Category: Daniel/Sam.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
Season/Sequel: Sometime in the future....follows from my other stories "The Lovers" and "The Observer"
Spoilers: Nope, none.
Summary: Jack’s thoughts on the Daniel/Sam situation.

I shift awkwardly for what seems like the hundredth time in the past half-hour, trying to get comfortable. It ain’t gonna happen though, no matter how much I move. Let’s face it, a small stone jail cell, with an earth floor and moss growing on the walls is not the Ritz-Carlton in anyone’s book.

Not that it’s affecting any of my comrades. Teal’c is over in the corner there, as impassive as only he can be. Daniel is pacing. If he keeps it up, he might just wear out the floor and discover us a hidden tunnel, thereby allowing us to escape.

In times gone by, I might have shared that. If there’s one thing that SG-1 used to do extremely well, it’s gallows humour. But there’s been none of that.

Not since the night that I found Carter and Daniel necking in the woods like a couple of love-struck teenagers.

We’d finished setting up camp, and realised that they’d been gone for longer than they should have been. Thinking that Danny had probably found some really interesting rocks, I told Teal’c to hold the fort while I went looking for them.

I came through the woods and found them sitting in a clearing, Daniel with his back against a rock, Carter in his arms, staring across a lake. I was going to say something, but the way they looked together shut me up. There was something intimate about the way they were – I couldn’t put my finger on it straight away. I couldn’t speak either. As I looked, Carter said something about how they’d better get back, that I’d be wondering where they were. She pulled herself up and yanked him up too, and damned if he didn’t end up with his arms around her.

By this time, I’m pretty sure my mouth was gaping. What the hell was he doing? Carter was a Major in the Air Force, trained in hand to hand combat, and she was going to kick his ass for touching her like that. I was ready to step in and defend the guy.

Until her head went on his shoulder. And he moved his hand through her hair. He kissed her cheek. Then she moved her head and laid one on him.

The last time I saw Daniel kiss a woman, it was Sha’re on Abydos, right before she was taken. Carter’s kiss wasn’t up there in length or intensity, but for fireworks, it wasn’t far behind.

"The Hell?" I couldn’t stop the cry that came out of me once they’d torn themselves apart from one another. And I sure as hell couldn’t stay there and listen to their excuses.

Didn’t stop them from following me back to the camp, where I pointed out to them what a bad idea this is. That’s when I found out that this wasn’t a one-off. They’d been carrying on for the past three months.

I mean, what possessed them? Did they even consider how this would affect the team? What the repercussions would be?

Obviously not.

And then they tried to make it look better, saying that it was a relationship. That they wanted to get married one day. When hell freezes over, I wanted to say to them. But I didn’t. I said a lot of other stuff though.

Then I went to bed. I couldn’t look at them anymore. I could hear them talking to Teal’c and I definitely heard Carter dragging Daniel to their tent, as she called it. Rubbing my nose in it much Carter?

The next morning was awkward. Carter and Daniel didn’t speak to me. Teal’c was his usual stoic self – Jaffa aren’t much for breaking awkward silences. So we tramped through the woods all day, finding nothing, and we set up camp for the night, with me deciding that we’d head back for the Gate the next day.

The debriefing was more notable for what we left out than what we put in. I didn’t mention finding Daniel and Carter wrapped up in each other, how they’d shared tents every night since it happened. Teal’c didn’t mention the scene around the campfire. I’ve never seen Hammond so puzzled. He knew he was missing something, he just didn’t know what.

Not everyone on the base was as clueless as Hammond was. I figured that out in the infirmary. Janet got done with Daniel first, and before he left, he went over to Carter. They spoke quietly for a couple of minutes. There was no untoward physical contact, in fact, they didn’t touch at all. But just like back at the lake, there was an atmosphere about them, like you were intruding on them by looking. When Daniel left, I saw Janet come over, a mother hen look on her face. I presume she asked Carter what was wrong, and Carter did something I’ve rarely seen her do.

She dissolved into tears.

Janet’s gaze swung to the door Daniel had just left through, then over to me, and the look she gave me made me consider seeing another doctor. Two and two were obviously making four, and she’d guessed exactly what happened. Or she’d known all along.

Et tu Doc?

I avoided Carter and Daniel wherever possible after that. We spoke to each other on a professional level, but that was it. Very little outside the functional. Banter was gone. Hockey night a thing of the past.

The four of us and Janet were the only ones who knew about Carter and Daniel’s relationship. But you know what the funniest thing is?

The more I saw the two of them, the more I realised how blind we’d all been. How could we not have seen it? I never saw them kiss on the base, never saw anything that might even be remotely classed as inappropriate behaviour. But I saw little looks, touches of the hand, the shoulder, half smiles and grins, private jokes. Small things, that once you put them together, added up to form a bigger picture.

It all became clear to me one day last week when I was out shopping. I’d blanked them for the best part of three weeks, and even I was getting sick of it. I was noticing more and more that it really wasn’t just a passing thing, and they did seem to be happy, but I still didn’t agree with it. I was walking down the street, when I saw a couple coming out of a shop on the other side. They looked like any young couple in love, him in jeans and plaid shirt, her in jeans and a T-shirt. His arm was around her shoulders and one of her hands was up, holding his. They were laughing together, it looked like he was teasing her about something. And they went about their business together, like a million other happy, in-love couples, never even seeing me. Never seeing anyone but each other.

Except it wasn’t any normal couple. It was Carter and Daniel.

It hit me then. Ever since Sha’re died, I’ve been after Daniel to go on with his life, telling him to get out, that there was more to life than cleaning and classifying rocks.

All he’s done is listen to me finally.

I never thought it’d be Carter though.

Not because she was just "Carter" to me, not because I didn’t see her as a woman. I’m well aware of what a knock-out she is. That’s the problem. Because no matter how much I try to deny it, no matter how much I know it’s against regulations, I’m attracted to her. And I always thought that if she was going to fall in love with someone she knew well, someone who was a friend, that it’d be me.

Sure called that one wrong.

But does it matter? If they’re my friends like I say, if I care for them like I say, shouldn’t their happiness be the most important thing?

Unfortunately, before I could share my new-found maturity and wisdom with them, we were sent on this mission to this godforsaken place. The second we stepped through the gate, we were hit by some kind of knockout gas and woke up here.

The three of us.

Without Carter.

Which accounts for my silence and Danny’s pacing.

I want to tell him that it’s all going to be ok, that Carter’s going to be fine. But I can’t, because I know Danny’s mind, and I know what he’s thinking. Right now, he’s not here with us, he’s back on Abydos, reliving the nightmare that was Sha’re’s abduction, unable to entertain the possibility that it could all happen again.

I swear, if I have to tear this place apart brick by brick, I will not let that happen. Because to lose Carter would kill Daniel. And to lose her before I get the chance to apologise to both of them for my stupidity would kill me.

Just then, we hear footsteps approach. Daniel stops pacing, I jump up, and Teal’c moves closer to the bars. It’s four men, clad in hooded robes, and thank you God, one of them is carrying Carter. They tell us to stand away from the bars, and we’re happy to oblige. They unceremoniously dump Carter onto the floor, where she collapses in an unconscious heap. Daniel goes to her right away, as the door is closed again. "If you’ve hurt her…." My voice trails off. The men turn away and begin to move. "When are you gonna let us out of here?" I call after them.

One of them turns. "In time."

That’s it for a response. "At least it’s something." I turn to see Daniel now sitting on the floor, cradling Carter in his arms. She’s unconscious, but I can’t see any cuts or bruises, so it looks like she hasn’t been tortured. "How is she?"

There are tears in his eyes as he looks up at me. "It um….it looks like she’s just unconscious. Her breathing and pulse are normal….but we won’t know anything until she wakes up."

I keep one eye on my watch, the other on the two of them. Danny doesn’t take his eyes off Carter, his left hand strokes her hair, his right holds one of hers. It seems like an eternity, but it’s only ten minutes before I hear a groan from Carter. Danny’s instantly attentive, leaning closer to her. "Sam? C’mon Sam, it’s ok, I’m here. You can wake up now." His voice is gentle, tender.

Like Danny, I’m looking only at Carter, and I can see her eyelids moving as she pries her eyes open. She rolls her head, licks her lips. "Daniel…." The word is a whisper, but in the silence of our cell, it’s like a shout. Daniel raises her hand to his lips and kisses it, relief written all over his face.

Teal’c and I are staying well back, not willing to interrupt this little tableau. Carter needs time to come to, and Daniel needs time to reassure himself that she’s ok, and if there’s one thing we have plenty of, it’s time. Carter pulls herself into a sitting position, needing Daniel’s support to stay there. Leaning against him, she looks at me, a worried frown on her face. I give her a smile, trying to let her know that she shouldn’t worry. "Carter. You had us worried there."

She smiles wanly. "Sorry about that Sir."

I wave my hand. "Look, I know this mightn’t be the best time. But can you tell us what happened to you?"

She takes a couple of deep breaths. "I remember coming through the Gate, straight into some kind of gas cloud. Everything went black, and when I came too, I was in a large room….." She shook her head. "I was pretty out of it…all I can remember is seeing gold and crimson everywhere…it was like some kind of throne room…and there were hieroglyphics on the walls…" She looked at Daniel. "I remember wishing you were there so you could tell me what it said."

He squeezes her hand in support. "Were there people there?" That was going to be my next question, but I didn’t want to interrupt the reunion.

Carter nods. "Three women….they seemed to be the rulers. They asked me who we were… where we were from … if we had been sent by the Goa’uld." She took a deep breath. "I told them we were from Earth, that we came in peace, and that the Goa’uld were our enemies. That we had fought against them and won, but that we were looking for further allies."

"What did they say to that?" I ask.

"That they too were enemies of the Goa’uld … and that they would think about an alliance. Then…" She shook her head again. "They must have hit me with the same kind of gas again. The next thing I remember, I woke up here."

Daniel, Teal’c and I exchange looks. "Nice way to treat potential allies," I remark. "Gas ‘em and lock ‘em up."

"Perhaps this world has done battle with the Goa’uld in the past O’Neill," Teal’c postulates. "Releasing the gas may be an automatic defence measure on their part, as the closing of the iris is on your world."

I must look unconvinced, because Daniel adds his two cents worth. "He might be right Jack. None of us have been harmed in any way." His gaze goes back to Carter. "I mean, they could have done anything…"

I nod, looking away as their gazes lock, feeling more like an outsider than ever. "And they did say they’d let us out of here in time…." I run my hand through my hair in frustration. I’d like nothing better than to get out of here, but one of my team is barely able to hold her head up, and another is way too worried about her to be any use in an escape bid. Come to think of it, I’m too worried about her to be any good in an escape bid. That leaves only one option, an unusual one for me.

Sit and wait.

"OK." I’m the one pacing now. "We wait." If they’re surprised, they don’t show it. "Teal’c and I are going to stand watch. Carter, you rest." She opens her mouth to protest, but I step on whatever she’s going to say. "And don’t tell me you don’t need it – you look like a good gust of wind would knock you over."

She smiles, acquiescing silently. Danny catches my eye uncertainly, blinking and stuttering. "Jack? What should…."

I know there’s a smile on my face, one of those sardonic ones that I haven’t bestowed on Danny in way too long. It has the desired effect of shutting him up. "I think you’re fine where you are Daniel." There’s no bitterness in my voice, just an amused statement of fact. Surprise registers on his face, and if Carter had the energy to vary her facial expressions, I’m sure she would follow suit. Daniel decides to take the comment in the spirit in which it’s meant, and holds Carter close. In seconds, she’s asleep.

Teal’c and I stand watch, checking on Carter and Daniel every now and again. On one such occasion, I find Daniel watching me. I raise an eyebrow, giving him a "What?" look. He smiles that small, Daniel-smile that he has. "Thank you," he says quietly. I shrug, knowing what he means.

Then I go back to my pacing, and wait some more.