don't want to lose your friendship over this and most of all I don't want you to go. If anyone had to go because we find out we can't work together anymore, it's going to be me..." He handed the bat back to Mitchell and sat back down next to Sam, who took his hand as he bowed his head and looked to the floor.

"Okay. This has to stop. No one is leaving. Got it?, No one. We're going to work this out. all of us." Mitchell told the quieted group. Sam got up and took the bat from Mitchell.

"I've got something I want to say." She looked to Daniel before turning to Vala. "I've run away before Vala, and Daniel's right, it doesn't solve problems, it only creates new ones. I want to apologize to you, too. I have to admit to being pretty jealous of the friendship you and Daniel have and because of that, I haven't been as good of a friend as I should have been to you. I've never had a sister and friendships with other women have been few and far between for me, but it doesn't have to be that way anymore." Sam was near tears as she spoke. "I love Daniel, but I don't want to be the one that keeps you two from being friends and I especially don't want to be the one that's responsible for breaking up our team again, so you need to stay Vala. Daniel's right, you earned your place here and you're our family." Having said her peace, Sam cleared her throat to hold the tears back as she handed the bat back to Mitchell.

"Teal'c, you have anything to add?" Mitchell asked.

"Indeed." Teal'c reached over and took the bat and faced Daniel and Sam.

"DanielJackson and ColonelCarter, while I am still surprised to learn of this new development in your relationship, it is not unwelcome news and I celebrate with you in your new found happiness. I have been aware of the distance between the both of you that has grown over the years and it is good to see the gap closed once again I had always hoped that you would both find some measure of joy in your lives, especially considering the fact that the last few years have been so challenging." He turned to Vala and addressed her next.

"As for you, Vala Mal Doran, I too believe you to be in error in believing that you are not needed on SG1, you have always been and always will be a valued member of our team. I too know how it feels to be an alien on a strange world millions of miles from home. While I have missed my family on Chulak greatly, I have nonetheless come to realize how strong the bonds of friendship can bind people as close as blood. You are included in those bonds, ValaMalDoran as much as everyone else in this room is and I would be remiss if you were not aware of this."

Vala was beginning to show signs of crumbling before she flung herself in Teal'c's direction and smothered him in a giant bear hug.

"Thank-You, Muscles. You know I love you, right?" She spoke into his ear for just him to hear. He patted her back affectionately with the slightest hint of a smile curling up around the corners of his mouth. Eventually she pulled herself off, but decided to perch herself on his lap, Teal'c offered no resistance to the close contact as Vala turned to face the rest of the team before taking the bat from Teal'c hands.

"Alright, my turn. ...." She paused and looked down at her hands before quickly swiping at an errant tear and thinking of what to say.

"I never really had family gatherings like this Christmas thing you all celebrate and I never really knew how important it was to be.... needed. In the past it was just so much easier to go it alone rather than get too involved with people, especially when you work as a con artist. So, it's been challenging, to say the least, to learn how to trust. There have been many times when I questioned why anyone would trust me as well. Perhaps that's why I thought it would be so much easier to just leave."

"Vala, c'mon...." She swiftly got up and knocked him over the head with the bat again.

"Quit interrupting, Daniel. I was going to say that I spoke too soon earlier, that I was just letting off a little smoke."

"Steam." Daniel corrected. She threatened him with the bat again and he held up his hands in defense, grinning despite himself. She smiled and backed off before speaking again.

"Anyway, I know that families don't always get along, believe me; you've all met my father.... but I had my eyes opened by each of you tonight and have come see just how wrong I was and how much I need each of you; how we all need each other. Daniel, you were the first person to show any kind of real faith in me and I suppose I took that to mean more than just friendship, but it was only your way of being a good friend by supporting me. And Sam, I too never had a sister, but you're as close to one as I could ever hope for and I'm on my way to being happy for you two; just give me a little while to adjust and I'll survive. Now, you two go and have babies and stuff." She took a deep breath and faced Cam, her eyes relaying gratitude.

"Thanks, Mitchell...for everything. What more do I need to say?" She placed the toy bat on the coffee table in front of her and clapped her hands, slipping easily into a mischievious smile. "Well, now that all of the sappy stuff is out of the way and the future of our team appears to be secure.... didn't someone say we had pie?"

To Be Continued......