Daniel followed Cam out of Landry's office following a less than pleasant meeting with Merek where they were informed that the mission to the Ori galaxy was only approved now that the IOA had signed off on it. Also, Merek would be overseeing the mission. The two men left the briefing room in a frustrated silence, both contemplating what having Merek aboard the Odyssey would entail, the Colonel wondering further whether anyone would notice if he shot the IOA representative. Daniel smirked briefly as he glanced at Cam, knowing that the Colonel would take Landry up on his barely-veiled suggestion that he, as temporary commander of the Odyssey, could make a decision as to what to do with Merek aboard the Odyssey, i.e. confining him to quarters to limit the representative's interference in the mission, for the sake of everyone's sanity and self-esteem.

Out in the corridor, Daniel watched Cam, his face disturbingly neutral, and the Archaeologist said in a conciliatory tone, falling in step with the Colonel, "Hey, at least you get to sit in the chair."

Cam chuckled humourlessly. "Sam's going to be pointing and laughing at me forever."

Daniel smiled briefly in amusement, glancing at him. "I just think it's laughable that you two are scared of a chair."

Cam rolled his eyes and glared at Daniel. "Says you... you've sat in it twice already. Some of us just aren't that power mad. Even Landry felt uncomfortable in it."

Daniel made a noise of disbelief. "Power mad? The first time, your fiancée had stolen the Prometheus... and then the second time, I was a freaking Prior. Both times it was for the greater good."

Cam sighed as he focussed on where they were walking as he remembered hearing from Teal'c that Vala couldn't bear to watch Tomin's interrogation by Merek. Daniel said, glancing at him again and knowing the turn his thoughts had taken,

"Mitchell... they have a history, you know that."

Cam, looking furious, remarked, "Yeah, when's the last time Vala got upset about stuff happening to me? I thought she was happy with me."

Daniel snorted derisively, and when the Colonel glared at him, he shook his head and said, "Sorry. Couldn't help it. That sounded childish." He looked at Cam. "Look, knowing someone's a good person is not in the same field as wanting to, uh, get with them."

The Colonel sounded even more frustrated. "Yeah, but she was... hell, she still is married to the person she knows is a good person."

"Mitchell, at least talk to Vala instead of jumping to all sorts of conclusions."

Cam shook his head, saying quietly. "No. I've got to be focussed... I'll talk to her when I calm down otherwise it'll come to blows... and not the good kind."

Daniel cleared his throat in embarrassment at the Colonel's use of innuendo, and Cam, now looking mildly amused, asked, "Hey, you made up with Sam yet? She doesn't look like she wants to kill you yet, but here's hoping O'Neill will do it when he comes back from Atlantis."

Daniel shot him a nasty look. "We're good. Went to see her before Vala and I talked to Tomin about the Ark."

Cam bobbed his head, looking philosophical and a little more relaxed, his hands in his pockets. "Another mission, huh? And not just that... we get to go to another galaxy." He looked at the Archaeologist teasingly. "You sure know how to dodge weddings in style. Other guys just run away on the big day. You just have to go one up, don't you?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Vala sat alone in the middle of her bed in her on-base quarters, reading a book, her mind far from what she was reading. Eventually, she looked up at the ceiling, her eyes filling with tears. It had been great, despite the situation, to see Tomin again, but how would she tell him that she was marrying someone else? She couldn't bring herself to do it earlier despite sensing that Tomin already knew that she and Cameron were an item at least. He was already shocked on discovering not only that he had been worshipping false gods, but that those false gods were quite possibly dead.

On top of that, James Merek of the IOA had treated him as though he had had a choice when he had been responsible for all those deaths while in service of the Ori. She knew Tomin... he was a good person. He didn't have a choice. Had he had the choice, he wouldn't have killed. The Ori had made him do things that were against who he was.

Why hadn't Merek picked on Teal'c?

She sniffed and then began to sob, feeling utterly helpless as she felt Cameron drifting away from her, no doubt out of jealousy and bitterness. She had the support of Daniel, Sam and Teal'c, she knew, but that wasn't enough. The one person from whom she needed support, and who have been supporting her, was angry and hadn't said more than two words to her since they had returned from Dakara.

Closing the book, she put it down on the bed and held a pillow in her arms, still crying as she buried her face in it. She squeezed it tight, feeling anguished at the situation, wanting Cameron to be there instead of taking things the wrong way. She wanted to tell him that Tomin's return hadn't changed anything as far as she was concerned.

She looked up at the door, startled, when she heard a knocking, and she quickly dried her eyes, putting her pillow back as she picked up her book again, calling in a strained voice, "Yes?"

The door slowly opened and she blinked in surprise when Cameron peeked into the room. She took one look at him before turning away from him, grabbing her pillow again, her back to him. "What do you want?"

The Colonel quietly closed the door and, worried, sat down next to her. He took the pillow from her, putting it on the bed behind them, and he wrapped his arms around her. She eventually relented, her head resting against his chest, her eyes moist. Nothing was said for a few minutes, and then Cam said as he looked down at her, his arm now around her shoulders as she leaned against him,

"Hey. I'm sorry. I acted like a shit-head earlier."

She sighed and then sat up, looking at him, her eyes red-rimmed. "Cameron. Don't you trust me?"

"That isn't the question here."

"Then, what is? Do you even want to marry me? You hate Tomin? You're jealous?"

He closed his eyes, exhaling as he looked at the ceiling as he faced his own feelings for once. He then said as she looked up at him defiantly, the Colonel seeing the fear in her eyes all the same,

"Ok..." He gently kissed her on the temple. "... yes, yes, and yes." He touched her cheek as she looked confused for the briefest of moments. "I'm sorry. I fucked up. But I know how he feels about you. And, if it makes you happy, I don't like him but I don't hate him, 'cos sometimes I see what you see. I'm just gonna need some time to get things straight in my head." He met her gaze, looking worried. "We're still good, right?"

She finally smiled, holding up her left hand, and he smiled too on seeing the ruby on her ring catching the light. "I'd say we are."

"Good."

He slowly lowered his lips to hers, kissing her softly as she held onto him, his fingers caressing her jaw. He then said, smiling briefly, "I get to sit in the chair."

She raised an eyebrow. "The chair?"

"The commander's chair."

Her eyes widened in surprise and she then said with an encouraging smile, "That's good... isn't it?"

He shrugged, remembering going to see Sam prior to venturing to his fiancée's quarters. "Sam laughed at me when she found out."

She shot him a look. "It's just a chair, Cameron."

He glared back at her. "It's not just a chair. Do you know how big a step it is to be there? Even Landry looks uncomfortable sitting in it."

"So, has General Landry given you command of the ship for the mission?"

He nodded, and she said with a shrug, "It's good. It's going to look good in the future too if you don't screw up." She raised an eyebrow at him teasingly when she said the last few words, remembering how he had said something similar to her when she had first been officially designated as an SG-1 member. He rolled his eyes and then asked, holding the hand that she had rested on his thigh,

"So... what's up?"

She shrugged again and then said quietly, looking down at the floor, "I didn't like Mr Merek talking to Tomin like that. He had no right to. Tomin's a good man. He only did those things because he had no other choice." Looking sad, she rested her head on his shoulder, and he sighed, quietly frustrated.

"I know. We're all pissed about it, but we've got no choice. We've got to bring him along on the mission."

She quickly straightened up, looking hostile as he quickly removed his arm from around her in case it got ripped off judging by the look on her face. "You're joking?"

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. But..." He looked at her meaningfully. "... being commander has its perks. For the duration of the mission, that ship belongs to me, and he's not gonna be leaving his quarters... in one piece at least."

She said purposefully, standing up and getting ready to leave the room, "He won't leave here in one piece."

He rolled his eyes and stood up, pushing her down to sit on the bed again. He sat down next to her. "No. I know it's tempting, but he'll find some way to stop us from going on the mission... and we need to now that we know that Jackson's not completely nuts."

She stared at him in disbelief and then asked, looking hopeful, "Can we at least zat him?"