Category: D/S
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: Missing scenes from Crystal Skull

Sam ran a hand through her hair, staring at the crystal skull. She wasn’t supposed to be here – she’d said good night to the colonel, and as far as everyone was concerned, she was on her way home. But there was something about the crystal skull that wouldn’t let her leave. So instead of going home, she’d come back here instead, for all the good it had done. She’d run the skull through every battery of tests she could think of, and she still couldn’t figure out how it worked, what it was supposed to do, and why it made Daniel disappear. And it wasn’t just the effects of the radiation that was making her slow, although that sure wasn’t helping. She was doing her best, she just kept coming up against a brick wall.

"If Daniel were here…" she muttered to herself.

If Daniel were here, he’d be able to help her. Of course, if Daniel were here, she wouldn’t need his help, because she wouldn’t be looking for him in the first place….

She sat down heavily and rested her head in her hands. She was getting dizzy again.

She missed Daniel. Far more than she was willing to admit to anyone, even herself. She’d thought that meeting Nick would help, that he might have some insight into what happened to Daniel. It hadn’t worked out that way. Although it had given her a new insight into Daniel. Hearing Nick go on and on about how he had wasted his career in academia, how they had fought and disagreed, it took her back…it reminded her way too much of her life after her mother died, with her father and Mark at each other’s throats. Her dad and Mark had a second chance…she hoped that somehow, someway, Nick and Daniel would get their second chance too.

She heard footsteps approach, and looked up. She closed her eyes briefly as she saw an airman approach with Nick close behind. "I’m sorry to interrupt you Major Carter, but he insisted."

"Major Carter, I must speak with you." Nick was at his charming best as he smiled at her, and she saw more than a hint of Daniel about his features. She could never say no to him either.

"It’s fine Airman," she said, dismissing the woman, leaving her in her lab alone with Nick. A chill ran down her spine and she shifted awkwardly. She’d been feeling them ever since she’d come around from her radiation sickness, and it was starting to bother her. She wondered idly if it was some kind of side effect, and if she should go and see Janet about it. The oddest thing was, it felt as if Daniel were somehow near and talking to her every time one of the chills came along.

It had literally begun when she woke up. She had become aware of noises around her and tried to open her eyes. Looking to her right, she could just about make out Teal’c standing over the next bed, with what appeared to be the Colonel face down on it, as if Teal’c had picked him up from the floor and just flung him there. She decided her brain was too scrambled to make sense of that one, so she closed her eyes and moved her head back, trying to figure out if she had the energy to let out a groan and let them know she was awake. As she was making up her mind, she felt a gentle draft of air waft by her, and she got the distinct impression that someone was standing over her, looking down at her. She could feel someone’s hand reach out and brush her hair back out of her face, feel a hand linger on her cheek. Her lips curved into a small smile – she knew that presence, would know that presence anywhere. Her voice was a whisper as she let him know that she was awake, that she was grateful that he was there.

"Daniel…"

Instantly, there was a flurry of activity, and the next voices she heard were Teal’c and Janet, enticing her to wake up. When she finally opened her eyes and was able to focus, she scanned the room for the one face she was missing, the person who she had woken up for.

"Where’s Daniel?"

Janet and Teal’c had exchanged a look, and then Janet had nodded, giving Teal’c permission to speak. "Daniel Jackson did not return through the Stargate with us. I returned to the planet but was unable to find him. He is missing."

Sam had looked at him, then Janet, her brain unable to process what it was hearing. "But…" She bit off the thought. I felt him beside me? What kind of notion is that Sam? They’ll think you’re nuts…maybe they’re right… She was aware of Janet looking at her.

"Why don’t you get some rest…you’ll need some time before you can get out of here."

Sam had rested for a while. Then, by sheer force of willpower, she’d dragged herself out of her bed and gone to do what she could in the search for her friend. They were going to find him, she was sure of it. Anything else was unthinkable.

Except that nothing had worked so far. And she was still getting those damn chills.

She dragged herself back to reality and made herself look at Nick, focus on what he was saying, and not think about how much he was like his grandson.

"Nick…how may I help you?"

"He told me to come to you."

"Who did?" Sam frowned.

"Daniel. He is here with me, standing right beside me."

Sam looked to the left and right of the old man. There was no one there.

>*<*>*<

Daniel and Nick practically skipped down the hall. Ever since Daniel had found that Nick could see him, he’d felt a thousand pounds lighter. At least he knew now that he wasn’t dead. Nick was a lot happier too, he knew. He’d told him that when he first saw Daniel at the hospital, and it was apparent that no-one else could see him, that he’d feared his insanity had reasserted itself.

They’d had a long talk, and Daniel found himself telling his grandfather everything about the past four years of his life, finishing up by telling him of the only one who could help him out of this mess.

Which was how they ended up in Sam’s lab.

He felt his throat constrict as he walked in, seeing her hunched over the skull. He knew that she was working around the clock to find out how it worked, and he also knew that she really shouldn’t be – she was still weak after the radiation blast she’d suffered. She looked exhausted, and he felt vaguely guilty that he was the cause of putting her through so much trouble.

His guilt disappeared when he saw her look to the left and right of Nick, and upon seeing nothing but thin air, get a worried look on her face. "No, no no…" he muttered to himself. "Sam, you’ve got to believe me."

Sam looked at Nick as if he were a child. "Nick…. there’s no-one there."

Nick nodded. "That’s because you cannot see him. Only I can."

"Right."

Does she always sound so much like Jack? "Tell her I’m beside you right now."

"He is beside me right now."

Sam still looked sceptical and Daniel was getting worried. He was counting on Sam – she was his best hope. "Keep talking Nick…. make her believe you…"

"He told me all about your … Stargate … and about all the missions that you have been on … that the skull was found on another world…" As Nick spoke, Daniel was relieved to see Sam looking more and more amazed. At least she hadn’t set Janet on him. Yet.

"How do you know all this?"

Nick swung his gaze around to Daniel. "She does not believe me." He shrugged his shoulders.

Daniel hadn’t taken his eyes off Sam, and he could see her sneak a peek out of the corner of her eye to the little red telephone that would put her through to Janet. He said the first thing that came into his mind. "Tell her about the cookies!"

Nick’s eyebrows shot up, and Daniel could almost read the old man’s mind. "I’m not crazy, trust me!" He insisted. "Tell her about the cookies!"

"He says to tell you about the cookies…. but I don’t know what that means." He shrugged apologetically.

Daniel was gratified to see Sam look hard at the area around Nick. "Chocolate walnut," he added.

"Chocolate walnut," Nick parroted dutifully.

"I brought you some when Cassandra went to live with Janet…"

"He brought you some when Cassandra went to live with Janet…."

"And you brought me some when Sha’re died…"

"And I brought him some when Sha’re died…."

The last was spoken simultaneously by Daniel and Sam, and Nick looked back and forth between them as if he were looking at a tennis match. Not sure of what to say, not needing to repeat it, he simply said "Yes."

It was doubtful if Daniel even heard him. He was staring open-mouthed at Sam, who was holding onto the workbench as if it were the only thing holding her up. Which it just might be, he realised. There were tears in her eyes when she finally managed to speak. "My God, he’s here…."

Nick looked to and fro again. "That’s what I’ve been telling you."

"I’ve been sensing him….I thought it was just my imagination."

"No…it wasn’t…" Daniel was so quiet, Nick could barely hear him. "I was there when you woke up….."

At around the same time, Sam said, "He was there when I woke up…."

Nick considered a comment, decided against it. "Yes," he stated simply. This, he told himself, was definitely the way to go.

"And the skull did this?"

"Yes. But I do not know why I can see him."

Sam rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, you looked at the skull too….that must have something to do with it." She frowned, as if considering a new question. "Then how come I can sense him?"

She was talking more to herself than Nick, but that didn’t stop him from supplying an answer. "Perhaps because you care for him?"

Daniel had heard that tone in his grandfather’s voice before, and knew where he was going. "Nick, don’t even go there," he warned, waiting for Sam’s denial. A denial that never came.

There was a glint in the old man’s eye. "He cares for you too you know…a great deal…"

"I never said that." Daniel was indignant. "Sam, I never said that."

To his everlasting shock, Sam looked up at Nick and smiled uncertainly. "I know." She whispered.

"You…I mean…you kno…"

He was stopped by her next words. "I care about him too."

"You do?"

Nick smiled, satisfied with himself. "He thinks you are very beautiful Major Carter."

Sam blushed, and Daniel’s jaw dropped. "I don’t think Daniel said that." There was a smile on her face that was almost…wistful?

Nick held up his hands, admitting without words his embellishment. "Daniel has followed in my footsteps in all departments it seems….except in the ladies department." He reached out and took Sam’s hand, kissing it gallantly. "Perhaps I can be a gentleman, even if he can not."

"OK Nick, that’s enough."

The tone in his voice was sharp enough to make Nick jump. "He says that’s enough."

Sam looked around, apparently just remembering that Daniel really was there somewhere, and looking appropriately mortified. "I’ll get onto this right away." Daniel had never heard her sound so flustered. "You should see Colonel O’Neill and General Hammond about this."

Nick nodded. "Daniel told me this. But he also said that you would be the first person to believe me…the first to work it out…"

As he spoke, Daniel moved closer to Sam, finally standing in front of her. Both men watched as a shiver ran the length of her body. "He’s near me now, isn’t he?"

A nod from Nick was the only response as he watched his grandson raise his hand and lay it against Sam’s cheek – at least he would have had he been able to touch her. The gesture ended mere millimetres from Sam’s face, and even from across the room, with his old and failing eyes, Nick could see her tremble again. A tear ran down her cheek as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"We’ll get you back Daniel," she promised.

"I know you will." He said it as if she could hear him, and maybe somehow, someway, on some level she could, because a smile lit up her face. With difficulty, Daniel turned away from her and followed Nick to the door. When he got there, they both turned and saw her looking after them. Her gaze followed them out the door before she turned around and went back to her work.

Outside the door, Daniel turned an accusing stare on Nick. "I can’t believe you did that." There was a crafty smile on Nick’s face which, if anything, only increased Daniel’s ire. "You enjoyed it, didn’t you? You know, we have to work together….."

The tirade went on, but Nick’s smile didn’t flicker. Instead, he blithely ignored his spluttering grandson – he’d had plenty of practice at ignoring hallucinations after all! Turning to the nearest airman, he asked, "Could you take me to see General Hammond and Colonel O’Neill please? It is important."