CHAPTER FOUR
Daniel was having a hard time concentrating on work. His mind kept drifting to thoughts of Sam. He was pleased and excited that she'd accepted his invitation to go on vacation with him. The fact that she liked the idea of spending that much time with him was a good sign. It strengthened his hope that there might be a chance for them to become more than friends. Of course, it could just mean that she wanted to spend time with him simply because he was her friend, but this was the first real hope he'd felt regarding his relationship with Sam, and he didn't want to give it up.
Daniel had been trying to figure out how he was going to start feeling Sam out regarding her feelings for him without her getting wise to what he was doing. Candlelight dinners and things like that were out of the question. That was way too obvious. So, what could he do? What could he say? He just didn't know. So much for being a genius.
Sam looked over at Daniel for about the millionth time in the last hour. He appeared to be deep in thought, though he didn't seem to be doing much work. She wondered what was on his mind. His face was doing that cute scrunching up thing it did quite often, that look that was so Daniel. Sam laughed to herself. Over these years, she'd gotten to know so well all of Daniel's facial expressions and the various tones of his voice. Many times, he was an easy man to read, but, other times, it was like he erected an impenetrable wall around him that hid all of his emotions. That usually only happened when he was really hurting, and those were the times when she wished that he'd let her see his pain so that she could comfort him.
Sam had to admit that she was really looking forward to going on vacation with Daniel. She couldn't remember the last time that she'd been so excited about vacation plans. She tried to analyze why she was so happy about it, but she couldn't figure it out. It's not like she didn't already see Daniel almost every day. Why did the thought of going away with him make her all quivery with excitement? It wasn't like he was her boyfriend, and they were planning a romantic getaway. It would just be two friends having fun together for a week or so. No big deal. But, for some reason, it felt like a big deal.
The ringing of the telephone startled her out of her thoughts. She picked up the handset, which Daniel had placed within reach, and answered the call.
"Daniel, it's for you. It's Doctor Carson." She handed the phone to him.
"Hey, Brad, what's up?" There was a long pause as Daniel listened to the reply. "And you have no idea what's in it?" Another pause. "Well, can't it wait till I get back?" Daniel gave a sigh after hearing the response. "All right, I'll be there as soon as I can." Daniel disconnected the call. "There's a new artifact that was brought in by one of the SG teams. It looks like some kind of container, but no one can figure out how to open it, and they can't read the writing on it. Nobody recognizes the language. Everyone is eager to find out what's in the box in case it's a weapon or something hazardous. The box is made of some kind of material that X-rays won't penetrate, so they want me to see if I can translate the thing and open it up. So much for being left in peace for the week."
Sam smiled. "Face it, Daniel. You are indispensable. Did you know that, during the time you were ascended, the productivity of the archeology and linguistics departments dropped to less than half of what it was when you were there?"
"That's probably because I always did half the work myself."
"Only half?"
Daniel thought about that. "Yeah, you're right. It was more like two-thirds, which I guess explains why I was always working." He got his coat. "I don't know how long this is going to take, but I should be back before it's time to fix dinner. If I'm going to be late, I'll give you a call."
"Okay. See you later."
The rest of the day dragged by for Sam. Without Daniel there to keep her company, the enforced inactivity was driving her crazy. There was only so much work she could do on her computer. She wished that there had been some projects she could have taken home with her, but everything she worked on at the base was classified, not something you could stick in a briefcase and bring home to work on on the kitchen table. She envied Daniel's freedom to bring his work home with him.
As the hours passed, Sam began to realize something else as well. Without Daniel there, the house felt empty, which made absolutely no sense. She'd been living alone her entire adult life. She was used to it. Daniel had been here only two days and two nights. How could she have gotten so accustomed to his presence that she missed him when he was gone? It had to be because she was bored and couldn't do anything around the house to occupy her time. If she was doing something, she wouldn't notice the lack of his presence.
Convinced that was the problem, Sam decided to do a little recreational Internet surfing. After following a variety of links, she found herself in a chatroom where people talked about their relationships with lovers and spouses. Thinking that it might be interesting now that she actually had a boyfriend and wouldn't get depressed, Sam joined in, using the screen name "Gate Gal."
NOSY PARKER: Hi, Gate Gal. I don't remember seeing you here before. New?
GATE GAL: Yes, I just joined. Thought I'd check it out. By the way, that's an interesting screen name you have there.
NOSY PARKER: LOL. All those here who know and love me will tell you that I live up to that name. I stick my nose into everybody's business.
GATE GAL: I shall consider myself forewarned.
NOSY PARKER: So, what's your story?
GATE GAL: Boy, you don't waste any time, do you?
NOSY PARKER: Nope. Come on, give. You wouldn't be here if you didn't have a relationship that you're dying to talk about. So, cough it up.
REDHEAD ANNIE: You might as well give up now, Gate Gal. She won't rest until she has your life story.
GATE GAL: All right, you asked for it. I just got a new boyfriend. We've been dating for a few weeks now, and he's great.
NOSY PARKER: Ooh, tell us all about him, honey. We're dying to know.
Sam told them about Pete. Everyone in the chatroom agreed that he sounded like a great guy. They then told her about their own love lives, being very candid and . . . descriptive. Surprisingly, Sam found that she was having a good time. She had never been that interested in chatting online, but it was fun.
She'd been at for around an hour when a sudden thought came to her, and she decided to ask a question.
GATE GAL: Hey, I've got a question for you. It concerns a friend of mine, my best friend, in fact.
NOSY PARKER: Don't tell me. She's in a relationship with a loser, and you don't know how to make her see it.
GATE GAL: Not even close. First of all, it's a 'he', not a 'she'. Secondly, he's not in a relationship.
REDHEAD ANNIE: Your best friend is a guy? Is he gay?
GATE GAL: No! Definitely not. He's a widower, in fact.
SUE989: Oh, how sad.
MERRY MARY: Yeah, I can feel myself crumbling already. There is something so tragic about widowers. They instantly bring out the mothering instinct in me. I just wanna cuddle them and make them feel better.
NOSY PARKER: Mary, you want to cuddle every man you meet. So, Gate Gal, what's your question?
GATE GAL: Well, first off, I should mention that Daniel – that's my friend – is staying with me right now. I had an accident and injured my leg. I need to stay off it, so he offered to stay with me and help me out. He's been doing all the cooking and household chores, shopping for me, pretty much everything.
MERRY MARY: I want his phone number! Give it to me! Give, give! Any guy who would actually volunteer to do all the cooking, cleaning, and shopping is worth his weight in diamonds.
GATE GAL: LOL. Well, that's Daniel. He's the sweetest, most caring man you can imagine.
NOSY PARKER: Uh oh. Sweet and caring. That probably means that he's nothing to look at. That's usually the way it is.
GATE GAL: Not in this case, not by a longshot.
NOSY PARKER: Oh, really? So, how good-looking is he, on a scale of one to ten, one being mildly attractive, ten being an Adonis.
GATE GAL: Hmm. I may be biased, but I'd have to say an eight, eight and a half when he smiles.
REDHEAD ANNIE: You're joking.
GATE GAL: No, not at all, especially now. He's been working out a lot lately, and, believe me, it shows.
MERRY MARY: Details! I want details!
GATE GAL: Um, okay. He's 38, but looks a good five years younger. He wears glasses, but he's the kind of guy who still manages to look great in them. He's six feet tall, broad shoulders, deep chest, narrow hips. He has short, medium brown hair that lightens to golden brown when he spends lots of time in the sun, and he has the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen. Oh, and he has the most wonderful smile.
MERRY MARY: *dreamy sigh* What about his ass?
GATE GAL: Excuse me?!
NOSY PARKER: Oh, come on. Don't even try to claim that you've never looked at it.
GATE GAL: Uh, yes, okay, I've looked. It's . . . it's very nice.
NOSY PARKER: Uh huh. Nice, she says. So, what's he like as a person? You've said that he's sweet and caring, and you've told us that he gladly volunteered to wait on you hand and foot while you recuperate. What else?
GATE GAL: Well, one of the biggest things, the thing that drew me to him in the first place, is his incredible mind. He is one of the most brilliant men I've ever known. He has this amazing ability to think outside the box, to make these extraordinary leaps of logic, quite often figuring things out that no one else can even see. I'm an astrophysicist, so I'm no dummy, yet there have been lots of times that he's beaten me to the punch when figuring out something. He has three PhD's and can speak somewhere around 30 languages.
SUE989: 30?!!! Man, I have trouble just learning Spanish.
MERRY MARY: Okay, I am falling head over heels in love here. More, please.
GATE GAL: LOL. Well, he's gentle and kind, but he's also incredibly strong and courageous. When he's set on a course of action, he can be very stubborn, never giving up. He cares a lot about people, so much so that he will set aside his own welfare and needs to help someone. He's a crusader. He fights tenaciously for what is right, regardless of the odds against him. He has a high code of ethics and refuses to sacrifice his principles, no matter what. He's very passionate, especially about the things that interest him, like his work. And he's got a dry sense of humor that can sneak up on you if you're not careful. Oh, and he is not the least bit conceited.
MERRY MARY: Okay, this guy can't be real. You're making him up, aren't you.
GATE GAL: No, I'm not. He is very real.
NOSY PARKER: Okay, let me get this straight. Your best friend is this gorgeous hunk who also happens to be a genius, is gentle, kind, compassionate, brave, noble, funny, self-sacrificing, passionate, and not stuck up. He's not gay and is presently unattached. Does that about cover it?
GATE GAL: In a nutshell.
NOSY PARKER: Then I have just one question for you.
GATE GAL: What's that?
NOSY PARKER: Why on Earth haven't you jumped his bones?
Sam sat there in stunned silence, caught by surprise by the blunt question. But then she got to thinking about it and realized that it was a valid question. These women didn't know anything about her relationship with Daniel, their history, what they did for a living, nothing. All they knew was what she had just told them about him, which, she had to admit, made him sound like a man that any woman would have to be nuts not to want.
NOSY PARKER: Or have you?
Sam snapped her attention back to the screen.
GATE GAL: What?
NOSY PARKER: Have you jumped his bones?
GATE GAL: No! We've never had that kind of relationship. We're just really good friends.
REDHEAD ANNIE: Well, that makes no sense at all.
NOSY PARKER: Annie's right. I don't understand it either.
GATE GAL: There's a whole lot that you don't know. Daniel was very much in love with his wife. He was widowed over four years ago, yet it's only been recently that he's finally moved past her death. Both of us have a lot of history with a lot of bad stuff in it. It's just too hard to explain.
NOSY PARKER: Yet you love him.
GATE GAL: Very much. He's one of the most important people in my life. He was gone for a year, and I missed him more than I could have imagined. But I love him as a friend, not as a woman.
NOSY PARKER: Are you sure?
GATE GAL: Of course I'm sure. I'm in a relationship with another man, remember?
NOSY PARKER: Yes, I remember. All right, earlier you said that you had a question. What is it?
Sam decided that maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea to ask her question.
GATE GAL: Never mind. I think I'd better not.
MERRY MARY: Aw, come on, Gate Gal. Please don't be like that. We're sorry if we upset you. We promise to behave. Ask your question.
NOSY PARKER: Yes, we'll be nice. Promise.
Sam thought about it some more and decided to go ahead and ask. She really wanted the opinion of other women.
GATE GAL: Well, all right. Here goes. Though Daniel and I have known each other for nearly seven years, we've never gone on a vacation together. Mainly, it's because of our work. We're both workaholics. Anyway, Daniel asked me this morning if I'd like to go on a trip with him. We're thinking about taking a road trip, see the sights in and around the state. I'd really like to do it, but Daniel got worried that my boyfriend would get upset, and he doesn't want to cause trouble between us. So, my question is what do you think? Do you think it's a bad idea for me to go?
NOSY PARKER: Ooh, Girl. That could cause some trouble. I guess my first question is if you think Pete would object.
GATE GAL: To be honest, yes, I'm sure he would.
NOSY PARKER: That's what I figured. My next question is how important is Pete's opinion to you?
GATE GAL: Well, of course it's important to me, but I also have free will and the right to make my own decisions regarding my life.
NOSY PARKER: Of course you do, and I'm happy to hear you say that. So many women I know let their boyfriends and husbands have too much control over their lives. Okay, here's the third question, and it's a big one. Are you in love with Pete?
Sam paused. Was she in love with Pete? She did care a lot about him. He was important to her. But was she in love with him? They'd known each other for such a short time.
GATE GAL: I don't know. We've only known each other for a few weeks. We are terrific together, and we have good chemistry. I care about him a great deal. I just can't say yet if I'm in love with him.
NOSY PARKER: Well, then I guess you have to ask yourself if you're willing to put your relationship with Pete to the test. And this would definitely be a test of your relationship. If you decide to go on that trip with Daniel, it's going to tell you how much Pete trusts you and how well or how badly he reacts to you doing something that he doesn't want you to. To be blunt, if Pete's not willing to accept your decision to go against his wishes and spend time with your best friend, then I'd think twice about your relationship with him. The last thing you want is a guy who is too possessive. Believe me, I know. I once had a boyfriend like that. Pete needs to learn right now that he does not own you, and he also needs to learn to trust you and your judgment. You have a close, long-standing relationship with Daniel, and it's obvious that you trust him completely.
GATE GAL: Yes, I do.
NOSY PARKER: Then I say go for it.
SUE989: Me too.
REDHEAD ANNIE: I agree. Go have fun with Daniel. He's your best friend, and you can't let Pete get in the way of that. Friendships like that are too precious.
MERRY MARY: Absolutely. Can I come with you? Since you apparently don't want Daniel, I'll take him.
GATE GAL: LOL. I'll pass along your interest to him.
Sam looked at her watch and realized that Daniel would probably be back soon.
GATE GAL: I've got to get going. It was great chatting with you.
NOSY PARKER: Same here. Will we see you again?
GATE GAL: I don't know. My work takes me out of town a lot. I'll try to stop in again sometime.
REDHEAD ANNIE: Okay, take care. Hope to see you again.
MERRY MARY: Bye, Gate Gal.
NOSY PARKER: Goodbye.
SUE989: Bye bye.
GATE GAL: Bye.
GATE GAL has left the room.
MERRY MARY: So, what do you think, Janine?
NOSY PARKER: Oh, she's in love with Daniel all right. No doubt about it.
REDHEAD ANNIE: I agree. I can't believe she doesn't see it. The woman has got to be blind.
MERRY MARY: Yeah. If Daniel is half the man she portrays him to be, she's nuts for not getting it on with him.
NOSY PARKER: I think that vacation they're going to take will be quite an interesting one.
MERRY MARY: Yeah. Alone together on the open highway, long nights in the same hotel. Pete is going to be history. No doubt about it.
NOSY PARKER: My thoughts exactly.
REDHEAD ANNIE: Personally, I don't think it'll even take that long. He's staying with her now, remember? Alone together in her house, with easy access to her bed. Need I say more?
NOSY PARKER: Ooh, you're right. Yes, I'd bet money that they'll get it on before her recovery is complete.
MERRY MARY: I'm sure he'll be gentle with her.
NOSY PARKER: LOL
REDHEAD ANNIE: :-D
SUE989: LOL
REDHEAD ANNIE: I hope she comes back and tells us about it.
MERRY MARY: Yes! And with all the juicy details.
NOSY PARKER: You and your details, Mary. I think it's time that you stop living vicariously through the rest of us and go get another boyfriend of your own.
MERRY MARY: Well, if I find someone like Daniel, I'll be sure to do that.
NOSY PARKER: Good luck. Guys like that are one in a million, and, if I wasn't married, I'd fight you tooth and nail if you ever managed to find one of them.
MERRY MARY: Well, a girl can always dream of finding a Daniel of her own.
Sam's leg had started to ache because of sitting at the computer for so long, so she stretched out on the couch. She began thinking about what the women in the chatroom said about Pete and her plans to vacation with Daniel. Nosy Parker had made some very good points. This would be a test of her relationship with Pete. How he reacted to her decision to go with Daniel would tell her a lot about him. She recalled how badly he reacted when she refused to tell him the truth about her job. He left her lying in the bed they'd just made love in and stormed out of the house. It had really upset her. It had also upset her when she realized that he'd followed her. For a while, she had been so angry that she considered breaking things off with him. It was only his abject apology and his admittance that he'd been stupid that made her decide to give him another chance. She didn't regret giving Pete that second chance, but that incident was really making her wonder how badly he'd react to her going off on vacation with Daniel. But what Nosy Parker said was right. Pete did not own her, and he needed to respect the fact that this was her life and her decision. In the end, what Redhead Annie had said was true. Sam's friendship with Daniel was far too important to let anything or anyone get in the way of it, and that included Pete.
Daniel was a little later getting back than she had anticipated, but he arrived with cartons of Thai food.
"So, did you get the translation done and the box opened?" Sam asked as they ate.
"Yeah, but it ended up being a waste of time. The writing was a children's rhyme, and the container was a kind of puzzle box. You had to press the tiles in a certain sequence to get the box open. There were the remains of what might have been a doll inside. Brad was pretty embarrassed about having dragged me all the way over there for something that turned out to be a toy. He promised that I wouldn't get any more calls unless it was a matter of life and death or an impending Goa'uld attack." Daniel shook his head. "So, what did you do all day?"
"Not a lot. Some work on my computer, then I spent a few hours surfing the Net. I'm afraid that I'm going to be bored out of my mind before this week is over."
"Well, I'll just have to keep you occupied, then."
Sam shook her head. "I don't want you losing time away from work and getting too far behind. You're staying here to help around the house, not to entertain me. You've already lost a lot of time as it is."
"So, I'll just have to work overtime for a few weeks to make up for the time that I lose. I really don't mind, Sam. It's not like I have a wife with dinner on the table to come home to. My off-duty time is mine to do with as I please."
Sam gazed at Daniel. "You really are amazing."
The archeologist's brow creased in confusion. "What?"
"You are so . . . nice. How did you get to be such a nice guy?"
Daniel blushed and ducked his head. "I'm not all that nice, Sam."
"Yes, Daniel, you are. You're the most thoughtful and unselfish person I know. You always put other people's needs above your own."
His face flaming at the compliments, Daniel gave a short laugh. "I doubt that Jack would agree with that considering my history of defying his orders and doing things my way."
"That's not the same thing. I'm talking about the fact that, when someone needs help, you always think of them first and yourself second. No matter how many times you get hurt because of that, you still keep doing it. Given the kind of childhood you had, that's surprising. A lot of people in your situation would have grown up selfish, bitter and uncaring."
Daniel pushed the food around his plate. "I guess my reaction was the opposite. I know what it's like to have no one really care about me, and it's not something that I'd want other people to experience," he said very quietly.
Sam reached across the table and placed her hand over his. "Well, you have lots of people who care about you now, Daniel, very, very much."
The archeologist lifted his eyes to hers. "I know, Sam, and it means a lot to me, more than you could imagine."
As he continued looking at her, he wrapped his hand around hers and began gently caressing the top of it with his thumb. The touch sent a very pleasant, yet unsettling sensation through Sam's body. A part of her wanted to pull her hand away, but another part couldn't bear the thought of breaking the contact. In the end, she compromised. She kept hold of his hand for several seconds longer, then gave it a squeeze and withdrew it to resume eating.
Daniel watched Sam for a moment as she ate, then returned his attention to his own meal. She hadn't pulled her hand away when he touched it like that, even though it had not been the kind of touch that they would normally share. It could mean that she had enjoyed it or it could simply mean that she hadn't wanted to hurt his feelings by pulling away.
True to his word, Daniel kept Sam occupied for the rest of the evening. They watched a murder mystery on TV and had lots of fun trying to figure out who the guilty party was, spending each commercial break reviewing the evidence and coming up with theories. Instead of sitting at the opposite end of the couch, Daniel sat beside her, not close enough to touch, but close enough that she was more aware of his presence. Again, she had that weird reaction to it, a part of her enjoying his closeness while another part nervously wanted to put more space between them. Why would Daniel's closeness make her nervous? They'd spent many hours in the past in very close proximity to each other. It made no sense. In time, the feeling faded, and the enjoyment of his nearness heightened. She was sorry to see the evening end.
"Thanks, Daniel. That was fun," she told him as she got up to go to bed. She grinned. "I still can't believe you were right about who the killer was. I thought for sure it was the banker."
Daniel grinned. "Nope, I knew it was the attorney right from the start."
"But how? There was so little evidence pointing to him."
Daniel's grin broadened. "Sam, you know me. How often do I come to conclusions with little or no evidence to back it up?"
Sam laughed and shook her head. "Of course. How could I forget who I was dealing with?"
Sam went to bed thinking that she really liked having Daniel there with her and sorry that he would only be there for a few more days.
