*nods to all your comments*

While I really like Vala, despite the fact that I don't think she belongs on the team at all, I don't care for TPTB using Sam as comic tool for Vala to have someone to play off of. I guess in their eyes seeing how different they are should be funny and make up for the lack of actual interactions, but it just makes you think about how much alike they are and how differently they deal with their insecurities.

I would really like to see them have a chat about how having a Goa'uld in their heads has changed them, because Vala would be the perfect excuse for the writers to have Sam finally deal with what Jolinar's left behind. Or for Vala to come clean about her past and the nightmares that still must torture her. Or can she only do that with Daniel?

I can't access that Comparing Scars fic. Do you know if it's archived somewhere? Have you read Isabelle's Of Belonging to Another (http://pellucid.livejournal.com/151898.html)? I quite like the idea she runs with.

To me old Sam was killed in Fragile Balance, after that she was degraded to someone I can no longer look up to, just dread the next thing TPTB'll have her mess up. Or won't be able to solve on her own.