Author's Notes: Vala's not talking to Cam. She confides in Daniel, whilst at the same time, Cam confides in Sam and Teal'c. Sam enlists Daniel's diplomatic expertise. Features a little PhD style flirting and ego-stroking.

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Daniel walked into his office, and was immediately leapt onto by Vala, much to his surprise. He tried to gently push her away, but she clung around his neck regardless. He said quietly,

"Vala, let go of me."

She buried her face into the crook of his neck, and said in a quivering voice,

"It was awful, Daniel!"

He frowned at her slightly and asked, "What? What happened?"

"He chose a fair maiden over me!"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked, "Are you saying that Mitchell dumped you?"

She shook her head, her face still buried, and she replied, talking fast, "I was the one who called it off. Oh it was absolutely terrible! We were at the school and he was practically drooling on seeing that woman. I tried to be cool, calm and collected about it, but I lost it in the car ride back."

He instantly thought of the name 'Amy Vandenberg'. With great difficulty, he prised her off him and asked, "How serious were you before the trip?"

She remarked with a puzzled expression, "If by close you mean whether we got into each other's pants or not, then I suppose the answer would be... no, although he did beg me on several occasions."

He shook his head in disbelief and said, "Vala..."

Her gaze fell to the floor as she replied quietly, "Ok, that's a lie."

She looked up at him and asked with a worried expression, "Am I that unattractive, Daniel, that a man wouldn't want to touch me?"

He replied, "I'm not defending Mitchell, but the man has some issues he needs to work through. That whole Amy Vandenberg thing has been simmering for years. To be honest, I don't see how he could do such a thing to you."

She clung onto him as he frowned again, and she whispered, "I just want things to be like they were before."

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In the Commissary, Sam and Teal'c sat with a very depressed Cam, who had his head cushioned on his folded arms. Sam rubbed Cam's back as he narrated the events that had led to him and Vala splitting up.

Teal'c said with a grim expression, "It is a wonder that you are still alive, or unscathed at the very least."

Cam groaned audibly and said, "I was an idiot - it would've been better if she had killed me."

Sam remarked, "How could you take her as your date, and then cheat on her?!"

"As soon as I saw Amy, it was like I was sixteen again, and stupider than a rattlesnake on heat."

Sam said quietly, "You need to apologise to her... and by that, I mean grovel. If you don't clear the air, this is going to spill over into a mission, and that's going to be very bad."

Teal'c remarked, "Indeed... if you do not, all of our lives will be at risk."

Cam groaned again, saying, "I know... the band's gonna be split eight ways from Sunday if I don't sort this out! She doesn't want anything to do with me though."

Sam replied, "Well, her and Daniel are pretty close. I could get him to talk to her for you."

He peeked up at her and replied with a relieved expression,

"Thanks Sam."

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Daniel stormed off to find Cam, but Sam found the Archaeologist first. She intercepted him in the corridor, and wordlessly dragged him off to her lab, where she locked the door behind them. He said, annoyed,

"Sam? I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood right now. I was just going to have a word with Mitchell."

She rolled her eyes and said, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. He's an idiot, I'll give you that, but he's sorry and Vala won't talk to him. He wants to apologise to her, and I don't think knocking his lights out is going to help matters."

Calmed down, he remarked with a smile, "You thought I was going to hit him?"

She retorted with a grin, "The way you were going, I wouldn't be surprised if you took his head off."

She continued soberly, "Could you have a word with Vala for him? You're really good at diplomacy."

He ducked his head briefly in embarrassment, before remarking, "You sure know how to make an Archaeologist feel good."

She retorted before kissing him, "Well, I've had ten years to get it right."