*You are Loved.*

Frowning even more, he scooped up the basket and jostled it in his arms as he opened the door and went into his apartment. Tossing his keys onto a small table by the door, he tugged his coat off one arm before placing the basket onto his coffee table in his living room. Removing his heavy coat completely, he flung it over the sofa and then squatted next to the coffee table, peeling the cellophane from the basket to reveal the contents.

A perplexed look filled his face as he looked at the contents. Looking at the card once more, learning no more than the first time, he read *You are Loved* again then put the card down and started unpacking the basket. The contents were carefully chosen obviously, and it held everything he liked like Choc-Walnut cookies, his favorite brand of Chocolate selections, his favorite flavor of Cheese, the only brand of Champagne that he can drink..

A smile appeared on his face as a warm tingle went through his body. He read the card again then mumbled, "Okay, but.. by whom?" Chuckling to himself over the little mystery, he opened the bag of cookies and ate one, sighing and enjoying the thought behind the gift nearly as much as the actual products inside it.

Feeling a lot lighter than he had in a long time, Daniel smiled and scooped up the bag of cookies in his arm as he made his way to his kitchen to make himself a coffee. He was returning to the living room when the doorbell rang. Going over to open it, he smiled when he saw Sam standing on the other side.

"Hey," she said, grinning then looking at the bag in his arm. "Oh? Deciding to drown our sorrows, are we?" Through a mouthful of cookie, Daniel invited her in then shut the door.

"Thank you." He said then kissed her cheek.

Her brow raised as she pulled back from him. "Oh?"

Daniel pointed to the basket. "Thanks for the basket. Were you waiting long?"

"Waiting? Daniel I just got here. Janet's getting Teal'c from the Base. We're going to the pub, remember?"

Daniel nodded, like he was pretending to go along with her. "Okay, Sam."

She laughed, perplexed as to why he didn't believe her. "No, really. I didn't leave this for you," she pointed to the gift, "but I must say, I wish I had now. You look a lot happier than I've seen you in a while!"

He tilted his head and stared at her a long moment before wagging his finger slowly at her. "You really didn't leave this, did you?" She laughed softly and shook her head. With a little pout on his lips, he said, "Oh? Would Janet have?"

Sam screwed her pretty face up as she shrugged heavily. "I don't know for sure, but I'd have to say no."

"But, it's got everything in it I like-" He held his hand out and indicated to the gift.

Sam knelt by the table and looked inside. "Wow, it's full!"

"Tell me about it." He knelt beside her like an excited schoolboy. "And look!" He handed her the card.

"You are loved?" She looked at him with wide blue eyes.

He nodded eagerly then sighed slightly. "But, if you didn't do it..?" He looked down into the over-laden basket of goodies, putting his hand in to sift through the items inside.

"I wish I had," she said quietly, looking at the sparkle return to his eyes. "It's certainly put the color back in your cheeks.." she told him as he turned to look at her. He smiled at her then dipped his face, looking at the contents again.

"Look! It's got cheese, wine, chocolates and cookies." He nibbled the cuticle of his thumb.

"Cheese, Wine and Cookies? Hmm, Strange combination!"

Daniel gave a slight shrug. "Thing is Sam, it's got all my favorite brands and flavors-" He held his hand out to indicate towards her, "so naturally I thought it came from you."

She shook her head at him and this time he believed her.

"I wonder who sent them then? They *are* my favorite cookies-" He pondered the identity of the giver of the gift as he munched on another small cookie.

"Chocolate Walnut!" she said, taking another - just to be sure!

Daniel grinned and nodded. "And you are the only person who knows that .. apart from.."

"Graham?" Sam offered hesitantly.

Daniel sucked in a deep breath. "Oooh, no!" He said with a quick roll of his eyes then wagged his finger at her. "No, it wouldn't be him. Would it?"

She shrugged. "Perhaps you need to call and ask?"

He nibbled his bottom lip then screwed his nose up and shook his head. "No, I couldn't!"

"Why not?"

"I'd look like a real idiot if I was wrong, wouldn't I?"

Sam conceded that with a nod then she looked at him quickly when he clicked his fingers.

"But I do have to call Philip."

"Philip?"

"Graham's brother, Philip. He called me today at work and I told him I'd call him back!" As he said this he moved quickly to the phone and started dialing as he stepped back over to her.

*Hello?* The croaky, sleepy voice answered the call.

"Hello.." Daniel cringed, recognizing Graham's voice immediately and suddenly losing enthusiasm for this stunt. "It's.. um.. it's Daniel.."

Sam stepped closer to him, realizing by his reaction he was finding it hard to talk to Graham. She ran her hand onto his shoulder in a show of comfort.

*Daniel? * Graham sat up in bed, immediately snapping awake. In an eager, hopeful voice he asked, *What can I do for you?*

"I actually.. well.. I called to speak to Philip."

*Oh!* The disappointment was palpable. *I'll see if he's here, hang on...*

"Wait!" Spontaneously Daniel called out to him and Graham immediately put the phone by his ear again. The anthropologist looked over his shoulder briefly at Sam then moved off to his bedroom, taking the telephone with him. She looked around the apartment then decided to make herself a cup of tea, wondering when Janet and Teal'c would arrive, she hated having to be apart from her longer than necessary, especially on weekends.

***

She was sitting watching the television, and eating some more of his cookies when he finally resurfaced from the bedroom, his eyes looking like they'd been fighting tears. Getting up she went over to him and slipped her arm around his shoulders as he put the phone back on the coffee table.

"Was it him?"

"Uh, no." He said briefly then bit his bottom lip gently.

She nodded then sighed. They were silent a moment then she asked him, "Are you okay?"

Eyes, that managed to look watery even though there were no tears, looked at her. "No."

She nodded again then sat him down on the sofa. Daniel started to rub the side of his thumb with his finger, like he always did when he was particularly agitated about something.

"He said he wished he thought of it.." he said, through a soft throat-clearing cough, "But that he didn't think I'd be the sort of man who'd like something like that."

"Oh," she nodded. Daniel sat back on the sofa, his arms crossing his chest.

"I guess that's just one more indication that we were totally wrong for each other, wouldn't you say?" He said through a tight voice.

She leaned back, resting on one elbow as she turned side on to look at him. "Daniel-"

"God, why do I miss him so much?" He asked, his voice a sad, desolate hiss. She bit her lips together as she shook her head. After a few seconds, Daniel sat forward and pressed the balls of his hands into his eyes, sobbing heavily. Sam's breath hitched in her throat as she cuddled him close.

"Come on, Daniel, get it out. I bet you haven't done this yet.." She whispered.

Rubbing at his eyes harshly, he said, "What good is crying?" He tugged away from her a little as well and got up and paced the room, growing more and more agitated as he fidgeted and then hugged himself.

"Everyone needs to let go after a break up," she told him as she looked up at him.

"That's the thing," he said, holding one finger up, "there shouldn't have been a break up!"

"What do you mean?"

"Jack.." he said, then bit his lips together as he looked at her. Sam got up and went over to him.

"Daniel, Jack didn't do this, you have to see that?"

Holding his finger up again, Daniel shook his head. "No, Jack did do this. Today he even admitted that he'd said some pretty off things.."

"He did?"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah." Then with a wry look on his face, he added, "I think he was trying to apologize.. in his own way."

Sam's face lit up and swept her hand towards the gift.

"Then maybe he did this? As.. as some kind of an apology?"

Daniel stopped pacing then frowned. " but- You are Loved?"

Sam cringed. She wanted to tell him that Jack *did* love him, but it wasn't her place. She decided that this was Jack's attempt to open up the conversation with Daniel. She needed to get her friend to call him.

Grabbing up the phone, she shoved it into his hand as she said, "He's home, call him! I spoke to him just before I came out, so I know he's there."

Daniel frowned and nibbled his bottom lip. "Should I?"

"Sure," She shrugged, feeling pretty confident that Jack was the culprit. "Why not?"

"No, that's ludicrous. The card is completely wrong - coming from Jack."

Sam groaned then sighed. She knew it wasn't but couldn't tell him that.

"Daniel, please! Give Jack a call and just ask him if he sent anything to you house today? You don't need to tell him the details, he'll know what it is if he did anyway."

The blue eyes looked at her, confused and unsure. She pointed to the phone in his hands. "For me."

He took the receiver and pressed the speed dial button that connected straight to Jack's place. The phone rang and rang and Daniel drifted off to his room for some privacy again. He was standing looking at the rain through his French Door when the call connected to Jack's answering machine.

"Oh, Jack, it's.. Daniel. I just wanted to ask you something but you're not there. Thanks." He hit the 'end' button on his phone then headed back to the living room. Daniel headed out of the bedroom, chewing on his cuticle - an annoying habit that he really wished he could break.

Sam looked up at him. "That was quick."

"He's not there," he said with a simple shrug.

She shook her head. "I just spoke to him less than an hour ago. He was staying home, having dinner with a friend."

Daniel shook his head as he tossed the phone onto his sofa, as if to say 'well, he didn't answer.'

"He's there! Call him again. I had to try three times.."

"No, he's probably busy."

"He's probably just screening his calls! Call him again!"

"Maybe he's just not answering because it's me?" Daniel frowned. Sam hitched her breath then raised her brow.

Daniel set his jaw and then dialed his number again.

"Jack? It's Daniel. Are you there?"

When he got no response he shook his head at her and she shrugged. Jack probably *was* screening his calls. He knew he did that, he'd been at his house plenty of times when Jack didn't bother to pick up, saying that he was too engrossed in their conversation or the game of chess they were playing, or he just had a good hand at cards and wasn't giving that up for anyone! Once when he was coming out of the bathroom, he saw Jack by his bedroom door, listening to who the caller was to know whether he could be bothered to answer it or not. He recalled how Jack had smiled at him as he approached, then flung his arm across his shoulder and led him back to the living room saying that 'they can wait!'. For some unexplainable reason, that memory had Daniel shaking slightly and agitation boiled within him.

He could well imagine Jack leaning against his bedroom door, listening to the call and deciding that - now - it was Daniel that 'could wait!'

Suddenly, Daniel blurted out, "Look it doesn't matter anyway. I was thinking you might have actually done something 'nice' for a change but I guess I was wrong!" He hung up and tossed the phone onto his sofa roughly.

Sam cringed. //Okay, that wasn't her best suggestion. //

"Why did I do that?" Daniel asked in a stunned voice, staring at the receiver on his sofa like he couldn't believe he'd just done that.

Sam shrugged, not really sure she understood his strange outburst either- it certainly wasn't something she was anticipating from him.

With an incredulous laugh at himself, Daniel sighed and rubbed his face. "Maybe Jack's right. Maybe I do need to see someone about this!" He placed one hand on his stomach, almost feeling the butterflies within it.

"Jack suggested that?" She frowned.

Daniel looked at her and nodded. "Yeah, last night in the park."

Tilting her head slightly she asked, "Park? You two went to a park last night?"

Shaking his head quickly, Daniel looked down as he said, "No, not really. Jack followed me there-"

Then, with a roll of his head and a little stammer growl, he admitted, "where I proceeded to call him a 'bastard that I couldn't stand the sight of' before walking away and leaving him there." He paused long enough to cringe, watching as Sam silently mouthed the word, "ouch".

Shrugging a little he went on, "Then he came to my place, demanding to know why I said that."

With a look in her blue eyes that clearly said, 'well, I'm not surprised,' Sam just asked, "And you said..?"

"I ignored him," Daniel mumbled then groaned slightly as the butterflies started to act up in his stomach again. Sam screwed her face up.

"Great. I can see Monday's mission is gonna be fun!" She muttered.

Pushing his hands through his long hair, Daniel moaned. "I don't understand, why does he keep coming after me?"

Sam chose her words carefully. "Perhaps because he cares..."

Daniel shook his head, definite that it wasn't because of that.

"Maybe you should ask him then," she suggested gently. Daniel looked at her and shrugged.

Suddenly overcome with guilt at his behavior he rubbed his hands over his face, bemoaning softly, "God, I was so 'rude' to him!"

Removing his hands, he looked at her through doleful eyes. "Why was I so rude to him?"

She shrugged again, wishing she could tell him everything she knew.

"It's just that, he's following me around - watching me all the time! I know it's because he wants to help me, but how can he? He was the reason we broke up in the first place!"

Daniel paced the small living room again as he started to quiver inside again.

"What am I meant to say to him, Sam?" He pleaded earnestly with her in a soft voice. "That I don't care that he has these double standards? That .. that it doesn't *hurt* me that he can accept you and Janet, yet he treated my partner with such utter contempt he leaves *me*?"

His voice was strained, his raw emotions were surfacing again.

"He treated *me* with utter contempt!"

He screwed the front of his blue plaid shirt up into a tight fist, then tugged on it as he swung away from her again then whispered in a sorrowful voice, "I loved him- "

She wasn't sure 'which' *him* he meant and she decided that it didn't matter as she watched him wrap his arms around his stomach again and hug himself tightly, his whole body visibly trembling now.

Going over to him by the window she slipped her arms across his shoulders and turned him towards her. Her breath blew his long locks gently as she said, "Daniel, Jack .. he... he really cares- "

She was about to betray him but stopped herself in time. It wasn't her place to interfere. Pulling back slowly, sad blue eyes blinked at her.

"You know what hurts the most?" The crystal clear eyes looked at her earnestly. "When I lost Graham, I really *needed* Jack. And, well," he shrugged, catching his breath in the back of his throat. Again, the butterflies jigged in his stomach.

She suddenly understood some of his pain. "He wasn't there for you?" She concluded, realizing that Daniel had lost both a lover and a best friend within days each other - no wonder his whole world felt rocked!

Snorting slightly, the anthropologist nodded. "Well, he's always in my face, but knowing he feels like he does, how can I open up to him? Talk to him about any of this?"

She gave him an encouraging smile, wanting to say more, to tell him the *truth*.

The scenario would work, she told herself. She'd tell Daniel, he'd immediately turn to go find Jack and they'd kiss and live happily ever after....

However, the captain was *not* one for fairy tales. What would happen is Daniel would be even more hurt and confused, resenting Jack for hiding his feelings from him and Jack would be betrayed. Neither of them would stand in the same room as the other ever again...

Then there would be the little issue of broken confidences!

Sighing heavily she came to the conclusion to keep quiet and let them work it out would be the best possible scenario.

"On Monday, we have that overnight stay on P3x 4111.."

Daniel groaned and looked at her. "I can't share a tent with him. Please Sam, share the tent with me?"

She shook her head. "Jack's already asked me to share the tent with him."

Taking in a breath Daniel nodded. "Good, I'll share with Teal'c."

She nodded, feeling close to tears over the failure of the friendship of the two men she loved most in life.

They stood for a long time in silence, she just watched him as he stared out of the window, no longer the happy man he was when she arrived. He was lost in his personal hell again and she wondered if she'd helped or hindered here.

There was a knock at the door and, seeing that Daniel was too lost in his thoughts to answer the summons, she went to the door herself. Janet and Teal'c smiled at her.

"Hey, Sammy. Is he ready?" Janet asked, then saw the sorrowful look in her lover's blue eyes. "Hey?" She touched her hand to her cheek.

"I don't think he's going to be joining us. Maybe we should stay here.."

"No, Sam, please," he said, not turning from the window but talking to her just the same. "Please, go. I'm not much company."

Janet frowned then Sam gave her a look that indicated that she'd fill her in later. Nodding, the diminutive Doctor stepped past her and onto the top of the step, looking out at Daniel by the living room window.

"Doctor's orders. You need a night out," she called to him and watched as he buckled in on himself more, drawing his arms tighter across his chest as he bowed his head even more. Sam and Teal'c stepped up beside Janet.

"We can't leave him like this," the dark haired woman whispered. Sam looked at her.

"Like we have a choice!"

There was no way Daniel would go with them. Teal'c stepped past the two women and went over to the window. Sam and Janet watched as he tilted his head slightly. If the men were talking, it was in hushed tones that didn't carry across the room.

Straightening up and looking over at the women, Teal'c announced, "I will remain with Daniel Jackson."

Sam and Janet went over to him again and Sam touched her hand to his upper arm.

"Daniel, if you need me just call, okay?"

"Anytime! Day *or* night!" Janet added, rubbing his back lightly. He nodded then turned as the women walked away.

"Sam."

"Yeah?" She turned and looked into sad blue eyes.

"Thanks, for always being my friend," he said in a soft whisper then he added, in a voice that unsettled her stomach, "no matter what."

Sam hesitated then nodded. "I'll see you on Monday, Daniel."

Glad that she wasn't leaving him alone, she shot a quick look at Teal'c. The large, dark man closed his eyes slowly and bowed his head, silently promising her that he would care for their friend.

Together she and Janet left the apartment.

Go to Next Part