Sam, Vala, and Teyla rounded the corner and walked towards the Dillard's store. All three of them carried a Victoria's Secret bag. Teyla carried a second bag from another store where she had bought a few pairs of jeans and some shirts to wear while on Earth.

"This store has some nice stuff and pretty decent prices." Sam dropped the to-go cup from the cafeteria into a trashcan as they walked into the store. They followed Sam to the formal wear section between the woman's suits and the juniors sections of the store.

An older woman, the saleslady, approached them from the register.

"Can I help you ladies?" she asked.

"We're looking for formal gowns for a Christmas dinner," answered Vala, grinning from ear to ear.

"Cutting it a little close to the wire aren't we ladies?" The older woman chided.

"Our occupations require a great deal of our time," Teyla commented.

"Well, I know how that can be," the saleslady said as she steered them away from the leftover, frilly homecoming gowns and towards the more adult gowns. "These should fit the occasion. If you need anything, I'll be right over there."

"Thank you," Sam nodded as the woman walked away.

The three began to look through the racks. Vala pulled out an ivory gown, shook her head, and put it back. Not my style. She kept looking through the racks searching for the perfect gown.

Sam pushed some gowns aside to look at a red gown, found her size, and pulled it out to try on. She also grabbed a dark green gown she thought looked festive, a white gown, and the ivory one Vala had first picked out.

Teyla spotted a blue gown with rhinestone accents, and decided to try it on. The style reminded her of an Athosian dress. She then found a deep royal purple gown in a vintage Earth style with a small train and selected it.

"Well, I don't see anything I like." Vala placed her hands on her hips, frowning at the selection.

"Come on Vala, you didn't even look that hard," Sam accused. "What about this one?" She held up a black strapless gown.

"I believe it is lovely," Teyla commented.

"It is more my style." Vala grinned.

"Try it on then."

After a few more minutes of looking, and finding some more things they liked, they went to the fitting room to try their selections on.

Teyla exited the small cubby first to look at herself in the mirror. She had a purple satin gown with a low neckline and a slit up the side to the thigh. Sam was next in the ivory gown Vala had rejected.

The saleslady walked over to them smiling. "You ladies look beautiful. Someone is going to be very impressed when they see you."

"I have never worn something like this before," Teyla said, awed at her appearance in the mirror.

"Colonel Sheppard will definitely be impressed." Vala stepped out of her own cubby and looked at Sam and Teyla before looking at herself in the mirror. "Hmm, nice," she commented about her own appearance.

"Is Colonel Sheppard your boyfriend?" the saleslady asked from the corner.

"Yes, we work together."

"Ah, I met my husband at work. Sometimes those kind of relationships can be hard to work out."

Sam nodded. She knew very well that it was hard to have a relationship with a co-worker, especially when the military regulations forbid it. "I think you should try the blue one. It matches your skin tones and your eyes better."

They retreated back into their cubbyholes and changed. Vala stepped out wearing the purple gown Teyla had just worn while Teyla wore the blue one she first picked up and Sam wore the deep green 'festive' one she had picked out.

"Ah god, it looks like I made my gown from my green BDU's!" Sam said, cringing visibly in the mirror.

"You're right," Vala agreed. "And this color does nothing for me either."

Sam turned around to look at her companions and her jaw dropped. "Oh My God! Teyla, you look exquisite. That dress is absolutely perfect. It reminds me of the sea," Sam closed her mouth.

"Wow," was all Vala could say.

"Judging by their reaction, I'd say that's it for you my dear." The saleslady said with a smile.

Teyla just smiled and Vala and Sam changed again while Teyla put her clothes back on. Vala walked out wearing the black gown Sam had picked out for her and Sam with another white one.

"Now this is more like it!" Vala said triumphantly as she examined the dress in the mirror.

Sam nodded her agreement, and then turned to look at herself in the mirror. "I don't know," She frowned.

"I don't see why you're having a problem, it's not like you have a date to this party," Vala commented from her dressing room cubby. "Unless, what Daniel said about you and General O'Neill is true."

"What exactly did Daniel say?" Sam curiously asked.

Teyla stood off to the side; she wasn't about to get involved in this little 'skirmish' between her friends.

"That you and the General have always been rather close," she opened the door and stepped out. "He said that if it wasn't for the military regulations the two of you would have hooked up long ago."

"Vala, Ja—General O'Neill and I have a strictly working relationship, we always have. He's my commanding officer anything else would be risking a court martial."

"Then why did you just almost call him Jack?" Vala teased. Teyla raised her eyebrows at Sam with a smile.

After trying on a few more dresses and very little further discussion Sam settled on the first dress she picked off the rack, a red satin backless gown with a slight train and velvet trim. They paid for the gowns and walked back into the mall.

XXX

John, Cameron, Daniel, Ronan, Rodney, Teal'c, and Radek walked into the Litman's jewelry store in the mall.

"Can I help you?" A man with a southern accent asked.

"Um yeah, I'm looking for an engagement ring." John announced.

"Ah, well we have some beautiful engagement rings over here," he directed them to a case filled with diamond rings of different sizes. They were split up along the length of the case looking at the different selections.

"What about this one?" Ronan pointed to a small half-carat diamond on a silver band.

John walked over and looked at it. "It's nice."

"No, it's too small. That's more like something you'd give a girl for her sweet sixteen not when you're going to ask her to spend the rest of her life with you!" Rodney commented from over John's shoulder. He took a few steps and pointed to a much larger ring, "This is more like it."

"Rodney, I don't think he's trying to impress her with how much money he has. Keep in mind, this is Teyla," Radek dismissed the ring. "Besides, what would you know about giving a girl a ring for her sixteenth birthday?"

"I agree with Ronan and Radek." Cameron said with a shrug from the door. "You don't want something too small or too big,"

"Teyla is the leader of her people. And from the few times I've talked with her I don't think material objects mean that much to her," Daniel began to explain. "Something big might even offend her."

"I am inclined to agree with Dr. Jackson and Col. Mitchell," Teal'c bowed his head.

John sighed, suddenly regretting bringing the entire gang along, "What do you have that is about one to one and a half carat's with a plain band?"

"These should be what you are asking for," the salesman led them to a corner of the display case.

John and the others looked the rings over briefly, "That one," he pointed to a small one and a half carat diamond on a white gold band.

"Nice," Cameron smiled. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

After examining it closer. "I'll take it."

"And I would like to buy that necklace," Daniel pointed to a silver chain necklace with a circular diamond pendant.

"Is that for Vala Mal Duran?" Teal'c asked.

Daniel didn't answer and the salesman helped him purchase it.

"What is it with you guys? I mean I can see Teal'c or Ronan falling for one them, but come on? They aren't even from 'around here'," Cameron protested, laughing hysterically.

"The heart wants what the heart wants," Radek pushed his glasses up on his nose again and smiled.

Cameron just shook his head as they left the store.

XXX

As they were leaving Dillard's the girls ran into the guys.

"Good afternoon ladies!"

"Gentlemen," Sam looked at the small bags Daniel and John were carrying and smiled, "shopping for us?"

"I am not at liberty to discuss such information," Teal'c bowed.

"Well, then I guess we should be going," Vala noticed the small bags and smiled as well.

"Yes, we have a salon appointment," Sam said. They waved goodbye and turned, walking in the opposite direction. When they were out of ear shot Sam turned to her companions.

"Did you see the shopping bags Daniel and John had from the jewelry store?"

"Of course I did. I love jewelry!" Vala was grinning fiercely again.

"I do not believe that I understand," Teyla said confused.

"Men tend to give woman fancy jewelry for Christmas, it's sort of a tradition," Sam was grinning as well.

"But I have no occasion to wear it on Atlantis."

"That's the point! You're not supposed to have an occasion to wear it," Vala put out her hand showing a ring that had been her mother's and Sam and Teyla laughed as they left the mall.