CHAPTER SIX
When Cameron walked into Daniel’s office Tuesday morning and found the archeologist with another smile plastered all over his face, the pilot knew that something big was up. In the two plus years that he’d known Daniel, he had seen a smile on the man’s lips all of half a dozen times before now, yet this was the second one to be there in the past three days.
“Another smile, I see,” Cam remarked. “Two smiles in three days. That must be some kind of record for you.”
Startled, Daniel looked at him, having been completely unaware of the man’s presence. He quickly put a damper on the smile that had come to his face when he started thinking about his dates with Sam.
“Did you need something?” he asked with a poker face.
Cam’s eyes narrowed. “Oh no you don’t. You’re not getting out of it this time. You refused to tell me why you suddenly decided to transfer to Atlantis, and then why you just as suddenly changed your mind. Now, I find you wearing the biggest grin I’ve ever seen on your face. You are going to tell me what’s going on.”
Daniel studied the pilot silently, realizing that, sooner or later, he was going to have to be told about what was going on, especially if Daniel and Sam kept dating.
“All right. The truth is that—”
An energetic Vala came bursting into the room. “So, how did it go? I want all the details!” She then noticed Cam’s presence. “Oh. Hello, Cameron. I didn’t see you there.”
The pilot stared at her, then at Daniel. “So, how did what go?”
“He and Samantha went on a date!” Vala blurted out.
Cam’s eyes widened dramatically. “A . . . a date?”
Daniel sighed. “Yes, a date.” He glared at the woman in the room. “Thank you so much for just blurting that right out, Vala.”
She grinned. “You’re welcome.”
The size of Cameron’s eyes had not diminished. “You mean that you and Sam are. . . . But I thought that she and General O’Neill were. . . .”
“Oh, she and General O’Neill were,” Vala explained, “but then they weren’t because they figured out that they not longer wanted to be. So, now, it’s Daniel and Samantha, because Daniel already is, and Samantha may soon be.”
Cameron blinked. “Huh?”
Vala started to explain further, but the words halted on her tongue when Daniel’s finger shot up into the air, accompanied by a glare.
“Let me handle this,” he snapped. He turned to the totally confused younger man. “Sam and Jack realized that they no longer felt for each other what they used to, so they aren’t dating anymore. I’ve . . . had feelings for Sam for a long time now. Sam found out and agreed to go on a date with me to see if we could become more than friends.”
Cam stared at the archeologist for several seconds. It was then that all the pieces fell into place. “You decided to transfer to Atlantis because you thought that Sam and the general were going to be together.”
Daniel looked away from him. “That was part of the reason.”
“Part? Don’t give me that. I’m betting it’s the whole reason.”
“No, not the whole reason. As you’ll recall, I was heading off to Atlantis at the time that you took over command of SG-1. I’ve been wanting to go there for a long time, and those few days I spent there last year wasn’t nearly long enough.”
Cameron paid no attention to Daniel’s words. “So, now that you and Sam are dating, you won’t be going, right?”
“That really all depends.”
“On what?”
“On how things develop.”
“He means on whether or not Samantha falls in love with him,” Vala supplied, much to Daniel’s mortification.
“Could you please stay out of this?” he growled. “In fact, why don’t you go bother somebody else for a while?”
Vala pouted. “But I want to know how the date went.”
“They went very well, and that’s all I’m telling you.”
“They? As in more than one?” Vala grinned again. “Well, well, well. Two dates in two days. You certainly aren’t wasting any time, are you. The first date must have been very good indeed.”
The smile still on her face, Vala left the room. Daniel shut the door to make sure that she couldn’t listen in on them. When he turned back to Cameron, he found the man watching him closely.
“You’re in love with Sam,” Cam said quietly.
Feeling rather uncomfortable, Daniel returned to his desk and sat down, saying nothing.
“Sam didn’t know before now?”
“No.”
“Well, I have to say that I’m pretty surprised. I saw right off that the two of you were close friends, but I couldn’t have foreseen you being more than that.”
“We still may not be. Sam doesn’t feel for me what I do for her, and that may never change.”
“And, if it doesn’t, you’ll go off to Atlantis.”
“Yes.”
“Well then, speaking as the leader of SG-1, I’m really hoping it does change.”
Daniel studied the pilot’s expression. “You wouldn’t have an issue with two members of the team being in a relationship?”
“Not as long as you can keep your personal lives separate from the job. Now, I don’t know how Landry will feel about it.”
Daniel made a face. “Yeah. That’s not a conversation I’ll enjoy having.”
Cameron searched Daniel’s eyes. “I really do hope that things work out like you want them to, Daniel. I’m saying that as a friend, too.”
Noticing that the man had called him by his first name, Daniel nodded slightly. “Thanks. I can’t tell you how much I’m hoping that as well.”
After Cameron had left, Daniel returned his attention on work . . . or at least that’s what he tried to do. A thought kept derailing his attention. He finally gave up on work and dialed a familiar number.
“Daniel,” greeted Jack. “Let me guess. You want my side of the story about what happened with me and Sam.”
“Um . . . no.”
“No? Then, what are you calling about? You’re calling from work, so I know that it isn’t just to shoot the breeze.”
“There’s, uh, something you should know.”
“Oh? Is there some problem? I’m detecting more than a little tension in your voice.”
“No, no problem. I just don’t know how you’re going to react to what I’m going to tell you.”
There was a brief moment of silence before Jack asked, “So, what did you do this time, Daniel?”
It was the archeologist’s turn to pause. “Sam and I have started dating.”
The utter silence on the other end of the line told Daniel that Jack had not been expecting that news at all. With each second that the silence continued, Daniel’s level of discomfort increased exponentially.
“You and Sam are dating?” Jack at last managed to say.
“Yeah. We had our first date on Sunday.” Daniel decided not to overwhelm his friend by revealing that the second date was on Monday. “I know that this is probably pretty shocking to you.”
“Shocking? Daniel, if I hadn’t been sitting down, I’d probably have fallen over. Now, I know this might sound like an asinine question, but I have to ask anyway. Why?”
“Why are we dating? Uhhh . . . are you still sitting down?”
“Yes.”
“Because I’m in love with Sam and have been for a long time.”
That declaration resulted in another long period of silence.
“You never said anything,” Jack finally said.
“No, of course not. You never said anything to me about your feelings for Sam.”
“Fair enough. So, how long is ‘a long time’?”
“Since I realized I was in love with her or since the first time I felt something for her that was beyond the boundaries of friendship?”
“Let’s start with when you made the big revelation,” Jack replied.
“A few months after I descended.”
“And when did the feelings start?”
“Around ten years ago.”
“Ten years?!” Jack exclaimed. “That’s since the beginning!”
“Not quite. Do you remember Simarka, the planet with the Mongols?”
“How could I forget?” Jack remembered something. “Ah. The blue dress. I did notice how you were gaping at her. Daniel, are you telling me that you’ve had those kinds of feelings for Sam since way back then, yet it took until after you descended to figure out that it was love?”
“No, of course not. I didn’t have those kinds of feelings all that time. There were just a few times when I felt things that you’re not supposed to feel for someone who is only a friend.”
“Was jealousy one of those feelings?”
“Um . . . yeah, a . . . a couple of times, though I always told myself that’s not what I was feeling.”
“And did any of those times have me as the reason for it? I know that you’ve been aware for a long time that there was something between me and Sam.”
“No, not really,” Daniel replied, “maybe because you two never did anything about it all that time. My jealousy was caused by . . . other guys.”
“Narim?”
“A bit.”
“Martouf?”
“More than a bit. I found them holding hands, and . . . well, let’s just say that I was most definitely not happy about it.”
“So . . . you and Sam are now dating. How’d that come about?”
“I had to tell her how I feel,” Daniel answered.
Jack knew that was far from being the whole story. “Tell me the whole thing, Daniel. I can tell that you’re hiding something.”
The archeologist sighed and did just that. The news that Daniel was going to transfer to Atlantis because he couldn’t bear seeing Jack and Sam together bothered the ex-general a lot.
“I’m sorry, Daniel,” he said. “I wish I’d known that you felt that way.”
“What would you have done if you had known, Jack? Not date Sam? I wouldn’t have wanted you to do that just for my sake.”
“I know, but maybe we could have talked or something.”
“Even if we had talked, Jack, it wouldn’t have changed anything, especially since going to Atlantis was something I was already considering doing.” Daniel hesitated before speaking the next sentence. “So, um . . . how do you feel about this?”
“As your friend or as a man who was once in love with the woman you are now dating?”
“Both, I guess.”
“Well, as your friend, I think it’s about damn time that you finally start dating again. As a man who used to feel the same thing that you do for Sam, I have to admit that my feelings are mixed.”
“Jealous?”
“Kinda,” Jack admitted, “but not because of any lingering feelings for her.”
“You just wish that it could have worked out between you.”
“It might have been great if it did. She is quite a woman.”
“Yes, she is.”
“Then again, we might have ended up killing each other within the first few months. You two, on the other hand, are way more suited to each other. For one thing, you can understand more when she technobabbles.”
“Not that much more. I’m just more willing to listen. But things might not work for me and Sam any more than they did for the two of you. Sam may never come to feel for me what I feel for her.”
“Yes, that is true,” Jack agreed, “but you’ve always been an optimistic kind of guy, so just think positively.”
“I guess you’re right. So, now that you and Sam aren’t going to be a couple, are you still considering moving back here?”
“Oh, I’m still considering it. I’m also still considering moving back to Minnesota.”
“And fish for the rest of your life?”
“The thought is appealing.”
“You couldn’t have done that with Sam.”
“True. She would have been worth the sacrifice, though.”
“Yes, she would.”
Jack heard the fervency in that statement. He was still amazed that Daniel had managed to keep this a secret from him for all these years. He wondered if Teal’c knew about it. The Jaffa could be surprisingly perceptive at times.
Speaking of Teal’c. . . .
“So, when is Teal’c coming back?” Jack asked.
“Tomorrow. I’m not sure what time. Early afternoon, I think.”
“Well, give him a big hug and kiss hello for me. I missed seeing him while I was there.”
“The hug and kiss will have to wait till the next time you’re here, Jack,” Daniel responded dryly, “but I will pass on your sentiments.”
The two friends talked for a few more minutes.
“Well, I’ve got some things to take care of,” Jack said at last.
“Yeah, me too.”
“Before I hang up, there is something I want to say, Daniel. This thing with you and Sam. I’m okay with it. She and I just weren’t meant to be . . . but it may be that the two of you are.”
Vala headed toward the commissary, a little spring in her step. The reason for the light step was the knowledge that, apparently, things were going quite well between Daniel and Samantha, which meant that Daniel would likely not be transferring to Atlantis. Of course, there was still a chance that their relationship wouldn’t work out, but Vala was determined to think positively, and she was now in the mood for something sweet.
Entering the commissary, Vala went straight over to the desserts and selected a piece of cherry pie. She looked around for a table and spied Cameron sitting off to the left. The problem was that he wasn’t alone. Vala frowned, studying the red-haired woman who sat at his table. Vala recalled seeing her on a few occasions.
The redhead laughed about something, and Cam joined in, making Vala’s frown deepen. They certainly did seem to be enjoying each other’s company. Not that she was jealous. Of course she wasn’t jealous, no more than she was jealous when Cameron was fawning over Amy what’s-her-name in Kansas while being completely rude to Vala. Yes, she did feel a certain amount of sexual attraction toward him and would love to find out how good he was in bed, but that was all. No, she was merely unhappy because, if Cameron was interested in another woman, it would mean that Vala wouldn’t get anywhere with him, and that happening with two guys in a row would be quite bruising to her feminine ego.
Just then, the woman rose from her seat, gave Cam a smile, then left the commissary. Vala immediately walked over to the table and sat in the chair she had vacated.
“So, who was that?” she asked Cam as she scooped up a bite of pie.
“You mean Rachel? She’s one of the civilian scientists.”
“You two seem pretty chummy.”
“We’re just friends.”
“Are you sure? It didn’t look that way to me.”
“Absolutely positive. Rachel would have no interest in me. I’m the wrong gender.”
Realizing what he was saying, Vala exclaimed, “Oh! But what about your ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy?”
“That only applies to military personnel.”
Vala smiled brightly. “Well, that’s good . . . for Rachel, I mean. I have no such interest in women. I like men.”
“Yeah, like that’s a newsflash,” Cam muttered under his breath.
Vala cut off another bite from her pie. “So, I was thinking that we could have our football date this Thursday. Now that Daniel is not going to be transferring to Atlantis, I would like to celebrate.”
“Don’t you think that the celebration is a little premature? Just because they’ve had a couple of dates doesn’t mean that things are going to work out for them.”
“Well, no, but, speaking as a woman, unless I enjoyed the first date very much, I would not agree to go on another one the very next day. I would like to think that is a good sign.”
Cam stared at her closely. “This thing with Jackson and Sam doesn’t bother you at all?”
“Why should it?”
“Oh, come on, Vala. Do you think I’m an idiot? You made no secret of the fact that you wanted to get Jackson in your bed.”
Vala pushed a lone cherry around her plate. “Yes, I admit that I did want that, but that is in the past now.”
“It is? Just like that?”
“I decided that I was not going to waste my time pursuing a man who would never want me. I do have my pride, after all.”
“I’m sure that Jackson will be relieved.”
“Yes, I’m sure he will be.” Vala speared the cherry she had been toying with and brought it up to her mouth. “So, this Thursday?”
“I can’t on Thursday, but there will be games playing on Saturday.”
“Saturday is good for me. Actually, since I have absolutely no social life, any day is good for me.”
“All right. Saturday it is, then. I’ll need to give you my address.”
“Oh, I already have it.”
“How?”
“I’ve looked at everyone’s personnel files.”
Cameron shook his head. “I’m not even going to bother asking how you managed to do that.”
“Just one of my many, many talents, dear Cameron. Perhaps, someday, I’ll reveal to you all my other talents.”
Hearing the slightly flirtatious tone in her voice, Cam wondered if she was coming on to him. She gives up on Daniel and decides to take a crack at him? Not that it would surprise him if she was doing that. Knowing what he did about Vala, it would be no surprise at all. After all, there was that incident at his parents’ home. Vala’s statement had made it clear that she would have welcomed him as a bed partner, although, to be honest, he couldn’t be certain if she had been serious. Regardless, he’d have to shut her down if she really started coming onto him. Yes, she was a beautiful woman, and he had noticed the way she looked in those skimpy outfits she used to wear all the time, but she was most definitely not the kind of woman with whom he would consider getting into a relationship. She was too . . . too . . . Vala. But there would be no harm in spending an evening with her while watching a football game.
“Do you want me to bring anything?” Vala asked.
“Nope. I’ll have everything we need for a football party, although it isn’t really a party when there’s just two people. I could invite a couple of other guys. Captain Morales played football in college, so he could answer a lot of your questions.”
Vala most definitely did not want other people there. “Perhaps next time,” she said. “I think I would prefer just having you explain things this time.”
“Suit yourself.” Cam got to his feet. “Well, I have some paperwork waiting for me, so I’ll talk to you later.”
Vala watched the pilot leave, very eager for Saturday to arrive.
It was a little after one p.m. the next day when Teal’c arrived through Earth’s Stargate. He was greeted in the gate room by Cameron, Daniel and General Landry.
“So, how are things going with the Jaffa Nation, Teal’c?” the pilot asked.
“They are going well.”
“That’s good to hear,” Daniel said. “Did you get a chance to spend time with Rya’c and Kar’yn?”
“Yes, and I have some excellent news to impart. Kar’yn is carrying my son’s first child.”
Daniel, Cam and General Landry all smiled at the news.
“Hey, that’s great, Teal’c!” the lieutenant colonel exclaimed, heartily patting the Jaffa on the back. “So, you’re gonna be a grandpa, huh? How does that make you feel?”
“I feel quite well.”
Wanting to get more details about how things were going with the Jaffa Nation, General Landry asked Teal’c to come to his office. Afterwards, the former First Prime went to his quarters and unpacked his belongings. He had just finished when there was a knock on his door. He opened it to find Cam on the other side, whom he invited in.
“Boy, did you miss a lot while you were gone,” Cameron said the moment the door was shut.
Surprised by the statement, Teal’c frowned. “General Landry did not tell me of any important occurrences. Did you embark upon a dangerous mission?”
“No, no missions.”
“Was the base attacked?”
“No, everything’s been quiet here.”
“Have we encountered some new and powerful enemy?”
“Uh uh. Not that either.”
Teal’c’s eyebrow had gone up a bit. “Then what has transpired, Colonel Mitchell?”
“Sam and General O’Neill started dating and went off fishing together. Jackson, who’s been secretly in love with Sam for years, decided to transfer to Atlantis so that he wouldn’t have to watch the two of them together, but those plans got put on hold because Sam and the general discovered while on their fishing trip that they weren’t in love anymore. Now, Jackson and Sam are dating, and if Sam falls for him, he’ll cancel the transfer to Atlantis, otherwise, the transfer’s back on.”
Teal’c, who had not moved a muscle, except perhaps for an increase in the elevation of his eyebrow, stared silently at the pilot for several seconds.
“I see,” he said at last.
Cam gaped at him. “I see? That’s all you have to say?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I have to say that that’s disappointing.”
“I apologize for disappointing you, Colonel Mitchell. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some things to which I must attend.”
Not waiting for a response, Teal’c left. After taking care of a few things, he went to Daniel’s office, where he found the archeologist hunched over a translation.
“Hey, Teal’c,” the archeologist said upon seeing him. “Settling back into the routine of things around here?”
“Yes. Colonel Mitchell has told me of the events that transpired in my absence.”
Daniel didn’t have to ask what Teal’c was talking about. “Oh. I should imagine that you’re pretty surprised.”
“I am not.”
“You’re not?”
“I have been aware for quite some time about the emotions that O’Neill and Colonel Carter once had for each other.” The Jaffa paused. “I was also aware of the emotions that you felt for Colonel Carter.”
The last sentence shocked the archeologist. “You were? For how long?”
“That is unimportant. Colonel Mitchell has told me that if Colonel Carter does not come to love you, you intend to transfer to Atlantis.”
Feeling a little embarrassed, Daniel said, “I would probably have gone eventually anyway. It’s just that I’ve finally realized that I love Sam too much to be around her every day just as a friend. It would drive me crazy. Also, if I stayed, Sam would probably be pretty uncomfortable around me now that she knows how I feel.”
Teal’c studied his friend’s face closely. “You fear that she will never be able to love you in that way.”
Daniel looked away. “It’s just that she loved Jack, and he and I are nothing alike. I know that she had feelings for Narim and Martouf, and they were both a lot more like me than like Jack, but. . . .” He sighed and turned back to his teammate. “Do you think I have a chance with her, Teal’c?”
“Yes,” the Jaffa replied without hesitation.
“You sound so sure.”
“I have reason to believe that you and Colonel Carter will have a successful romantic relationship.”
Daniel stared at the dark-skinned man intently. “Why do I get the feeling that there’s something important you’re not telling me?”
Teal’c merely smiled slightly in response.
Sam came walking in. When she saw Teal’c, she gave him a bright smile.
“Welcome back. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to greet you when you came through. I had to go into town for an appointment.”
“Teal’c has some great news,” Daniel told her.
“Oh?”
Teal’c gave her the news about Kar’yn’s pregnancy, which resulted in a hug from her.
“Rya’c must be so thrilled,” she said.
“Indeed. I believe there is a saying that describes his emotions. He is . . . on cloud nine.”
Sam laughed. “Yes, I should imagine that he is. Of course, after the baby is born, he and Kar’yn are going to have to bring it here so that we can see it.”
“I am certain that they will.”
Having some other things to do, Teal’c bid them goodbye and left the office.
“He knows about us,” Daniel told Sam.
“He does? How did he find out so soon?”
“Mitchell told him.”
“Cam knows, too?”
“Yeah. He was pushing for an explanation to what’s been going on with me.”
Sam nodded. “So, was Teal’c surprised?”
“No, not at all. He already knew that I had feelings for you.”
“He did? I guess he managed to see something that the rest of us didn’t.”
“Um . . . Jack knows, too.”
Sam was caught totally off-guard by that revelation. “How?”
“I told him. I felt like he needed to know.”
“Oh. How did he take it?”
“He has some mixed feelings, which is understandable, but he’s okay with it.”
“That’s good. I wouldn’t want things to be awkward the next time he comes.” Sam smiled. “So, on that subject, we should start planning our third date.”
Daniel smiled brightly. “I’m all for that. I was thinking that perhaps we should have more of a traditional date this time, dinner at a fancy restaurant, maybe dancing.”
“Sounds great. We both have Sunday off, so how about Saturday night?”
“Works for me.”
They discussed the details and decided on a movie, then Sam headed back off to her lab. She’d been there for around forty minutes when her phone rang.
“Hello, Sam,” Jack said. “Did I catch you in the middle of something? I never know when you’re going to be at home, so I decided to call you there at work.”
“No, I’m not doing anything critical.”
“Good.” There was a long pause. “Daniel told me about you two.”
Suddenly, Sam was feeling very uncomfortable.
“So, I know why he’s doing this, but I have to ask why you are.”
“I . . . I just think that Daniel and I might be able to have something good together.”
“I have to agree. However, I also have to wonder if your main motivation for doing this is to keep him from leaving.”
Sam felt a little insulted. “I wouldn’t date him just to prevent him from going to Atlantis, Jack. That would be cruel, not to mention foolish.”
“Yes, it would. So, does that mean that you really believe you can fall in love with him? I have to tell you that, though Daniel and I didn’t talk about it for very long, I could tell that he really does love you.”
“I know he does. I think it could work out. Daniel is a wonderful guy, and the two of us get along so well and have such a close friendship.”
“Which is all great but doesn’t mean that you’ll come to feel that other kind of love for him.”
“I know.” Sam sighed. “I really don’t know if I’ll come to feel that way about him, but. . . .”
“You hope that you will,” Jack guessed. “It’s all right for you to admit that, Sam. I’m okay with it.”
Sam decided to open up about it. “He really is a terrific guy, and, though I’ve never thought about it like that before this whole thing started, we are very compatible. I think we could be good together. And when he looks at me. . . . He really loves me, with his whole heart. It kind of feels good to know that. He told me that he’d leave the program for me.”
Sam’s last statement made Jack think about the fact that he never considered resigning nor even transferring out of the program so that he could be with Sam. Had that only been because of his sense of duty?
“Well, I guess all I can say is that I hope you both get what you want, Sam. You definitely deserve it.”
“Thank you.”
“There’s something I need to say, though. If you start to think that it’s never going to happen, don’t let this go on, Sam. The longer you keep this going, the more hope you’re going to give him and the harder it’s going to hit him when you break it off.”
“I know.”
The two of them said goodbye and hung up. For a long time afterwards, Sam sat staring at the phone, really hoping that she would not find it necessary to break Daniel’s heart.
