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Vala looked up at this building that Daniel had brought her to for the evening. It seemed a bit dark and dreary from the outside. What did he call it? Oh - a children's home.

Daniel had actually taken a lunch break earlier that day, walking with her to the mess hall. Once there and settled in front of their trays, he told her he had another activity in mind for them.

"This isn't actually a standard Christmas event," he'd admitted. "But it's something I like to do every year." He had looked a bit shy and sweetly earnest.

She'd smiled and leaned in a bit. "What is it?" she asked.

"Well," he began, "I volunteer at this children's home."

"Children's home?" Vala asked curiously. "Why is there a home just for children?"

He scrunched up his nose a bit as he scratched the back of his neck, looking slightly uncomfortable for some reason. "It's an orphanage - a place that takes care of children without parents. Or whose parents gave them up for adoption."

"Ah," Vala responded with a slight grimace. Poor children, she thought. Vala had had parents - not the best, but she'd had them - but she could imagine that it must be very hard for these children to be without parents. Especially at this time of year, she realized.

Daniel nodded. "Every year around this time, this place has a Christmas party for the kids. Volunteers will come in and play with the kids, bring presents. That sort of thing."

Vala smiled. "That sounds lovely! I'd like to come."

"Great!" He gave her a big smile. His eyes crinkled at the edges, giving his expression a warmth and boyishness she hadn't expected. It made her want to pull him into her and give him a long, sweet kiss.

She hadn't, of course. And now, here they were, and Daniel was ushering her in through double doors into a large room. Cafeteria tables lined the walls, and the middle of the room was a large space filled with different games - and children.

Vala suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed as she looked around the room. There were so many new faces, traditions, and games here, and she didn't know what she was doing.

Daniel took a look at her perplexed expression and placed a hand on her upper back. "Don't worry," he said in a soft tone with a reassuring pat. "We'll tell them you're from Australia and don't know the games around here. These kids want attention - you don't really have to know anything."

Vala nodded in reluctant acquiescence, and Daniel led her over to a middle-aged couple who appeared to be in charge.

"Hello, Dr. Jackson!" the male said as he and the woman smiled at the two of them. "Who's this lovely lady with you tonight?"

"Ah, this is my friend, Vala Mal Doran," Daniel replied, tripping up a bit over the introduction. Vala briefly wondered if it bothered him to call her a friend.

The male stretched out a hand to shake hers. "Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Mal Doran. I'm Trent Billings, the director here." He gestured to his companion. "And here's my wife, Lisa. Don't know how I'd run this place without her."

Lisa smiled as she shook Vala's hand. "I don't know how he would, either," she added, giving him a look of mock severity before throwing Vala a sly wink. "Are you here to help with the Christmas party, Vala?"

"Ah - yes!" Vala stuttered a bit nervously. Lisa gave her a sympathetic glance.

"Don't you worry, dearie," she encouraged. "Lots of volunteers are nervous their first time here, but they all make it through pretty well."

Vala felt a bit better. "Thank you."

Trent jumped in. "Yes, don't worry. Dr. Jackson will show you the ropes. He's been helping out here off and on for several years now."

Daniel nodded. "Yes - I'm going to take her over to the kids to play," he declared. "She's good with kids."

Only a consciousness that the couple was now looking at her with pleased expressions kept her from looking at Daniel in shock. He thinks I'm good with kids? Or is he trying to just put them at ease with me being here?

Whether he believed she was good with children or not, it wasn't long before he was maneuvering her over to meet with some of the little ones.

"Hi, there!" Daniel smiled at a group of three children who looked rather shy of them. "I'm Daniel. What are your names?"

"Miles," an approximately eight year old little boy replied, looking more at ease now with the friendly archaeologist.

"Allie."

"Jack." The two slightly younger ones answered, wariness still in their eyes. Vala squatted and smiled now, hoping to draw them out a bit.

"I'm Vala," she said. "What are you three up to over here?"

Miles grinned. "We're gonna play Twister."

"Twister?" Vala's interest was piqued. "What is that?"

Allie began animatedly explaining it as young Jack quietly began setting up some sort of mat. From what Vala could understand, the game required flexibility and balance, something Vala definitely had more of than Daniel.

He was going down.

Jack, still a little reserved, manned spinning the little wheel while the others played. Vala was determined to win, but couldn't help laughing hysterically as Daniel fell dramatically. Her own laughter took her out, and an excited Allie won the game.

Vala smiled when Jack looked more amused and wanted to join in on the next round. She gladly took his place at the wheel. This was a Christmas tradition of Daniel's she would definitely want to try again.

She giggled along with the children as Daniel let out an exaggerated groan over his next move. Then, a sweet little girl with black hair and brown eyes slipped up to her side. "Hi!" the little one said shyly.

Vala sucked in a deep breath as she took a closer look. It can't be -. The child looked so much like -

Adria.

Vala's chest suddenly hurt, and she didn't think she could suck in another breath. She quickly handed the little girl the wheel she was spinning, feeling like her world was spinning with it.

"Keep it going, would you?" she managed to say before making a beeline for the double doors.

Once she was finally outside, Vala suddenly sobbed. She hadn't even felt the tears coming, but they were coming hard and fast now.

She still didn't know how to process everything with Adria. When she'd first found out she was pregnant, she was wildly perplexed. She knew she hadn't done anything to create a child (though not exactly for lack of trying with Daniel), but suddenly, she was expecting. Fear over what the Ori and the Priors would do to an unmarried pregnant woman, as well as a driving urgency to find out how this had happened, had been the predominant feelings she'd experienced. The idea of actually being a parent and what that entailed took something of a back seat to everything else.

Then, she'd had the baby.

And then, she didn't.

The baby girl grew at a frightening rate, and although Vala had never planned for a child, had been afraid of what this child would be for the Ori, she couldn't help but be afraid for her baby. It hurt to see her grow so quickly, to see her grow more and more like the terrible beings who had used Vala to create the Orici.

The Orici was an enemy who needed to be defeated. That was plain and simple. But Adria? Adria was her daughter, and Vala couldn't do anything to save her. It hurt. And she had never had time to deal with her daughter, to deal with her own emotions, or to figure out what she could've possibly done to save them both. Crying, it seemed, was all she could do just now.

Someone quickly barged through the double doors behind her. She didn't need to look to know who it was.

"Vala?" Daniel asked hesitantly. He paused briefly. Suddenly, he swiftly began walking towards her. Spinning her around, he pulled her into a hug before she could even begin to protest.

"I saw her, too," he whispered.

Vala grabbed on to him tightly. "Oh, Daniel," she choked out. "I don't know why I'm crying like this."

Daniel patted her back as he tucked her head next to his. "I mean, that girl looks a lot like another girl you've felt a lot of pain over. Your crying now makes sense to me."

Vala let out a breath and sniffled, the tears beginning to fade away. "I wish I could have raised my child. But I didn't have a chance with her, Daniel." She pulled back from him and looked at him. With surprise, she realized that his eyes shone with unshed tears.

He tucked her hair gently behind her ears. "You'd have been a great mother," he told her.

Vala felt the same shock she had when he had told the Billings that she was good with kids - as well as a lot of skepticism. "Honestly, I'm not sure I share your confidence," she admitted, looking down. "I mean, it's not like I had the best parents myself. I wouldn't have known what to do."

Daniel tilted her chin up until she was looking him in the eye. "You know," he said, "it's usually me not giving you enough credit. We really shouldn't swap roles like this."

Vala couldn't help smiling a bit, even as she gave him a cynical look. He continued.

"I've seen you with Cassie this week, and those three kids in here. You relate to them well. And when you're out with SG-1, you have this... intuition. You're smart, and you can strategize," he leaned in closer now for emphasis. "You would be a good mother."

Vala's eyes teared up again. Daniel didn't often compliment her like this. He actually likes me, she realized. He sees value in me. She knew she was good (on most fronts, at least), but to hear that from Daniel warmed her heart.

When she didn't respond quickly enough for him, he kept on. "I can't say anything that will make everything that happened with Adria any better. I lost my parents when I was young, so my loss goes in the other direction - and under very different circumstances."

Vala's eyes widened as she realized: "That's why you volunteer with the children's home. You've been in the same situation as them."

Daniel shrugged. "I had it better than some of them. Possibly worse than others. No one's situation is exactly the same as another's." He gave her a soft smile. "But, yes, it gives me a sensitivity to what they're going through. And while I don't know what exactly you're going through, my losing people and the opportunities to be with them gives me a sensitivity to you. I can't fix it all for you, Vala, but, I'm here for you."

Vala jumped in his arms, tightly hugging him as he wrapped his arms around her again with a slight laugh. When she finally disentangled herself from his arms, he looked back down at her with a smile. "Wanna go back in there? Give it another shot?"

She looked back at the double doors, now conscious of music playing on the other side. "I'd like to do that, yes." Maybe I'll bite the bullet and meet my daughter's lookalike. The girl did look rather sweet after all.

They walked back in the building together. She could feel the care radiating off of Daniel. She hoped she could share some of that care with these children - and perhaps explore it more with Daniel later.