Utter. Mayhem.

Daniel had known that shopping with Vala would be more... chaotic than shopping with most people. What he had unfortunately forgotten was that even shopping alone a week before Christmas meant stepping out into a world of chaos.

Taking Vala shopping right before Christmas, therefore, just might be his worst idea ever. They'd been in this mall for hours, and she'd only gotten gifts for Cam and Teal'c while they'd struggled to move through the crowds. They only just made it out of Target before two women started a brawl over a popular children's toy. This was definitely not the place to learn about the Christmas spirit. Thankfully, Vala was somehow oblivious to the ill will around them.

"Ooh!" she exclaimed, stopping for the hundredth time in the middle of a very crowded hall to look at a display window, this time for Victoria's Secret. "Wouldn't Samantha look incredible in that red corset?"

Daniel cringed at the inclusion of the woman who had become the closest thing to a sister he could ever have in the same sentence as anything lingerie-related. "I'd really prefer not to know, Vala." Not to mention Jack would kill me if I did. He had not forgotten when alpha-male Jack had punched him repeatedly under the influence of a virus when he had simply expressed concern over Sam. Jack would never do that in his right mind, of course... But the territory of Samantha Carter had been claimed long ago. Whether Jack was consciously aware of doing so or not.

With other last minute shoppers giving them irritated looks for blocking traffic, Daniel reluctantly shuffled Vala over to the door for the lingerie shop, resigning himself to a long and torturous wait within.

He and Vala slipped through the doorway, Vala breathing in the scent of perfume as if it was her first breath of fresh air. Daniel, on the other hand, sneezed violently as he got a much larger sniff of it than he had ever wanted. A part of him wanted to turn around and go home to his antihistamines. Where's tissue when you need it?

But he couldn't tear Vala away when she looked so much like a kid in a candy store.

"I love this store!" she breathed out happily before turning to the red corset. "I'm getting this for our dear Colonel Carter."

Daniel grimaced. "I don't know if that's the best idea for a Christmas present... And, I mean, do you even know what sizes she wears?" He didn't, and did not want to know, but Vala would need them if she was going through with this harebrained idea.

"Oh, of course I do," she answered airily. "She and I have been here before, you know." She picked up a corset of the appropriate size - he assumed - and scrutinized it. "Do you suppose this could double as a present for her and the elusive General?"

"NO!" Daniel exclaimed quickly. I don't even want to see Jack opening this... in any way. "Maybe just - give this to Sam while you two are in the kitchen. We can pick up a Simpsons T-shirt or something for you to give to Jack."

Thankfully, Vala agreed, and then turned to look at other items. Daniel had thought that she would pick up several items for herself, but, while she did pick up one or two things for herself that he was desperately trying not to picture her in, she seemed hell-bent on finding something for Cassie.

"Vala," he argued as she turned over something that looked much too small for any woman he'd ever seen with a frown, "I really don't think this is the best place to be shopping for Cassie. I mean, she's still so young, and she'll be unwrapping this in front of her whole family..."

"I can give it to her in the kitchen, like I'm doing with Sam's present," Vala replied, setting down yet another lacy article before pinning him with a firm look. "And she's not a child anymore. She's a woman, in one of your purportedly finest universities - with a boyfriend, and a part-time job, and a bright future just ready for her to run into. She is still a young woman," she added, "but she's growing into her own and I think her presents should reflect that."

Daniel sighed. It was hard to accept that Cassie had grown up. He wasn't as involved in her childhood as Sam and Jack had been, but when he thought of her, he still saw the young girl who had turned to him for help with her history homework when her more scientifically minded adoptive mother had to admit defeat. Over the years, she had transformed from the quiet, scared little girl they'd found all by herself in her empty world into a bright and forthright young woman who had made a life of her own on another planet. But the image of the young girl was frozen in his mind, and he supposed now he could, at least on a small scale, understand parents he knew who didn't want to let go of their children as their children.

Before he could even begin to express his thoughts to Vala, her eyes brightened with excitement. She had apparently found what she wanted, and she strode to a display somewhere behind Daniel.

He turned to look, and was surprised when Vala grabbed hold of something that actually looked... rather tasteful. It was a lacy little blue nightgown, and while it was definitely not for a girl, it wasn't one he'd consider too racy either. It was a pretty garment, and did seem like the sort of thing Cassie would like. Somehow, he thought with surprise, Vala found something that bridges the gap between girlhood and womanhood.

Vala smiled as she turned to him. "There!" she proudly exclaimed. "Not anything really wild. But she'll feel like a woman in this," she explained, thinking, he was shocked to discover, along the same lines as he. "Not an awkward girl. It'll help ease her into the role. And it's so darling!"

Daniel smiled, shaking his head in surprised defeat. Every once in a while, he'd get a glimpse of this Vala. This thoughtful, caring woman who had a hell of lot more intuition and brains than he often gave her credit for. She'd really only interacted with Cassie two days ago, but she really saw the young woman, and set out to give her something special. Vala was already making her way to the cash register, but he paused a moment to appreciate her. He'd been feeling warmly towards her last night and thought it must have been the Christmas cheer. In this wild mall, however, he knew - the warmth he was feeling came about because of her.

They were soon able to leave Victoria's Secret, and Vala surprised him once again by insisting that they split up. He was commissioned to go back to Target and find something related to The Simpsons for Jack - an order to enter a battlefield as far as he was concerned. She was dead set on his going alone, however, saying that she needed to get her present for him alone. Daniel acquiesced with some misgivings and watched as she quickly moved off. He supposed he should have insisted that she stay with him, but he was finding it harder and harder to deny her anything today. And after all, he wasn't supposed to see his presents until Christmas Day, right?

Vala slipped out into the crowd, her determination lending her speed as she made her way to one particular store she had seen earlier. Most of SG-1 were easy to shop for - Teal'c being one notable exception - but deciding what to get for Daniel was a particular challenge. She didn't want to get something random like what she and Daniel were picking out for General O'Neill. She wanted this to mean something to him. It had taken most of the night for her to come to a decision as to what to buy.

She reached the store and briskly walked in, asking a clerk to direct her to the section she wanted. When she saw the object she'd come for, she smiled. She hoped that when she gave it to Daniel, he would smile, too.

This chapter took on a life of its own, but I am not mad about it!

kehwie - Thank you for the review! I'm glad that you've been enjoying it and that there is another geeky soul out there who knows when the twelve days of Christmas are. :)

And thank you to everyone who's following along!