"Her garden was the best in the village," Vala reminisced. "I always wanted to help, but I am rubbish at gardening. I killed any plant she let me touch. She kept letting me try, though."

"Do you look like her?" Daniel asked. They were sitting at the kitchen table, as they had been for the last two hours.

Vala nibbled at her toast thoughtfully. "I can't remember. It was so long ago and I was so young. I suppose I must."

"You don't have any pictures?"

"I wasn't allowed to take anything with me when I left," she shook her head. Daniel saw the pain in her eyes and knew better than to ask the questions that were burning a hole in his tongue.

"I didn't have anything from my parents when I got put into foster care," he offered. "I forgot what they looked like, too."

"You have all this," Vala looked at the journals, the photos scattered over the table.

"Nick had it all. I found this stuff cleaning out his storage unit after he left. But before that… I can't really describe it…"

"You had memories of them, but you couldn't remember them." She perfectly put into words what the professional linguist had struggled to express. "Their faces were blotted out as if the sun were in your eyes every time you looked at them."

"Exactly." He was giving her that look, the one where he saw the version of her only he could see. The one that made her melt a little inside.

"I can picture everything perfectly, the garden, our house, the shawl she let me sleep with when I had nightmares, even the pattern etched on her bracelet. But no matter how hard I try, I can't remember her face."

"I'm sorry." Daniel didn't know what else to say.

"I don't know why I'm telling you all this," Vala laughed nervously, a fidgeted with her hair. The look was getting to her more than usual.

"It's probably the fever talking," he offered her a quick excuse. He reached over and cupped her cheek gently, only partly to check her temperature. "I think it's gone down."

She put her hand over his, and smiled. "Thank you for everything."

"I'm just glad you're getting better," he smiled back.

They sat there staring into each other's eyes and Daniel's hand slid back into her hair, smoothing back her bedhead.

"I must look terrible," she mumbled.

"You look beautiful," he whispered.

"I couldn't possibly." Despite her desire to see how this all played out, she pulled away from the looming embrace.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" he shook out of it, his hand dropping away.

"Would it be alright if I cleaned up a bit? Can I use your shower?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll get you some clean towels." Daniel got up from the table and Vala watched him mess around in the hall closet. His shoulders were slightly slumped and he was mumbling to himself, shaking his head. "I have some of Sam's smelly-girly stuff if you want." He said suddenly, holding out a couple pastel colored bottles with flowers on the labels.

"Should I be jealous?" she asked with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

"Insanely. I think these are a holdover from my old place. I brought them here when I moved. I may have moved them twice come to think of it." He frowned down at the bottles. "Do you want them?"

"Sure." Vala got up and took the towels and bottles from him on her way to the bathroom. "No peaking."

Daniel rolled his eyes and didn't answer.

She closed the bathroom door behind her. She'd spent her time in the room before, but had been otherwise occupied and had not properly looked around. It was the only non-cluttered room in the house it seemed. There was nothing on the walls and the rug didn't match the shower curtain, and neither matched the towels he had handed her. It seemed everything had been purchased separately with no regard for what was already in place. The only consideration had been practical purpose.

She pulled back the curtain and started the water. The shower was suspiciously cluttered with products. It seemed Daniel had a secret vain side. She picked up a bottle of body wash, popped the top, and took a sniff. The source of that sweet musk that lingered in his wake wasn't as natural as she had hoped. Didn't matter, at least he had good taste.

She put her borrowed things in the corner and turned the water up full blast. The hot water was exactly what she needed. She shamelessly extinguished the supply, letting it sooth her aching muscles and encourage the fluid from her lungs. At one point she sat on the floor and just let the water rain down as she leaned against the back wall of the shower. As the hot water began to run out she helped herself to Sam's bath products and with her newly cleared nasal passages she was able to fully appreciate the gesture.

She felt herself again when she emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a big fluffy towel, her hair wrapped in a second one turban-style.

"I don't think we quite thought this one through," she said looking at Daniel from the hallway.

He glanced up from his computer, jumped and did a double take. He rushed to get up, nearly knocking his chair over, and hurried to the living area. "Sam dropped this off." Daniel grabbed the bag that had been delivered nearly three days earlier. "It should be everything." He handed it over to her, hesitant to look at her for too long or get too close.

Vala made sure to give him her most sultry smile when he did dare to glance up from his own shoes. He blushed and stepped away the moment she took the bag. He mumbled something incoherent and went back to his computer.

"Really, darling, no need to…"

"Just get dressed," he quickly interrupted, suspiciously not looking up when he snapped at her.

Just in case he did look up, Vala let her hips swing a bit more than usual as she retreated into his bedroom. Sam really had thought of everything. Once dressed, Vala took the little toiletry kit to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. She applied a bit of lip gloss, combed and braided her hair, and gave herself a quick glance-over in the mirror. Sam had packed her favorite night shirt and shorts. It was an old Hockey jersey she had appropriated somehow that hung off one shoulder, but kept her cozy and comfy. Cotton track shorts provided modesty, but plenty of leg. She'd attracted more than a few looks when wandering the base at night. It always gave her a giggle to see the young Airmen's faces when they unexpectedly ran into her in the hallways.

As she padded out into the kitchen, barefoot, Daniel had another double-take reaction. This time, though, he didn't avert his eyes. Instead he smiled.

"You and Teal'c watch hockey together?" he asked.

"What?" That was not what she had been expecting.

"That's his team," Daniel gestured to the logo on the jersey. "I think… I don't really pay attention to hockey."

"Do you pay attention to any sports?"

"Jack and I have running bets on curling," he shrugged. She frowned at him. "It's a sport!" he defended.

"What are you working on?" she asked, since he was back at the computer and leafing through journals.

"It's about my parents," Daniel admitted hesitantly. "I was contacted by a publisher. They're putting together a series of biographies and, uh, well they wanted one on Nick and then it kind of spiraled and now I'm writing biographies on him and my parents."

"You're writing a book?" she sat back down.

"Two."

"How long have you been working on them?"

"About six months."

"You haven't told anyone." Vala tread carefully. She could almost see the walls going up.

"I didn't want the questions."

"Why have you told me? All I do is ask you questions."

"I don't know. You…" he thought over his answer. "You understand. Most people don't know what it's like to grow up without your parents, to barely have memories of them. You're different. You get it. You're like me."

"Except no one wants to read a book about my mother."

"I would."

Vala laughed off his earnestness. "You'd read a book about anything."

Daniel laughed, too. "A valid point." He saved his document and snapped the laptop shut. "So, you're feeling better. What would you like to do? You've got your books. Or, we can watch TV. I could go to the library and get us some movies. What sounds good?"