Date: October 9th 2001
Category: S/D
Rating: PG
Archive:At my site The Band Gazebo. Anywhere else that has my stuff.
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: Sometime in the future - sequel to Connections
Spoilers:Vague reference to Message in a Bottle but you'll have to be quick.
Summary: When tragedy strikes, SG1 and their friends deal with their loss
Author's Notes: Would you believe that once upon a time, I didn't know the meaning of the word "sequel"? And then the gang on the various S/D lists threatened to beat me to a bloody pulp unless I learned it fast. This isn't the sequel you expected, but it's what crawled out! It was not helped by learning as I prepared to post it, that Walter's name isn't Harriman as I thought, but Davis (and I have the screencap to prove it!) Cue massive search and replace, and language that'll cost me a month in confession…This actually started out as a short story, based on a Tim McGraw song, Can't Be Really Gone. That was part one. The rest is all me. Big thanks to Tk for beta-ing and convincing me to post this! The song in part three is Beautiful by Jennifer Paige, from the Autumn in New York soundtrack.

Colorado Springs was beautiful in the springtime. Today was one of those days where the sky was a brilliant shade of blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds. A day where the chill of winter had finally disappeared and the promise of long hot summer days didn't seem so far away. The city seemed to have been re-energised, people walking to and fro, smiling to each other, stopping to chat with friends, even the birds seemed to be singing a little louder, a little more cheerfully. Everyone was full of the joys of spring.

Well, not everyone.

Jack walked down the hall to apartment 8-3, his step slow and heavy, his shoulders slightly hunched forward. He stopped at the door, taking several deep breaths before knocking. He could hear someone moving around inside, heard a familiar voice calling out "Just a minute!" The voice sounded harried, out of breath, as if its owner was being disturbed in the middle of something. It matched its owner's face when the door was opened a few seconds later, and blue eyes opened wide. "Jack! Come on in"

Another deep breath. Jack reminded himself that he was an Air Force Colonel, that he'd been through much worse than this. Somehow, he had a hard time making himself believe it. "Danny." He looked around him, the apartment seeming no different than it normally did. "Whatcha doin'?"

Daniel stood in his living room, looking around, as if trying to decide what to do next. "Just a bit of spring cleaning."

"Spring cleaning is good…." Jack was having trouble finding the right words to say, as well as trouble looking Daniel in the eyes.

"Yeah…although it's not like Sam's going to notice…most of this mess is hers anyway…" Daniel shook his head as he straightened papers on the coffee table, shuffling them into a neat orderly pile. "I never had to do much housework until she started staying over…I'd hate to see what we'd be like if she moved in full time…." He straightened up, noting the frown on Jack's face, the look in the older man's eyes hovering somewhere between pain and sympathy. "What?"

"Daniel…." There was a long pause. "Why are you doing this?"

"To have it ready for when she comes home." He said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Daniel…" There was that long pause again as Jack tried to come up with the most tactful way of saying what needed to be said. "Sam's not coming home."

"No." He turned away from Jack, picking up an empty plate and dish, moving into the kitchen.

Jack followed him. "I know this is hard for you Daniel…"

"No." His voice was flat, emotionless.

"Daniel, you've got to face this…"

"You're wrong Jack."

"We were told…."

"I know."

"Daniel…. Sam's dead."

They were back in the sitting room again, having wandered around in circles in the apartment. "No Jack. She's not." A serene half-smile decorated Daniel's face.

"Daniel, there's no way she could have survived…"

Daniel was shaking his head. "She's not gone Jack. She can't be. There's too much for her to do…so much left undone…" He looked down at the ground, unable to look at Jack anymore. The naked pity in his friend's eyes was too much to bear. So he didn't see when Jack walked over to him, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Daniel…it's normal to feel that way when you've lost someone…."

"But I haven't lost her Jack!" Daniel's head snapped up, his eyes blazing with a passion Jack knew all too well, and his heart sank as he saw it. There was no talking to Daniel when he was in a mood like this. "Look around you…. there's so much of her here…." He walked quickly down the hall to the coat-stand, picking up a wide rimmed floppy canvas hat. There was a large pink bow tied around it, and despite himself, a smile crossed Jack's face. "You remember her buying this?"

"When we all went to Mexico." They'd had some much-needed downtime and Colorado Springs was in the middle of a winter snowstorm. SG-1 had been more than ready for some sun, and Teal'c had been eager to see more of his adopted planet. So they'd headed for Mexico, where Teal'c and O'Neill went sightseeing and Carter and Daniel had done…other things. Things that Jack didn't want to think about his best friend and his second in command doing.

"I teased her so much for buying this…told her that I didn't think it was something that an Air Force Major would be seen wearing…she told me that she wasn't an Air Force Major while she was there…that she was just Sam. And that it was practical….it blocked the sun…and that it'd block any wind or rain that might come…." He shook his head. "It's probably the ugliest thing I've ever seen…but it was beautiful on her."

Jack couldn't disagree. "That it was."

"And here!" Placing the hat back where it had been, Daniel pointed to a pair of strappy silver sandals with impossibly high heels.

"They don't look like your size…." Jack wasn't even sure that Daniel was able to hear him. He was lost in his memories.

"She went out shopping on Christmas Eve. She was supposed to be buying some last minute presents for Cassie and Janet. She said she'd only be an hour. When she came back four hours later, she had more bags than I've ever seen her carry….these were in one of them. I told her that they weren't really practical for trips off-world. She just laughed…said they called her name. She wore them when we went out for New Year's Eve…she had this amazing silver dress…I'd never seen her look more beautiful. We danced all night…and I knew that these shoes were killing her feet, but she never said a word. She's too stubborn…."

"She had to be…look at her CO…."

Daniel was off again, into the bedroom. Jack followed at a distance, not sure if he wanted to go in there or not. Daniel appearing in the doorway with a dog-eared book in his hand saved him having to make the decision. "See? This is her book….she left it on the bed, she was reading it before we left…." He flipped through the pages, wincing as a marker fell to the floor. It landed at Jack's feet and he picked it up.

"The two of hearts...so that's where it went…I thought I'd lost it when she lent me them…"

Daniel plucked the card from his hand. "Thanks…she'll kill me if I lose her place. But look…see? Chapter twenty-one. She's only got another five to go. And she loved this book…she'll want to see how it ends…"

Jack snapped back to reality. "Daniel…"

"She's coming home Jack."

"She's gone Daniel."

"No, she's not! You don't understand Jack…I'd know."

"You heard the explosion Daniel." Jack followed him into the sitting room, watched him put the book down carefully, lovingly, on top of the papers, which he could now see were covered with Sam's handwriting. "There's no way…"

"You don't understand!" Daniel repeated his earlier words. "I'd know! Here!" He pointed to his head. "And here!" He pointed to his heart.

Jack looked heavenward, hoping for inspiration. "Look….I know that since 451, and since she came back that you've been together…that you have this…bond…."

Daniel shook his head. "I know you don't believe us…"

Jack didn't stop talking. "But just because you're together, doesn’t mean that you'd know something like that."

"Yes it does." Daniel held his gaze. "You don’t get it Jack, you never have. Yes, there's a connection between us. Yes, we're together. But it's more than that. She's my other half Jack…she's the part that makes me whole. We fit…we always have, right from the start. Even on Abydos…."

There was nothing Jack could say to that, because he knew that Daniel was right. But it didn't change the fact that he was wrong. He cleared his throat. "I wish I could help you Daniel…"

"You don't have to help me Jack. She's going to come home. And I'll be here when she does."

>*<*>*<

Jack didn’t stay too much longer at Daniel's. He couldn't bear to watch him flitting around the place, making things just so, preparing for Sam's homecoming. He wouldn't accept what everyone else was dealing with.

That Sam was gone.

Sighing, he knocked at another door, smiling tiredly as it opened. "Janet."

"Hey." Janet wrapped his arms around his waist instantly and he accepted the hug, sparing him having to look into her red-rimmed eyes for a few precious seconds. When she finally pulled back, she led him into the sitting room, where everyone else was waiting. "How's Daniel?"

"Not good." Jack didn't bother to greet the rest of the party, just waved a hand as he collapsed into a chair. "He doesn’t want to believe it."

"Who does?" Janet asked dryly, handing him a beer that he hadn't even asked for.

"Was it wise to leave DanielJackson alone?"

Jack shook his head. "He's not gonna do anything stupid Teal'c. Not unless he cleans himself to death…" He winced at his choice of words, as did the rest of the group. "Sorry." His eyes flicked around the room, then to down the hall as he realised who wasn't there. "How's Cassie?"

Tears flooded Janet's eyes and she covered her face with her hands, unable to speak. The man sitting beside her laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Pretty bad. She cried herself to sleep about half an hour ago…Teal'c carried her to her room." Walter Davis's eyes were red and worried behind his glasses.

"Did you get in touch with Jacob General?"

Hammond, at the other side of the room, shook his head. "He's on some kind of major…Tok'ra…diplomatic mission, far too important to be interrupted." He knocked back a shot of amber liquid, slamming the empty glass down on the table. "Damn snake-heads."

"The Tok'ra are our allies General Hammond," Teal'c reminded him, eyebrow raised. A snort from the General was his only response, not counting the new shot that Hammond poured from the half-empty bottle of Southern Comfort in front of him. "That bottle was full when General Hammond arrived O'Neill," Teal'c told Jack. "And General Hammond is the only one who is drinking from it."

"And I brought another one with me, if you'd like to raise a glass Jack..." Hammond raised his glass as he spoke. "To one of the finest damn officers it has ever been my honour to serve with."

"I'll drink to that." Lou Ferretti stood up and walked over to the drinks cabinet, opening it before he remembered it wasn't his house. "You mind Doc?"

Janet lifted her head. "Knock yourself out Ferretti. And bring me a glass. Walter? Teal'c?"

"Sounds good to me."

"I shall also drink a toast to MajorCarter."

A slight smile came to Jack's face. "Don't go too wild or anything there Teal'c. You'll shock the General."

Teal'c tilted his head. "Based upon stories that you missed, I do not think that much would shock the General."

Jack looked at the General, and raised his own eyebrows. "General?"

Against all odds, there was a smile in Janet's voice when she spoke. "Oh, it seems the General was quite the maverick in his day…"

"Not unlike a certain Colonel we all know." Walter finished her thought.

Jack's expression was one of affected innocence, sobering when Ferretti placed five glasses on the table. General Hammond quickly emptied his, joining it with the others. Six shots were duly poured.

They looked at them in silence for a moment, before Janet looked over at Hammond. "Sir? I think this is your show?"

Hammond nodded. "Very well." With a General's bearing, he pulled himself up, none too steadily, and raised his glass. "Would you all raise your glasses and be upstanding? To Major Carter…one of the best."

"The best," Teal'c amended as his glass was raised.

"A hell of a soldier," Ferretti added.

"And a scientist," was Walter's contribution.

"And a team-mate." Jack recalled all the times he'd wished it could be otherwise, then put it from his mind. She and Daniel had been made for each other.

"And the best friend…" Tears threatened to swallow Janet's words, but she fought them back. "…That you could ever wish for." Her glass shook as she held it aloft.

"To Sam." Jack finished the toast as they knocked back their shots.

>*<*>*<

It was much later when there was a knock at the door. "I guess that's me," Ferretti said, as he stood up none too steadily. He'd called a taxi some half an hour earlier, right about the time that General Hammond had begun snoring softly in his chair. "See you guys tomorrow…" He looked at the clock. "Later…. whatever…." The rest chorused their goodbyes as he shut the door behind him.

Janet looked over at the General, whose arms were crossed on his chest, chin resting on top of them. "Well, I think he's out for the count."

Jack drained the last of his own drink as she spoke. "Ya think?" They shared a smile, unused to seeing the by-the-book General Hammond like this. "He's got quite the smutty repertoire."

"How will we look at him in a briefing again?"

Teal'c, who hadn't moved from his spot against the wall, tilted his head. "I shall have no trouble looking at General Hammond."

The three others laughed, knowing full well that Teal'c understood what they meant, and knowing what he was trying to do with his words. It was Janet who gave the appropriate response. "Figure of speech Teal'c," she explained patiently, and he nodded, mollified.

It was Walter who broke the silence. "I wonder how Daniel's doing."

Janet and Jack sighed heavily. "I just don't know…you guys should have seen him. He kept on talking like she was just…out at the store or something. Says he'd know if she was dead."

"Wouldn't he though?" Walter hadn't been drinking as much as Jack and Hammond, and at his question, Jack was suddenly sober again. "I mean, is it such a stretch?"

Jack snorted. "A psychic bond that lets them sense one another's thoughts? How likely is that?"

Walter looked at him strangely. "This from the man who travels to other planets through a giant ring for a living."

"Touché."

"I'm with Walter on this one Jack," Janet told him. She looked at the man beside her, then back to Jack. "You know me. I'm more of a sceptic on these matters than anyone. But you haven't heard Sam talk about it…she knows what he's thinking, what he's feeling. Even if they're not in the same room."

"Janet, they were always like that. On the same level. Even when Sha're was alive. Used to drive me crazy."

"But it was more than that after P3X-451," Janet argued. "Sam told me that as she got used to her powers, she was able to distinguish more of what was going on around her. The people close to her, she could sense before they even came into the room. It came in handy when we were talking in the infirmary about…." Her voice stopped abruptly as she realised she might be saying too much, a thought only emphasised by the identical expressions of the men around her. "Anyway, she was right. Every time. But Daniel? It was different with him."

"Different how?" Walter asked.

"She knew exactly what he was thinking…what he was feeling. And I got the feeling that they could…communicate…with one another. Thoughts, feelings, emotions…." She was aware that Jack was looking at her as if she'd grown a second head, and she hurried to define her thoughts. "I was as sceptical as anyone. But to hear Sam talk about it…" She shook her head. "There's no way I could doubt her."

"Daniel used to say the same…I just never…pfft." Jack waved his hand.

Janet looked up to the ceiling, her eyes once again filled with tears. "Poor Daniel."

>*<*>*<

Daniel was sitting at his piano, hands moving idly over the keys. He wasn't playing anything in particular, wasn't thinking of anything. Playing was one of his hobbies, a way to relax him, a way of letting him forget all his problems. He'd played ever since he was a small boy; his mother had insisted on him taking lessons. He'd hated it at first, cried, sulked, even refused to practice. His mother however, was stubborn. It was quite the family trait. She hadn't given an inch, and eventually, Daniel had learned to love playing. Especially when his mom would play with him, the two of them taking it in turns to play their favourite songs.

When she'd died, playing was a way of feeling closer to her. He didn't play in front of people anymore. He hadn't for a long time.

Not until Sam.

Almost against his will, his idle fingering turned into familiar phrases, a song they'd heard on the radio and loved, a song he'd learned to play just for her. The lyrics came to him unbidden, and he sang softly.

He wasn't going to sing the chorus, didn't want to sing the chorus. But someone had other ideas. A soft soprano voice sounded from behind him, picking up the melody just where he'd left off.

She came up right behind him as she sang, placing her hands on his shoulders, finally sliding around, sitting down on the bench beside him. When she finished singing, she rested her head on his shoulder. Taking that as a hint that she wasn't going to sing any more that evening, his hands slowed down across the keys, finally stopping altogether.

"That's a sad song," she told him.

"I'm in a sad mood."

"Why?"

"Something Jack said."

"You shouldn't listen to the Colonel. He doesn't know what he's talking about half the time."

"Only half?" One corner of Daniel's mouth turned up in a smirk. "Sam, are you mellowing on me?"

He could feel Sam's smile against his shoulder, feel the flash of emotion that ran through her at his words. "There's some that say I mellowed a long time ago Daniel. Around the time I fell in love with you."

He kissed the top of her head. "I love with when you say that."

"I know." Sam lifted her head, meeting his lips with hers. When they parted, she slipped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his heart. "What did the Colonel say this time?" When he didn't answer her, she turned her head up and looked into his eyes. "Daniel?"

Looking into her eyes, the eyes he'd loved for so long, Daniel didn't want to spoil the moment. "It doesn't matter."

"It does. If it has you so upset, it does. Tell me Daniel."

He raised his hand, resting it on her cheek, feeling the warmth of her, his heartbeat quickening as she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. "He said that you were gone. That you weren't coming back."

The eyes opened, the blue emotion there reaching down to his very soul. "He's wrong Daniel."

"I know. I told him. But he doesn't believe me."

"I'm here Daniel…I'm not going anywhere."

He let his head fall forward, their foreheads touching. "Aren't you?"

Her arms tightened around him and she buried her head in his chest. His cheek rested against her hair as he closed his eyes, revelling in the moment, the scent of her shampoo surrounding him. Her voice sounded in his head, strong and clear. I'm here Daniel…I promise…waiting for you…

"Waiting for me?" His eyes flew open.

Only to find himself alone in his bedroom. He sat up, looking around him, noticing the early signs of morning filtering through the blinds. "Sam?" he called, remembering as he did so the events of the previous day. Her book still sat on the nightstand, the two of hearts just peeking up from the edge. Assorted toiletries decorated the top of the dresser, and some of her clothes were visible in his closet. His hand reached out to her side of the bed. Even though it was cold, he could still smell Sam's shampoo, still feel her in his arms, in his thoughts.

"Where are you Sam?"

>*<*>*<

Across town, light filtered through a different set of curtains, falling squarely on Janet's sleeping form, penetrating her sleeping mind. She waited before opening her eyes, hoping against hope that the throbbing in her head would disappear if she just laid there perfectly still, without moving. When that didn't work, she realised that as a doctor, she really should know better, and go in search of some aspirin. She managed to pry her eyes open, only to find herself lying on her couch, with Jack and the General asleep in their chairs across the room. Teal'c was nowhere to be seen, but each of them had blankets over them. She supposed that the Jaffa had waited until they'd all fallen asleep before tucking them in and retiring to her spare room for a spot of Kel'no'reem. It wouldn't have been the first time.

Pushing herself up with difficulty, for the room seemed to swim around her, she inadvertently woke up her pillow. Walter blinked sleepily and mumbled something, his glasses askew on his face. Janet reached up and fixed them for him, quieting him before he could speak by placing a finger against her lips. When he frowned, not understanding, she pointed to Jack and Hammond, who were both dead to the world. His lips formed a silent "oh" of understanding and he nodded, nodded again when she nodded her head towards the kitchen, noting her wince when she moved her head suddenly.

They managed to get to the kitchen without too much difficulty, and Walter set about making the coffee. "Strong?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Janet sat back in her chair. "As strong as you can make it…and plenty of it."

"You want some aspirin too?"

"There's some at the back of the cupboard. Although I think that Jack and the General will need it more than I do."

Walter laughed, stopping when she motioned for quiet. "Sorry," he apologised. "But who knew the General could put it away like that?"

"He had good reason." She smiled as he put two steaming mugs of coffee on the table, then sat down beside her. "Sam was like a daughter to him." She took a sip of the coffee, willing herself not to cry.

"How are you?" He laid a hand on her arm.

"I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up." Janet's voice was half laugh, half sob. "That someone's going to tell me that it's all a big mistake. It doesn't seem real."

"That's normal Janet. You've got to give it time."

"Jack was telling us about Daniel…and all I could think was that I knew exactly how he was feeling…because I don't want to believe it either."

"Janet…is there any way he could be right?"

Janet sighed, wanting desperately to share the hope in his eyes. "No. God I wish there was…but Teal'c told me what happened. The blessings of Jaffa control." She closed her eyes, seeing him standing in the infirmary, ever calm and composed.

"The Ladresians reacted strongly to MajorCarter when we first encountered the village." Teal'c's voice made them both jump slightly. "It seems that they were able to tell that she had telepathic ability. DanielJackson found out that theirs was also a telepathic society, but that the ability had waned in recent generations. The leaders expressed an interest in speaking to MajorCarter of her ability, which she agreed to. It is the practice of the Ladresians that unmarried adults share segregated sleeping quarters. We were escorted to one, MajorCarter to another. We had been apart scarcely ten minutes when there was an explosion." Teal'c paused and looked down, words failing him. "It was the domicile that MajorCarter had been taken to. It was razed to the ground…with no survivors."

Tears slipped down Janet's cheeks, the story no more palatable on the second hearing. "It was an accident Teal'c. You couldn't have done anything."

"I realise that Doctor Fraiser. However, that will not bring MajorCarter back. Nor will it aid DanielJackson in coming to terms with his loss."

Janet sighed. "I know that. I know that."

Teal'c cocked his head to one side, looking down at the two sitting side by side. "Did you sleep?"

They nodded in unison. "Thanks for the blankets by the way." The corners of Janet's mouth turned up slightly.

"I did not wish to wake you. Did CassandraFraiser also sleep through the night?"

Walter and Janet looked at each other but it was Walter who spoke. "If she didn't, I didn't hear her."

"I'm going to let her sleep as long as she can….she needs it, poor kid." Janet stared into her cup of coffee, shuddering as the memory of Cassandra's sobs hit her. "Sam's the second mother figure she's lost."

"At least she's still got you." Walter squeezed her hand.

The kitchen door flying open interrupted their conversation, as Jack staggered in, holding his head. "I am never…never…drinking again."

"I believe you said that the last time O'Neill."

The look that Jack gave him would have had any other man quailing where he stood, but not Teal'c. Never Teal'c. Jack realised that and decided not to waste his energy. He fixed Janet with a pleading look. "Aspirin?"

Walter answered for her. "Beside the coffee-pot."

Jack helped himself liberally to both, sighing with relief when the first drops of coffee slid down his throat. "Does everyone else feel as bad as I do?"

"Pretty much." Janet's tone was wry. "Although after that bottle of Southern Comfort, I'm betting the General's gonna be worse."

"I’m fine." Walter's words earned him filthy looks from Jack and Janet, so too did Teal'c's "As am I."

"How's Cassie?"

"Sleeping. It's the best thing for her." Janet finished her cup of coffee. "So…who's going over to Daniel's today?"

They all looked at each other, but Jack, unsurprisingly, was the one who volunteered. "I will accompany you O'Neill."

Walter looked at the clock. "I have to go to the base."

"I think people will understand." Jack raised an eyebrow, which was about the only movement he could manage without pain.

Walter chuckled. "Well, if I don't go in, my replacement would be Graham Simmons. And I think he'll be in a worse state than any of you this morning."

Janet grinned. "God, he was so crazy about her…"

"And he thought no-one knew…" Jack remembered.

"Sam only found out when Daniel told her…and of course, he 'happened' to tell her when Simmons could hear them. Didn't you know that?" Janet responded to Jack's amazed look.

"Where was I?"

Janet opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Walter. "I'm sure you were just hanging around somewhere Jack." There was a twinkle in his eyes as he said it, and Janet bit her lip against a fit of the giggles. Teal'c did a much better job of either of them of controlling his mirth, and one look at him nearly did Janet in completely. Jack looked around, sure that he was missing something, but unsure of what. He was stopped asking when the kitchen door opened slowly, and Cassie walked in. The girl was dressed in a baggy T-shirt and jeans, both rumpled and creased, her hair hanging limply around her shoulders. Her eyes were red, her skin blotchy.

"Hey kiddo," Jack greeted her. "Sleep ok?"

"Kinda." She shrugged. "I kept dreaming about Sam. I guess it wasn't a dream huh?"

"No sweetie." It was Janet who spoke. "I wish it were too."

Cassie walked over to her mother, who reacted immediately by pushing back her chair so that Cassie could fit in her lap. The girl, who would usually tell everyone that she was far too old for that, wrapped her arms around Janet's neck, burying her head in her shoulder. Janet's hand moved around her back in circles, while Walter still gripped her other hand tightly.

"It's going to be ok honey," Janet soothed, not sure who she was trying to convince.

>*<*>*<

The men all left together. Walter offered to drop off General Hammond while he himself was on his way home to get changed. Jack and Teal'c left at the same time to go to Daniel's place. That left Janet and Cassie to clean up the house. Which meant that Janet was busy cleaning up the house on her own after the remnants of the previous night's wake when Jack and Teal'c came back. She couldn't keep the surprise out of her face when she opened the door to them. "Where's Daniel?"

"I wish we knew." Jack threw himself into the chair, squashing Janet's newly fluffed cushions.

"DanielJackson was nowhere to be found at his apartment. We also checked the surrounding area with no success."

"Are you sure?"

Jack shot her a withering look. "We bribed the doorman into letting us in…told him what had happened. Plus, Daniel's car was gone."

"Was the apartment ok? I mean, had he…?"

Jack was shaking his head before the question was finished. "The place looks like the Stepford Wives have gone to work on it. He must've spent all day yesterday cleaning it."

"Waiting for Sam to come home." Janet shook her head.

Cassandra had been sitting quietly when they came in. When she spoke, they jumped, having almost forgotten she was there. "Then where is he?"

"I wish we knew kiddo."

The ring of the telephone cut through the room, making them start. Janet looked at Cassie, expecting her to run to answer it, sure that it was going to be one of her friends. It usually was. Cassie saw her look and took the hint. "Hello? Yeah…. yeah….I'll get her." She held the phone out to Janet. "It's Walter Mom. He's looking for you."

Frowning, Janet took the phone, speaking in a low tone as the three others in the room tried to listen in. When she hung up the phone, she turned to them. "Daniel's at the base."

>*<*>*<

From his usual place in the control room, Walter looked up in surprise when Janet came in. "What are you doing here?" he asked, standing up in greeting. "I thought Jack and Teal'c would come."

Janet shrugged. "They thought that someone new might have better luck talking to him." She looked around her, taking in the lack of noise, the sombre air that hung over the room - indeed, the whole base. "It's quiet here."

"It's quiet all over. Everyone…. well…you know." Walter could see that Janet was fighting for control, and knew better than to push her in front of the small audience that was following their every word, just waiting for a chance to put the base grapevine to good use. "Come on." He placed a hand at the small of her back, guiding her out of the room. "I'll show you where he is."

They walked along the corridors of the base in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Janet didn't even realise where they were heading until they turned the last corner before their destination. "Sam's lab."

"Security rang me the minute they saw him come in. I got them to keep track of him. He's been here ever since."

Janet leaned back against the wall, her slight frame trembling uncontrollably. Her hands made fists against the cold metal walls and her eyes were squeezed shut, tears barely contained beneath her lids. She had to take several deep breaths before she was able to speak. "All the times I had to force Sam of out this lab…all the times we spent in there, me hiding from my nurses, her hiding from Jack…of course, all she had to do was spout some of her technobabble at him, and he'd go running…"

"Never under-estimate the power of science-speak," Walter deadpanned.

Janet managed a weak smile, opening her eyes. "Daniel was the only one who could get her out of here…all he had to do was look at her and she'd give in. I'd never seen anything like it. I used to tease her about how she could never refuse him anything. She used to tell me it worked both ways. And she was right."

After checking that the corridor was deserted, Walter stretched out a hand, placing it on her shoulder. "You don't have to do this you know," he reminded her gently.

She shook her head to clear it of any negative thoughts, standing up straighter as she did so. Walter could almost see her pulling herself together. "I have to," she muttered. Meeting his worried gaze, she repeated herself, stronger, louder. "I have to. For Sam. And for Daniel."

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

"Come find me when you're done."

"Count on it."

>*<*>*<

Despite her brave words to Walter, Janet still had to take another round of deep breaths before she was able to walk into the lab. When she finally did work up the courage to stand in the doorway, she recoiled at the sight of the empty stool, the workbench in front of it covered with drawings and notes, the remains of several pencils, and Sam's favourite coffee mug. It looked just like it always did, as if Sam had just stepped out for a meeting, or on a mission, and would be back any second. Janet almost expected to see her sitting on the bench, swearing a blue streak at some incomprehensible mystery of astrophysics, pencils flying across the room in all directions. Or to come up behind her, breezing in the door, asking her for any of the latest gossip, either about their lives or general base scuttlebutt.

The rush of memories caught her off guard and she didn't know how long she was standing there before she heard Daniel's voice. "You're expecting to see her too, aren't you?"

Even if she hadn't been blindsided by memories, she would have had to look hard to see Daniel. She finally located him, sitting on the floor in the corner of the lab, with a perfect view of the door, the better to see who came in. She approached him cautiously, trying to gauge his mood. His voice was calm, his eyes dry. The only clues to what he was feeling might have been what he held in his hands, spread across his knees, what he was looking at with an empty look in his eyes. Janet recognised it instantly. It was a shawl that Sam had brought back with her from P3X-451, a warm woollen affair, deep crimson in colour, with swirls of blue and yellow and green threaded through it. Sam had called it her "thinking shawl" swearing that her brain worked better when she wore it. When Janet had poured scorn on her theory, Sam had only laughed, telling her that she'd worn it all the time when she was learning to control her powers on 451, and that it must be lucky for her. Janet couldn't count the times that she'd seen that shawl wrapped around Sam in this very room. Seeing it like this, seeing Daniel hold it, with that look in his eyes…it was just wrong.

When Janet reached the wall, she let herself slide down, settling herself on the floor beside him. "How are you Daniel?"

"You didn’t answer my question," he chided. "You expected to see her when you came in, didn't you?"

Janet sighed. "Yes. It's hard to believe she's gone."

"She's not gone Janet." The voice was still calm, no tears there. Just certainty.

"Daniel…"

"Jack sent you here didn't he?" He didn’t wait for a response. "Don't answer that…I know he's worried about me."

"We're all worried about you Daniel."

"I know that. But I also know that I’m right."

"What you're feeling…it's natural Daniel. Sam was my best friend, I know how you feel…"

"No you don't. If you did, you wouldn't be talking like she's not coming back."

"I don't want to accept it either, but we have to Daniel…"

"No." The level of his voice never changed, and Janet was silent for a moment, not knowing quite what to say. He spoke before she could come up with something. "I dreamed about her last night you know."

Janet nodded. "So did Cassie."

A smile came to Daniel's face. "Did she dream about bridesmaids dresses again? That's what it was the last few times."

"I don't know. She didn't say. I dreamed about her too."

"But my dream was different. She spoke to me. She had a message for me." Janet's heart sank at the look in his eyes. The dull lifelessness was gone, replaced by a searing gaze, all too familiar to Janet. Daniel got that look every time he was convinced of something, every time he felt strongly about something. It was the look that told you that there was no talking him out of what his mind was set on, the look that told you the only thing you could do was stand back and not get in the way. Only one person had ever got around Daniel with that look on his face, and she wasn't here anymore. "I know what you're thinking Janet," he continued, growing more animated as he continued. "But she spoke to me…it's like she was there in my dream. She told me she was waiting for me. And that she was here. She's not gone Janet."

"Sam will always be a part of you Daniel. What you two shared…most of us can only dream of a bond like that."

Janet was trying to reason with him, but Daniel seized on her statement. "You see? I know she told you about us…that we could communicate with each other…what if she's still out there? Trying to get in touch with me?"

"Daniel…Teal'c told me what happened. That the building was destroyed. You saw it. You know there's no way she could have survived."

"Then how come she did?" Daniel could see tears forming in Janet's eyes. "Don't cry Janet…I don't need your sympathy. I need your help."

"What can I do?"

Any light at the end of the tunnel that Janet may have seen was extinguished by Daniel's next words. "I want to go back to Ladresia."

>*<*>*<

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Jack's comment was loud and predictable, and sitting on her couch with her head in her hands, Janet only wished that General Hammond had thought to leave some of that Southern Comfort behind him when he left. She needed something to get her through this.

Almost as if he could read her mind, a mug of coffee miraculously appeared in front of her, courtesy of Walter. As promised, she'd sought him out when she'd left Daniel, still sitting in Sam's lab, but under a promise that he wouldn't do anything stupid, a promise only extracted once she'd told him that she'd talk to General Hammond and Jack about going back to Ladresia. Although, how she was going to accomplish that, she hadn't the faintest idea. She'd talked to Jack about Daniel's denial, he'd told how he was acting. She'd thought she'd been prepared to talk to him, confident that her experiences as a doctor would stand to her. But it hadn't. She knew how Daniel was feeling, after all, she'd loved Sam too. But his total denial of the facts, his unshakeable belief that Sam was still alive…she'd almost believed him. She'd wanted to believe him. And the experience had rattled her more than she'd believed possible.

She hadn't said anything to Walter when she first got to the control room, having barely had the energy to drag herself up the stairs there. He'd taken one look at her and walked out, leaving the control room to the rest of the team. They'd all looked over quickly and looked away, and there was going to be talk, no doubt about it, but neither Janet nor Walter could find it in them to care. He'd walked her back to her office, where he'd closed the door and let her cry in his arms. She'd cried since she'd heard the news of course. But this was the first time that she'd broken down, and she'd sobbed so hard she thought she'd never be able to stop.

When she finally did calm down, she'd told him everything, and he'd ordered her home, telling her that he'd follow her, control room be damned

The coffee was just what she needed, and she met Jack's incredulous gaze with a steely resolve, honed by years of medical practice. "I realise your reluctance…"

"Reluctance?! The last time we went to that place, I lost my second in command, in an explosion that cannot be explained by the way, no matter how sophisticated these people's technology is. The building was atomised for crying out loud! And you expect us to go back there and be all happy about it?"

Janet set her jaw. "This isn't about you Jack. It's about Daniel. And helping him to come to terms with this. If he can see for himself where it happened…talk to people about it…make it real for himself…"

"It makes sense Jack." Walter backed her up. "Here, he's surrounded by memories of her. It makes it easier to keep reality at bay, keep denying it. You guys came back as soon as you could." Jack's mouth opened, and he hastened to add, "Not that I blame you, you did what you had to do, I know that. But Daniel needs to say goodbye."

"I concur O'Neill."

Jack shook his head, rolling his eyes as his three friends ganged up on him, not for the first time. "I guess you're right."

"I want to go too." The small voice from the door made them all jump and turn their heads. None of them had realised that Cassie was standing there.

"Cassie, honey…"

Cassie spoke over Janet, not willing to be talked out of what she had to say. "Mom, I know that it's against the rules. But I want to see where it happened. I want to say goodbye to Sam." Her bottom lip quivered as she finished. "I loved her too."

Mother and daughter turned beseeching stares on Jack, who shook his head again, knowing well when he was beaten, and stood up, putting on his jacket. "I'll talk to Hammond."

>*<*>*<

The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, with only wisps of cloud flitting by on a gentle breeze. Behind him, Daniel knew that there was a forest of trees, and a path leading to this clearing. Ahead of him, there was a cliff, where the earth dropped away, leaving a spectacular view of the planet below. The only sounds to be heard were the whispers of tree leaves as the breeze moved them, and the odd cry of a bird as it flew by.

Daniel Jackson knew only utter contentment as he looked around him. The view of the planet was breathtaking, no doubt about it. But not nearly as breathtaking as the view in his arms.

Sam was sitting with her head buried in the crook of his neck, her body curled up in his lap, warming him more than the heat of the sun. His right arm was wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly, while his left was around her back, reaching up to play with the fine blonde hairs on her head. He wasn't looking down at her, but he could imagine the look on her face, her eyes closed, lips curved into a gentle smile. He'd seen that expression on her face enough times, both in dreams and in reality, to know that it was there now. How many times had he woken in the night and stayed awake, simply watching her sleep, the moonlight illuminating her features, the ghostly light only adding to her beauty.

"I’m not asleep you know." Her voice broke the silence.

His hands slipped under her hair, finding the nape of her neck, rubbing circles on the skin. "That's what you always say." His voice was soft, teasing.

So was hers. "That's because I'm always right."

"That's why I love you."

She lifted her head at that, an amused grin spreading across her face. "Oh, is that why?"

He smiled down at her, and there was no amusement there, some other emotion in its place. "Among other reasons…."

She arched an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"C'mere," he growled, bending his head, letting his lips meet hers. She responded enthusiastically, letting her hands move up and down his back. When they pulled apart, there were matching smiles on their faces, and they settled back in each other's arms, enjoying the view, the view they had shared so many times when Daniel had visited Sam on P3X-451.

"What would I do without you?" Daniel's whisper was so soft that Sam could barely hear it.

"You don't need to worry about that," she whispered, kissing his neck, her head having returned to its pillow against his shoulder.

"That's not what Jack and Janet think."

"What do they know?" Her tone was indignant, but she didn't move, didn't look at him. "Jack's been telling us ever since we got together that it wouldn't work. And Janet's just worried because she's my best friend, and she doesn't want to see either one of us hurt."

"They think you're dead." His voice, even to his own ears, was like that of a lost child's, like the child he had been when he'd witnessed the death of his father and mother at eight years old. The voice he had used when Nick had refused to adopt him - Grandpa, why don't you want me?

"They're wrong Daniel. Look at me." She lifted her hand up, laid it against his cheek. "Look at me…I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere."

"But Sam…" His chin trembled as he gave voice to his worst fear. "I can't feel you."

"Can't feel me?" Confusion was stamped all over her face. "But I’m here Daniel."

"But I can't feel you. I can feel your hand on my face…your body in my arms…but I can't feel you. Not the way I could before. I told Jack that I'd know if you were dead, and I thought I would. And it doesn't feel like you're dead. But you're not where you were before. It feels like you've left me. And I'm scared Sam…that the reason I can't feel you is because they're right. That you're gone, that you're not coming back."

Sam pulled herself out of his arms, and her anger was almost visible when she stood up. "Stop talking like that Daniel. You're not making any sense." Her long purple dress swished against the ground as she turned, creating a small cloud of dust from the dry earth.

"What if I am Sam?"

"You're not." Her voice was fierce as she knelt down beside him again, taking his head between her hands, forcing him to look at her. "You're not, do you hear me? I will never leave you. I promise."

His hands reached out, cupping her face as hers were cupping his. Tears brimmed in his eyes, almost blocking his words when he tried to speak. "Where are you?"

"I'm right here Daniel…where I've always been…and I'm waiting for you."

Her lips met his, as she crushed her body against his, and he held on to her with all his might, pouring all the love he felt into that kiss.

He woke up alone in his apartment, tears streaming down his face.

>*<*>*<

SG-1 were gathered in the Gate Room, not such an unusual occurrence. What was unusual was that one of them was missing. That was why the usual pre-embarkation chatter was noticeably absent; no chatter from the team, no instructions from the control room. Just silence.

What was also unusual was that Walter Davis wasn't at his usual place in the control room. He was standing in front of the Gate, with Janet to his left, and Cassie beside her. In front of them, Jack, Teal'c and Daniel were patiently waiting to go through the Gate with the air of people who'd done this a thousand times before. Their thoughts were somewhere else, on someone else, not on the trip they were about to take. Walter knew he should be thinking about Sam too. However, for someone used to watching people traipse through the Gate rather than go through it themselves, it was a little bit harder.

Perhaps sensing his mood, Cassie looked up at him. "Don't be scared Walter. It's a piece of cake." He did his best to smile reassuringly at the only person in the room who had more reason to be nervous than he did. The last time that Cassie had gone near the Stargate, it had nearly killed her.

In spite of the occasion though, in spite of his nerves, he couldn't help but smile a genuine smile at the girl in front of him, the girl he'd come to think of as a daughter over the past six months. He wasn't supposed to be here right now; he was supposed to be at his regular perch in the control room. That's what Jack had told them when he'd come back to the house the previous day, that SG1 had a green light to go, along with Janet who would be there to keep an eye on Daniel. But that was all. Upon hearing that, Cassie had begun to cry again, and looking from the child to her mother, Walter had stood up, excused himself, and made his way to the base. He'd had a meeting with Hammond, where he'd put in an impassioned plea for himself and Cassie. He'd told Hammond, his commanding officer, things that he never thought he'd tell about his relationship with Janet, how long they'd been together, what Cassie had come to mean to him. He'd reminded Hammond that Sam was the second mother that Cassie had lost, and that she deserved a chance to say goodbye to her, to make peace with her loss. And he'd also pointed out to Hammond that while Janet was going through the Gate to keep an eye on Daniel, that she'd just lost her best friend, and who was going to keep an eye on her? He'd finished up with words straight from his heart. "You're asking me to stand by and watch as the two people who mean most to me in the world do something that's going to tear them apart. I want to be there General. Please."

The General had been silent for a long time, or what seemed like a long time to Walter. Then, he'd nodded, and told Walter that he and Cassie could go through.

It was ironic, he supposed, that he'd got his way on the premise of his being strong for Cassie, yet now here she was, being strong for him.

Heads turned and his thoughts were interrupted as the door swished open, and General Hammond walked in. Everyone started as they took in the General. It wasn't unusual for him to come in her just before a mission left - what was unusual was his attire. Like them, he was dressed in civilian clothes.

Jack tilted his head. "General. Permission to disembark?"

"Granted." Hammond nodded firmly, taking a step towards the Gate. "Let's go." When no-one else moved, he surveyed the members of his team. "Don't look so surprised people…you didn't think I was going to let you go without me, did you?"

Looking around, Jack saw that everyone else was studying the floor, the ceiling, the Gate, anything but the conversation between him and the General. "Well actually Sir…yes."

Hammond stood ramrod straight. "I've known Samantha Carter since she was a child Colonel. I've forgotten more tales about her than you're ever likely to know. And I made a promise to her father when she joined my command that I'd keep her safe. Now, I may not have been able to keep that promise…" He paused, clearing his throat. "...But if you think I'm not going to go to pay my respects to her, then you're much mistaken." Hammond looked down the line. "Any problems with that?"

A round of meek "No Sirs" answered him. Nodding again, he looked up into the control room, issuing his final instructions as everyone else picked up their packs. "Lieutenant Simmons, we expect to stay on planet over night. If we do not check back in twenty-four hours, send a MALP through and radio us."

"Yes Sir."

"Well then…let's go."

>*<*>*<

The Stargate was located quite a way from the main town, and the team hiked in silence as they made their way along the path. Daniel remembered thinking on the first mission how strange it was, that the technologically advanced Ladresians hadn't built their main settlement nearer to the Stargate. Hammond said as much as they walked, and Jack looked over at Daniel, expecting him to launch into an anthropologically detailed account of settlement patterns, but the younger man walked in silence, head down, lost in his own thoughts. Jack settled for a shrug.

The last time, they had camped when the sun began to set, but then again, they had left the SGC later that time, taken more time in exploring the surroundings. This time, they reached the town just as the sun was beginning to set. To their surprise, the three leaders who had greeted them previously were waiting for them.

"O'Neill." An elderly man, Talric, stepped towards Jack, bowing from the waist as he did so. "We did not expect you to return. May we once again offer our deepest condolences on the loss of your Major Carter."

"Yeah, well…" Jack turned and gestured to Hammond to come forwards. "That's why we're here."

Talric exchanged uneasy glances with the two men on either side…or did it just seem that way to Jack? "Indeed?"

Hammond took a step forwards. "I am the commanding officer of these people. It is our wish that we pay our respects to Major Carter."

"It is an Earth custom," Teal'c supplemented.

Again, glances were exchanged between the leaders, followed by glances between Hammond and Jack. Something wasn't sitting right with either of them. "Very well," Talric said finally, his tone almost reluctant. "But night will soon be falling. Will you take shelter with us this night?"

"That would be welcome," Hammond nodded.

Talric nodded. "I will send for women to attend to the woman and child."

Jack spoke up quickly. "Ah, that won't be necessary. They'll stay with us."

Talric exchanged glances with his two companions before spreading his hands and saying in a worried, if apologetic tone, "O'Neill, I have explained to you, this is not the way things are done here."

The group exchanged looks, no-one willing to have Janet and Cassie parted from them, but not able to think of a way around the customs of the planet. It was Cassie who saved them, dropping Janet's hand and stepping over beside Walter, gripping his hand in hers tightly, her other hand holding onto his arm. "Mom," she said, in her best beseeching little girl voice, tears trembling just under the surface. "You mean we can't stay with Dad?" She looked from Janet to Walter so her meaning couldn't possibly be misinterpreted.

The adults just about managed to keep the surprise off their faces, and Talric looked suitably convinced. "Ah," he said. "I did not realise. This way."

He led them to a large building, and when the door was opened, there was a large hall in front of them. "This is a community hall," Talric told them. "I will arrange for food and bedding. It may not be comfortable…but it is the best we can do on short notice."

"This will be fine, thank you." Jack was doing most of the talking, but the rest were happy to let him. Talric nodded again and left, leaving them looking at each other.

>*<*>*<

Sleep came quickly to the small group, although Jack insisted that he and Teal'c should keep watch. Hammond and Walter also volunteered, although when Janet and Daniel also spoke up, they were both refused. Daniel had been worried that sleep wouldn't come to him that night, but the long walk seemed to have tired him, and the realisation that he hadn't been able to feel Sam had added to his torpor. The bedding was surprisingly comfortable and he fell asleep quickly, the murmurs of his team-mates acting almost as a lullaby.

He awoke with a start, unsure of where he was. Sitting up to look around him, he saw that he was still in the same room, but that everyone else had disappeared. No traces of their bedding remained, nor, when he looked down, was there any trace of his. He blinked a couple of times, trying to clear his head when a noise outside the door made him jump up. It sounded like a voice calling his name in a whisper. His ears couldn't tell if the voice was male or female, but his heart knew the owner. Moving as quickly as he could to the door, he wrenched it open, stepping into the cool night air.

"Sam?" he called out, turning around slowly. It may have been night, but the twin moons of the planet were high in the sky, leaving him plenty of light to see by. There was a whisper on the breeze that bore more than a passing resemblance to his name and a hint of purple disappeared around a corner. Setting off after it at a run, he saw footsteps on the earth, and he knew that he was heading in the right direction. He didn't know how long he was running for, but always he could hear that soft whisper of wind, always he could see that flash of purple, but it was always just out of his sight, always it had just vanished around the next corner. That is, until he turned a corner and saw a large building dead ahead. This was different to the rest, made of stone and slate while the rest were made of wood and thatch. But there was a heavy door on the front, with an iron knocker in a distinctive curlicue, and just disappearing through the door was a familiar head of blonde hair, a familiar body in a long purple dress.

"Sam?" he called out again, running to the building, lifting the knocker, letting it fall with a bang on the door. He tried the handle, and to his surprise, it gave immediately, and there, around the corner, was the now familiar flash of purple. He ran down the long corridor, his footsteps echoing on the stone paving, all the time following the echo of footsteps ahead of him, the purple cloth sweeping along the floor.

He turned the corner, and saw her. "Sam?" She opened another door, not turning, but she didn't have to. He knew it was her, he'd know her anywhere, and she was here, and she was on the other side of the door, and all he had to do was open it and he'd find her.

He opened the door, not sure what he'd find…

And saw that the sky was a brilliant shade of blue, with only wisps of cloud flitting by on a gentle breeze. In front of him, there was a cliff, where the earth dropped away, leaving a spectacular view of the planet below, a familiar view. Daniel turned in shock to look behind him and saw no door, only there was a forest of trees, and a path leading to this clearing. The only sounds to be heard were the whispers of tree leaves as the breeze moved them, and the odd cry of a bird as it flew by.

"I knew you'd come." It didn't seem strange that that voice was in his ear, and he looked across at a purple-clad Sam, standing beside him, a small smile on her face.

"Come where?" Daniel was mystified, but it didn't stop him reaching out to her, taking her face in his hands, leaning his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

"To find me," she whispered, kissing him quickly. Daniel felt wetness on his cheeks, but he knew he wasn't crying, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw that the tears were Sam's. "I knew you wouldn't leave me."

"I'll never leave you," Daniel told her, wrapping his arms around her, crushing her to him.

"Promise?" Her voice was muffled.

"I promise."

"Come soon Daniel…" Her voice was softening, and Daniel's eyes widened at her words.

"But I'm here…"

But he was alone now. His arms were empty, and as he watched around him, the clearing, the forest, the cliff all shimmered and disappeared, leaving him standing in the room that he'd started off in.

"Sam?" he called.

His own voice woke him up.

Not very much to his surprise, he found the rest of the team looking at him, faces etched with worry, and, in Cassie's case, fear. The girl's eyes were wide and frightened, and she looked younger than he'd ever seen her look as she huddled in Walter's embrace. Janet was crouched beside him, her doctor face on, as Teal'c, Jack and Hammond stood to one side. Daniel rubbed a hand over his face. "I was dreaming."

"Ya think?" Jack muttered.

"About Sam," Daniel continued, as if Jack hadn't spoken. "She told me that she knew that I'd come, that she knew I'd find her…" He looked up, and Janet's eyes closed when she saw the look on his face. That look of perfect conviction, of unshakeable faith. "She's alive."

"Daniel, we've been through this." Janet's voice was terse. "There's no way that Sam…"

She was stopped by Daniel holding up a hand, eyes closed, head to one side, as if he was listening hard for something. Standing then, he moved towards the door, was stopped by Teal'c standing in front of it. "Let me out Teal'c."

"I regret that I cannot do that DanielJackson," Teal'c informed him. "You are agitated, and may do harm to yourself."

"You don't understand!" Daniel wheeled around, looking at each of his friends in turn, begging them to believe him, to help him, to trust him. "She's alive, I know she's alive." His eyes brimmed with tears. "I can feel her. In here." One fist clapped against his chest, right over his heart and Jack was reminded of how he spoke of Sam when they were standing in his sitting room earlier in the week. "And here." Two hands slapped against his forehead. "She's out there…and I have to find her…"

Glances were exchanged among the group, but it was General Hammond who finally spoke. "Teal'c. Let him out." Daniel's head snapped up, and it was a steely eyed general who looked back at him. "You don't go out of our sight. You stay with us at all times. Understand?" Daniel nodded, his body already straining to be outside. Hammond nodded too, instructing the others to take their belongings with them.

Daniel led the rest of them down the street, the dusty roads looking almost the same in the sunlight as they had in his dream. He walked quickly, changing direction as if on a whim, every so often stopping to check where he was, once even turning and going back the way he had come to take a turn he had passed. He talked as he walked, and Jack and Teal'c, who were having the most success at keeping up with him, struggled to make sense of what he was saying.

"It's a big stone building…. with big glass windows…."

Unseen by Daniel, Teal'c and Jack exchanged a look. "That does not sound like any building that we have seen on this planet DanielJackson."

"That's the point Teal'c. It looked so different…this way I think." Daniel negotiated another turn, nodding when he saw the long straight street, waiting for the others to catch up before moving on again. "There was a huge wooden door…and it had this heavy knocker on it…it looked like iron, and it was this elaborate figure eight kinda shape…we should be nearly there…"

"Well good because I'd hate to think this was a wild goose chase," Jack muttered.

But he stopped muttering when they rounded the next bend, and came upon a building exactly like the one that Daniel had described. Jack's jaw dropped open, and Teal'c raised an eyebrow and looked at Jack. Daniel stared straight ahead. "This is it. This is the place I saw."

The rest of the group came up behind them. "Colonel, report." Hammond was all business, or as businesslike as he could be while mopping sweat from his brow.

Jack looked at Daniel, then at the building. "General…Daniel described a building to us, which he'd seen in his dream last night. And…this looks like the place."

"There is indeed a remarkable resemblance to DanielJackson's description."

"She's in there." It didn't look as if Daniel even knew that he was speaking out loud. "I know she is."

As if from nowhere, Talric appeared beside them, flanked the two assistants who had greeted them the previous night. They'd all been so intent on Daniel that no-one had noticed them approaching. "Greetings," he nodded. "You have arisen early this morning."

"Yeah, well." Jack looked from them, to the building, then back again. "We're early risers." He nodded his head towards the building. "What's this place?"

Talric looked confused, but he answered the question. "This is our Hall of Knowledge. It is where our greatest thinkers work to develop technology for the betterment of our planet."

"Ah."

One of the assistants spoke, frowning. "What brings you to this place so early?"

Before any of the SGC could respond, Talric turned on him. "Parmar! Speak not to our guests so. They have suffered a great loss on our planet, and deserve our respect."

"Yeah, about that…" Jack began, but he didn't get any further before Daniel spoke.

"Except for Sam's not dead. She's in there."

Talric and the other assistant looked bemused, but Parmar's face darkened. "Lies," he said dismissively.

"Then you won't mind if we have a look," Jack said amiably, stepping forward, his way obstructed when Parmar stepped in front of him. There was an exclamation from Talric, but Jack just smiled. "Got something to hide?"

"Of course not," Talric blustered, but his confusion was plain for all to see.

"Teal'c." With one word, Jack shoved Parmar into the Jaffa's hands, and Parmar paled, either at the grip or at something else. "Daniel." Holding out his hand, he indicated that Daniel should lead the way.

Once again, they followed his lead as he made his way down long corridors before finally stopping at a door. "This is it."

It was Hammond who took charge now, his faith in Daniel superseding all logical arguments that this bond he spoke of with Major Carter was a physical impossibility. "What's behind that door?" Parmar couldn't, or wouldn't speak, and seeing that, Talric informed them that this was his workroom. Hammond tried the door, but it was locked. "Open it," he commanded, in the voice that no-one in the SGC dared disobey. But Parmar wasn't in the SGC and he stared at Hammond without blinking. "Open this door," Hammond commanded, his voice very low and calm all of a sudden. "Or we will."

Still there was no movement, until a voice behind Hammond spoke. "General?"

Everyone turned to see Walter Davis standing there, his pack open at his feet, a zat in his hand poised to fire. Hammond looked once more at Parmar, then back to Davis and nodded once.

Walter fired, the beam of the zat hitting the door handle dead on target. The door gave and Daniel pushed it open, already knowing what he was going to see.

When the others pushed through after him, they saw him standing by a gurney, gathering an unconscious Sam into his arms. When he looked up at them, his face was wet with tears. "She's alive."

Janet was the first one to move, the doctor inside coming to the fore. "Let me see her." Her tone became more urgent as Daniel refused to let Sam go. "Daniel, I have to see her."

"C'mon Daniel," Jack laid a hand on the younger man's shoulder, patting it gently in understanding. "Let Janet do her thing."

In the background, Talric was telling anyone who would listen that he hadn't known anything about this, and he never would have thought that Parmar would do such a thing, and if Teal'c's grip had become a little tighter, if Parmar had turned a little paler, it was a matter between the two of them. But all eyes were on the blonde woman lying on the bed, the long purple dress which none save Daniel had ever seen a vivid contrast against her pale skin.

What seemed like hours later, but was probably mere minutes, Janet turned to them. "She seems fine, although I'm going to check her out thoroughly when we get home. I'd guess she's been sedated?" The last was directed to Parmar, but he didn't answer.

Jack took his hand from Daniel's shoulder, where it had stayed since he'd moved him away from the bed, and Daniel went straight to Sam, as if drawn by a magnet. He leaned over the gurney as best he could, one hand on Sam's shoulder, the other brushing her hair back from her face. "C'mon Sam," he said quietly, so quietly that they wouldn't have heard him had there not been absolute silence in the room. "It's time to wake up now."

His hand stayed on the side of her face as her body began to stir. Behind him, Daniel could hear muffled exclamations, a sob from Janet, but he couldn't take his eyes off Sam's face, and when her eyes opened and focused on him, he smiled like he hadn't smiled in what seemed like years.

"Daniel…." It was nothing more than a croak, but it was the most beautiful sound that he'd ever heard. "You came…" Her eyes moved past him, seeing everyone else gathered there. "You all came…"

Daniel followed her gaze, looking at the family assembled there. The temptation was there to say "I told you so," and truthfully, he didn't think any of them would blame him. But he was content to just smile at them before turning his gaze back to Sam again. This time when she looked at him, it was beseechingly. "Take me home?"

Daniel laughed. "With pleasure."

>*<*>*<

That night saw another party at Janet's house, and looking around him, Jack couldn't help but contrast it to the similar gathering only a couple of nights earlier. Most of the same people were there - Walter and Janet sitting side by side on the couch once again, with Cassandra, no sleep for her this time, ran around the room, making sure that everyone had everything they needed. He was in the same chair, as was General Hammond, and Teal'c was once more standing against the wall. Sam was sitting on the other end of the couch, Daniel sitting on the floor at her feet, one of his hands resting on her knee. And sitting beside Jack, on one of the kitchen chairs because they'd run out of living room furnishings, was an incredulous Lou Ferretti, who was having the whole story explained to him.

"So when they knew about your…thing…" Ferretti waved his hands around his head, in what had become the accepted code for Sam's ability. "…he decided that he'd …what …use you as…?"

"Ferretti!" Janet put on her best doctor voice, looking pointedly at Cassie.

"Ah. And this Talric guy never knew?"

Sam shook her head. "I really don't think he did. I really don’t remember much…I remember being taken away from you guys…and there was this sting on my neck…" She rubbed it now, remembering. "I woke up a couple of times, and Parmar was the only one that I saw." She looked down at Daniel, her hand covering his. "I kept on dreaming about you."

The smile on Daniel's face hadn't disappeared all day, and Jack could hardly reconcile the man he'd seen days earlier with him now. "I know."

Daniel and Sam shared one of those looks that Jack had come to know so well in the last few months. The one that told him, and anyone else who was watching them, that they knew what the other was thinking, that they were totally, completely connected on some level that no-one else could ever hope to fathom. There was a time when he would have scoffed at that belief, insisting that it couldn't be possible. That time was gone. After what he'd seen, what he'd heard in the last couple of days, he was sure of that.

It wouldn't stop him from teasing them about it though.

Just not tonight.

Tonight was a night for celebrating the return of a friend. Tonight was a night for laughter, for joking and, as per the last gathering like this, for the consumption of alcohol. An economy sized tub of aspirin now resided in Janet's kitchen, right beside the coffee maker, to save time in the morning, and the duty roster had duly been juggled so that all concerned had the next morning off. Tonight was their night, and they were determined to enjoy it.

And enjoy it they did.

Once again, Teal'c was the last one standing, with Jack a close second. Teal'c noticed Jack looking around the room and raised an eyebrow at the look on his face. "Something amuses you O'Neill?"

Jack's gaze swung once more around the room. At Ferretti, dozing on his uncomfortable kitchen chair. General Hammond, arms crossed on his chest, head down, snoring softly in his chair. Cassie, sprawled face down on the floor, her red hair streaming across the carpet. Walter and Janet, lying on the couch, his arm around her, her head on his shoulder. But it was Sam and Daniel who he couldn't take his eyes off. Daniel, still kneeling on the floor at Sam's feet, his head on her lap, one of her hands tangled in his hair, she leaning back on the couch, her head tilted down, as if she had been looking at him before she fell asleep.

When Jack didn't reply, Teal'c spoke again. "Should we not endeavour to wake them O'Neill? They will most likely be stiff in the morning."

Jack shrugged, knowing that that was true, then he shook his head. "Nah. Leave them be. They're fine as they are."

Teal'c inclined his head, a slight smile on his lips. "As are we."

Jack considered that for a minute, before raising his bottle to the air. "I'll drink to that."

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