The kiss was like two atoms fusing. Sam soon had Daniel pressed against the glass of the French doors, one of her hands already under his shirt, their mouths locked in a kiss of insatiable hunger. Daniel's right hand left its spot on her back and descended to grasp her hip. He pressed his pelvis hard against hers, making her moan with need. She ripped her lips from his, took his hand, and pulled him toward the bedroom.
Daniel's heart was threatening to come flying right out of his chest. The blood was pounding through his veins like a drum. And when, upon reaching the bedroom, Sam turned to him and proceeded to strip off her top, revealing her beautiful upper body clad in nothing but a white bra, he was afraid that he was going to pass out. Managing to remain conscious, he covered the distance between them in a single stride, lifted her up, and laid down upon her on the bed.
The weight of Daniel on top of her, his mouth hot and demanding on hers, sent the desire inside Sam spiraling completely out of control. She fisted her hands in his shirt and dragged it up over his head, his glasses coming off in the process. One of her bra straps had slipped off her shoulder, the cup it was attached to sliding down a little. Feeling the soft, smooth skin beneath it come into contact with his own skin, Daniel lifted a hand and pulled the material down the rest of the way.
Sam gasped as his hand covered her breast, his fingers stroking her. She managed to reach behind her back and unfasten the bra. It soon lay forgotten somewhere on the floor.
How they managed to get the rest of their clothing off without separating was something they didn't know. They only knew that the press of their fully naked bodies against each other had both of them trembling with the need to take the final step of consummation.
Daniel sat upright, his legs folded beneath him, pulling Sam up with him. His mouth fell upon her neck, kissing down its length, his tongue tasting her skin as he descended to the valley between her breasts. One of his hands rose back to her right breast, the touch of his fingers wrenching another gasp from Sam's throat. His hands were soon replaced by his lips, his body inflamed with desire.
Sam could feel herself already building toward climax. But she didn't want it to happen like this, not alone.
"God, Daniel," she gasped. "I want. . . ." Her voice trailed off in a moan as he switched to the other breast.
Daniel's head lifted, and his eyes met hers. Sam saw passion in the brilliant blue depths, but also tenderness and so much love that it made her breath catch in her throat. His hand rose, fingers gently caressing her cheek, her jaw, her lips.
"I love you," he whispered.
Sam cupped his cheek and smiled into his eyes. "And I love you."
With his eyes locked upon hers in an intense gaze, Daniel took that final step of consummation. A shuddering sigh issued from their lips at the feeling of their bodies uniting for the first time. For Daniel, it was a union more than just of him and Sam. It was as if the souls of Lantash and Martouf still lived within him and were at last experiencing the joy that they had so dearly wanted for so long.
Eyes closing in pleasure, the lovers began to move, slowly, gently, feeling like nothing could ever feel better than this. Daniel's mouth returned to Sam's throat. She tangled her hand in his hair as she let herself get utterly lost in the lovemaking. It had never felt so good, so perfect, like this was how it was always supposed to be between them.
Daniel's emotions were nearly overpowering him, his love for Sam combining with the love that Lantash and Martouf had felt for her into something so strong that he was almost crying. He grasped her more tightly, wanting to be here with her like this forever.
As they rose on the tide of passion, their movements gradually grew faster. Small cries rose from their throats, their senses swirling in a haze of rapture. Sam could feel her climax swiftly approaching and increased her speed even more. Daniel instantly responded. He was so close, hanging on the edge of an ecstasy he had not experienced in five long years. And then Sam began to shudder in his arms as she reached climax. With a cry to match her own, he hurled over the precipice with her in a powerful rush that overwhelmed his senses.
Sam's cry was close to a scream as her whole body was overcome by the exquisite ecstasy, her mind nearly blacking out from the force of it. She was distantly aware of Daniel finding his own release, but so lost was she in the fire that conscious thought was impossible.
By the time their climaxes reached their conclusion, both Daniel and Sam were so weak and dizzy that all they could do was cling to each other, the sound of their blood pounding fiercely in their ears. As soon as he felt strong enough to move, Daniel laid down with Sam upon the bed, coming to rest on top of her. He began placing soft kisses on her face, his fingers sweeping back sweat-dampened tendrils of hair. At last he looked at her. There was no need for either of them to say anything. It was all in their eyes. Sam pulled Daniel's lips down to hers in a long, slow kiss that said "I love you" more completely than any spoken words ever could.
The emotional impact of what she'd just experienced with Daniel was threatening to overwhelm Sam. Never before had she cried after lovemaking, but she was so close to it now. She didn't want to cry, thinking it would make her appear weak and silly. But then Daniel gently cupped her cheek and turned her gaze to his, and she saw the brightness of tears in his eyes. Sam's own tears welled up and spilled over. As Daniel kissed them away, she tasted the salty wetness of his tears fall upon her lips. When he at last lifted his head, she wiped the wetness from his cheeks, smiling up at him.
"I wish there were words to tell you how much I love you," he said.
"You don't need words, Daniel. I already know. It's the same way I feel about you."
The new lovers got under the covers. Daniel drew Sam down to lie snuggled beneath his chin, his hand softly stroking her back. He heard her sigh contentedly.
"Sam?"
"Hmm?"
"If things had happened differently on Revanna, if Lantash hadn't gone into me, do you think that we'd ever have gotten together?"
Sam gave serious thought to the question. "I honestly don't know. Before that happened, I really didn't think of you this way."
"Me too. To be honest, I had no desire to be with any woman. I was still hurting too much over losing Sha're."
The mention of Daniel's dead wife made Sam's thoughts go off in that direction. He had loved Sha're so much, and it had been less than a year and a half since she died. Could Daniel truly—
"Don't, Sam," Daniel commanded quietly.
Sam lifted her head and looked down at him. "Don't what?"
"Don't start wondering if my feelings for Sha're are going to affect how I feel for you."
Shocked that he'd known what she was thinking, she stared at him. "Daniel, are you psychic?"
"No, but I could feel you tensing up, and it wasn't much of a stretch to figure out what you were thinking." Daniel's eyes caught hers. "I loved Sha're very much. Before you, she was the only woman I ever truly loved. I think that a part of me will never stop loving her and missing her." He touched Sam's face. "But what I feel for you, Sam, it's . . . it's like all my life I've been waiting for the one woman who could be everything to me, more than just a lover and life companion, a woman with whom I could share every facet of my life, someone I felt both an emotional and mental bond with. With Sarah I had the mental bond, but, though I cared about her a lot, I never really loved her."
"And Sha're?"
Daniel paused for a moment. "Sha're was very excited about learning the history of her people and expanding her reading and language skills. She wanted to know all about Earth and my people. But, beyond that, she was content to just be my wife. When I started searching Abydos for more archeological sites, it wasn't Sha're who came with me, it was Tobay and some of the other boys. I don't like to admit it, but it disappointed me sometimes that Sha're lacked that spark of desire to learn all there is to learn, to explore and see what's out there." His gaze returned to Sam's eyes. "And then I met you. When you and I had our . . . epiphany in the cartouche room, I realized how much I'd missed sharing that kind of intellectual connection with someone."
Daniel stroked Sam's cheek. "You are everything I could possibly want, Sam." He smiled. "You're perfect."
A grin formed on Sam's face. "Boy, are you ever in for a letdown, Daniel, if you think I'm perfect."
Daniel laughed softly. "Okay, then you're perfect for me. How's that?"
"Better." Sam gave him a kiss. "I feel the same way about you. Actually, I feel really stupid that I didn't see it before. You are perfect for me. Before I met Jonas Hanson, the men I was attracted to the most were guys like you, brilliant and compassionate. Narim and Martouf had those qualities." She looked closely at Daniel. "I know what you're wondering. What about the colonel? We both know he's a lot smarter than he pretends to be, but he really isn't at all like you in most ways."
"You can say that again," Daniel responded in amusement.
"I think the thing with Jack was a whole lot like my relationship with Jonas, although Jack is ten times the man Jonas ever was."
Daniel smiled. "And not exactly what I'd describe as the lunatic fringe."
Sam laughed. "I forgot that I told you that about Jonas. Yes, I admit that I was attracted to that air of danger about him. But it was more than just that. Jonas was charismatic, had a fun sense of humor, and was loaded with charm. There was a quality about him that appealed to the side of me that admires a strong, take charge kind of guy. He was a natural-born leader, just like Jack. The problem was that he was also egotistical and a control freak, something I blinded myself to until I couldn't anymore. But, even if that hadn't been the case, the relationship with Jonas would have eventually ended because he would never have been able to give me what I really needed to be happy. We just weren't compatible enough. I guess I didn't learn my lesson because I went and fell for the colonel even though common sense should have told me that he and I were no more compatible than Jonas and I had been." Sam smiled at Daniel and brushed a finger over his lips. "But I got it right this time."
Sam's smile faded. "There's something you should know. After I figured out that I was in love with you, I thought back on these years, and I realized that, although I thought that all I felt for you was friendship all that time, I now know that it was more, right from that first day I met you. But, in the beginning, you were married, and then I started developing the feelings for Jack. I blinded myself to the truth about how much you really meant to me."
Daniel accepted Sam's words, understanding how a person could fail to see what was right before their eyes. He'd done the very same thing, failing to see even after Sha're's death what Sam could really be to him.
"There are none so blind as those who will not see," he murmured.
"No truer words were ever spoken."
"But I really do think that, if we had met before I went on the mission to Abydos, I'd have fallen head over heels for you right off."
Sam smiled. "Really?"
"Absolutely. Then, after the mission was over, I'd have come back to you, and, by now, we'd probably be married and have a kid or two."
Sam's smile widened into a grin. She really liked that thought.
Daniel pulled her mouth to his. "I suppose we should go back to the base," he said when their lips separated. "We are supposed to be working today."
"Well, technically, I had permission from my C.O. to leave, and you being a civilian, they can't arrest you for being AWOL."
"No, they'll just dock my pay," Daniel responded, smiling.
"With the hours you normally put in? Not hardly. How often do you actually take off the days you're supposed to have off?"
"Um . . . not often."
"I rest my case."
Daniel lifted an eyebrow. "You know, the same is true about you, Sam."
"Yes, I know. We both work too much."
Daniel brushed a hand across Sam's body. "Not anymore. From now on, I plan to take advantage of every day off."
Sam began to smile. "You do, huh?"
"Uh huh." One of his fingers began drawing patterns on her breast, making her respiration speed up. "There are certain things I can do on my days off that I can't while at work."
Sam's breath caught in her throat as Daniel's fingers grew bolder. "What . . . what sort of things," she breathed.
"I think you can figure that one out for yourself, Sam," Daniel replied just before taking her mouth in a passionate kiss.
What followed was Sam being pleasured like never before. His body not yet capable of finding its own release, Daniel devoted all of his energy to driving Sam wild with ecstasy. He brought her to a crashing climax using just his mouth and hands. After it was over, she lay panting, her whole body still vibrating with sensations. And then she felt something else. Smiling, her hand traveled down Daniel's form to the part of him that was apparently now quite ready for some other activities. He gasped at the touch.
Deciding that it was only fair to return the favor, Sam sent Daniel on a rapturous journey into the stratosphere. He came crying her name. In the aftermath, he lay in silent recovery for several moments.
"I'd almost forgotten how good it feels to have this with someone," he finally said.
"There's been no one since Sha're?"
"No." 'Not willingly,' he added silently. Refusing to think about Hathor, he continued. "I'm not the kind of guy who's into casual sex, so going out and finding some woman to . . . satisfy those needs was not appealing to me. In case you're wondering, Shyla and I never had sex. The laws of her people required that she remain a virgin until her wedding night."
"There hasn't been anyone for me either, not since before I became a part of SG-1. I've . . . been lonely sometimes. I tried to pretend that I was fine, that I didn't need that in my life, but I was just fooling myself."
Daniel pulled her close. "I've been lonely, too, Sam." He gazed at her. "But not anymore. Neither of us will ever have to be lonely again."
Sam brought her lips to his. "I don't want to go back to the base. I want to stay with you for the rest of the day."
"Could you call and say that you're not coming back, that something personal has come up?"
"I'm sure I probably could."
Sam made the call and got through to General Hammond's aide. She told the man that something off-base required her attention and that, if it was all right with the general, she'd be back at work first thing in the morning. The aide told her to hold on while he talked to Hammond. He came back on the line a few moments later and passed on the message that the general said that was fine.
Sam hung up the phone and went back into Daniel's arms. "All taken care of. I'm all yours for the rest of the day."
Daniel smiled. "That's good, because I have a whole lot planned for you."
"Mmm. I can't wait to find out what."
The remainder of the daylight hours were spent mostly in bed, the new lovers coming to know each other's bodies in intimate detail. In between time, they talked, sharing still more intimate things. For the first time since Sha're's death, Daniel really opened up to someone about it, confessing the terrible depths of his grief and pain. Sam held him as he cried over the death of the woman who had been his first true love. In turn, Sam talked about the sorrows of her own life, culminating with her mother's death. Then it was Daniel who held her as she cried.
At six o'clock, they finally got up, showered and got dressed. They were both starving and decided to go out to dinner.
"I'd like to go home and change into something a little nicer," Sam said.
"Okay. How about if we meet at the restaurant? Say 7:30?"
"Perfect."
They decided on a restaurant, one that didn't need a reservation, then Daniel walked Sam out to her car. The couple shared a long kiss.
"See you in an hour," Daniel said. He watched as Sam got in her car and drove away.
Back in his apartment, Daniel went through his closet to decide on what to wear. He pulled out the beautiful suede jacket that had been Sam's Christmas present, deciding that, this time, he was going to take the chance and wear it. He turned back to the closet, and his eyes fell upon something, an empty box sitting on the floor. The box had contained Jack's present to him. That made Daniel think about his friend and the feelings the man had for the woman who was now Daniel's lover.
Daniel worried about what this might mean for his friendship with Jack. Things had not been the greatest in the world between them these past couple of years, but Daniel still considered Jack to be one of his best friends. He didn't want to lose that friendship. But would Jack be able to handle seeing him and Sam together?
Daniel decided that he needed to talk to Jack and that it couldn't wait until tomorrow.
Changing into the clothes he'd wear for his date with Sam, Daniel drove over to Jack's house. He sat in the car for a couple of minutes, trying to formulate the words he was going to say. He then got out and went to the door.
Jack was a little surprised when he answered the door to find Daniel on the other side. He studied the man's features, trying to gauge the archeologist's mood. What he saw answered the question in his mind.
"You and Carter got everything straightened out."
"Yeah. Yeah, we did."
"Good. I'm glad." Jack stepped back from the door. "Come on in."
Daniel entered the house, searching the older man's eyes. "I'm sorry, Jack."
"Don't be. I told Carter that I was okay with this, so now I'll tell you the same thing."
"But is it really true? Are you really okay? Please tell me the truth, Jack."
"All right." Jack walked further into the room, Daniel following him. "I'm not gonna lie and say it doesn't hurt at all, because it does. I still care about her in ways that I shouldn't, but just caring about someone isn't enough." He looked straight into Daniel's eyes. "I have never been the smartest guy around, but I'm smart enough to see that the thing between Sam and I could never have been more than a brief romance. It wouldn't have survived the long haul. All the love in the world isn't going keep a relationship going forever if two people don't have much of anything else to build a foundation on. Sara and I were good together. We had a lot in common. But me and Sam. . . . I'd lay odds that we'd have been at each other's throats within a few months. What you and she have is different, till death do us part kind of stuff."
"I don't want this to affect our friendship, Jack."
"It won't."
Daniel's gaze sharpened even more. "And what about the team? Are you going to be able to see me and Sam together on missions and not be bothered by it? I know that, in your position, I would be. In fact, I don't know if I could have handled it."
"Well, you see, Daniel. That's one of the ways that our situations are different. As much as I cared about Sam, my job always took precedence. If it hadn't, I'd have resigned so that I could be with her. But you would walk away from the program and never look back if it was the only way you could be with her."
"Yes, I would," Daniel confirmed. He'd been considering leaving the program when he thought he couldn't have her. He'd quit in a heartbeat if it was the only way they could be together.
"Don't worry about me, Daniel. This is the way it should be. You and Carter are the ones who belong together. So, I don't want you guys feeling uncomfortable around me. Got it?"
After a moment, Daniel nodded his head. "Got it." There was a brief pause. "Well, um . . . I need to go. Sam and I have a date."
"Sure. Go have fun. Don't forget, though, that we have a mission in the morning, so don't stay up all night."
Embarrassed by what Jack was implying, Daniel simply nodded. He went to the door, Jack coming with him.
"Daniel, there's something I want you to know," the older man said. "When I thought that you might decide to quit the SGC and go back to being an archeologist, it . . . bothered me. You told me that you had begun to question your place on the team, wondering what purpose you really had. Well, I'll tell you what that purpose is. It's being who you are, a guy who's way too smart for his own good, who's so stubborn that his skull might as well be made from titanium, and who will fight every single time for what he knows is right. You are still a pain in the ass, and you probably always will be, but . . ." Jack paused a moment, then uttered words he should have said a long time ago, "but I admire you, Daniel, and the kind of man that you are."
Stunned, Daniel didn't know what to say. How long had it been since Jack had said anything like that to him? A very long time.
"Thank you," he finally said. "It . . . it means a lot to hear you say that."
Jack nodded once in reply.
"You don't have to worry about me quitting, Jack. There's no longer any reason for me to leave. I now have everything I could possibly want right here."
A little smile came to Jack's lips. "I think I can say, Daniel, that that's the best news I've had in quite a while." His eyes met Daniel's. "Welcome home, Danny."
Hearing Jack call him 'Danny' for the first time in years made Daniel smile, a weight that had been upon his heart lifting at last.
As he made his way to his car, the archeologist sent a silent word of thanks to Lantash. In taking Daniel as his host, the Tok'ra had forever altered the course of Daniel's life, ultimately resulting in him finding a level of peace and happiness that he might never have found otherwise. He didn't know what the road ahead might bring, but he did know that he would never again feel like he didn't belong. He knew where he belonged: right here with his friends and the woman he'd love for the rest of his life. No place else could compare to that.
EPILOGUE
"Mail call," Adam Fenway said as he stuck his head into Mick's tent. "Looks like you're a popular man this time around." He entered and handed the New Yorker some letters. "You got five."
"Ah, no doubt from all the lovely ladies back home pining away for me."
Adam smiled. "Maybe the other four, but one of those is definitely not from a lady."
Wondering from whom the mysterious fifth letter could be, Mick turned his attention to the mail as Adam left. He smiled when he got to the third envelope in the pile.
"Ah, Daniel. About time we heard from you, my boy," he murmured.
It had been almost three weeks since Daniel left for home, and Mick had been wondering what was going on. Would the contents of this letter be the news that the archeologist was coming back or that he'd chosen to stay? Mick hoped that it was the former. He missed having Daniel around here. There was just something about that young man that made you care about him.
Truth be told, what Mick really wanted to read in this letter was that Daniel wasn't coming back because the woman who'd captured his heart had decided to stop being an idiot and return his affections, but the Irishman didn't hold out much hope for that.
Sitting down on his cot, Mick tore the envelope open.
Two minutes later, the rest of the camp heard the sound of a very loud outcry, an exceedingly enthusiastic exclamation of a single word:
"Yahoooooo!"
THE END
