Vala clung to Daniel as if her life and sanity depended on the contact. Daniel briefly wondered if it did as he held her close. He could feel her trembling and hear her sniffling as her natural instinct to hide her true emotions began to take over, and he gave her a chaste kiss in her hair to reassure her. Cam reached over and took his gun from Daniel, quietly slipping it back into his holster.

Daniel loosened his grip on Vala and pulled back to look into her wet eyes. "Let's get you home, okay."

She smiled and nodded, wiping away the last of her tears with her sleeve, "That sounds nice." She started for the door and Daniel walked along side her, keeping his arm around her shoulders. "Wait, I have to go see Sal before we go back to Stargate Command. I have to let him know I'm alright."

Confused, Daniel turned to her, "We should really get you back to Stargate Command. We need to have Dr. Lam check you over and make sure you're okay."

"NO!" Vala stated, stamping her foot for emphasis. "He will be worried and I need to let know I'm alright."

Daniel raised his hands in resignation. "Fine, we'll go see this Sal guy. Who is he?" Daniel asked, his curiosity piqued, and Sam and Cam both thought they heard a touch of jealousy tinge his voice.

"Sal owns the diner I've been working at these past two weeks. He gave me a job and a place to stay, and didn't have me arrested when I attempted to walk out on my check. He'll want to know I've got my memory back and I've found my friends." She smiled at the thought of the chubby diner cook and his sincere concern for her well being. She had never known anyone like him, and she fully intended to remain friends with him and his family and repay him for his kindness.

Sam looked at her t-shirt with a raised eyebrow. "Sal owns Sol's Diner?"

"Yes he does," she answered, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and it was ridiculous to think of the place with any other name. "He's a lovely man, you'll like him."

Teal'c followed close behind as they all started for the door again, leaving the cleanup to the special squad that was arriving and filing into the building, "If we are going to a diner, will we be eating as well?"

XYZ

Vala ran into the small restaurant dragging Daniel by the hand with her. They were followed at a much slower pace by the rest of the team. "Sal? Sal, are you here?" she called looking around the dining room. The broken furniture had been cleaned up replaced by a table and chairs Sol had in the storeroom Vala had been staying in.

Sol looked up from his place behind the grill, smiling at the sound of her voice. "Val, you're back," he said, coming out of the kitchen as he wiped his hands off on his apron. "And you've made some friends." He reached out his still greasy hand and shook Daniel's.

Vala grinned. "Their actually old friends. I've got my memory back, or at least some of it. This is my boyfriend, Dr. Daniel Jackson."

"I'm not actually her bo…"

Vala cut Daniel off, "And this is Lt Col Samantha Carter, and Lt Col Cameron Mitchell, and this is Teal'c." She pointed to each one as she introduced them.

Sal reached out and shook each of their hands eagerly, "It's great to meet all of you. Val here has had a rough time of it these last couple of weeks, and it's good to know she has friends out there." He sighed and put his hands on his hips as he looked over the team. "Well, I think his calls for a celebration, why don't you folks have a seat and I'll grill up some burgers for you all."

"Actually," Daniel interrupted, "we really should be getting back to the base. I want to have the doctor take a look at your head."

Nodding in agreement, Sal took Vala's hand, "He's right. I've been trying to get her to a hospital since we met. See you should listen to old Sal, huh?"

"I guess I should," she said. "Before I go, I want to pay you back for all you've done for me."

He held up his hands to decline, "That won't be necessary, I'm just glad everything worked out for you."

Vala shook her head and produced a brown leather wallet from, seemingly, thin air, "No, I absolutely insist," she opened the wallet and pulled out a hundred and four twenties, everything in it. "This is for my Blue Plate Special and the table, and all the trouble I've caused you." Sal tried to refuse it, but Vala shoved the cash into his hands and closed his fingers around it.

"Alright," Sal gave in, tears in his eyes, "but I'll only take it if you promise to visit once in a while. The kids are gonna miss ya, and the dog isn't gonna have anyone to play fetch with if you don't."

Vala leant forward and kissed his round cheek, "You just try and stop me."

She embraced him one last time before turning to leave, then she turned, walking backwards, "Oh, and tell your wife that I'll teach her Texas Hold 'Em the next time I see her."

"You bet."

As they exited the diner Daniel plucked his wallet out of Vala's hand, "Thank you very much, you pick pocket. I was going to use that money to get you some clean clothes on the way back to the base."

Vala looked back at the diner, just a twinge of sadness tugging at her heart. "Oh, I'd say it was money well spent."