Five Times the Charm
Author: Jess
Rating: PG
Pairing: Sam/Daniel
Subjects: Friendship, Romance
Summary: The evolution of Sam and Daniel's relationship, reflected in five little windows of time.
Spoilers: The First Commandment, Singularity, Holiday, Fallen
Disclaimer: I don't own them; never did and never will. But they are fun to play with.
A/N: This was modified slightly from an answer I did to a sg1fivethings prompt on LiveJournal. The prompt was, "5 Times Sam and Daniel Went Out Together (As friends or on a 'date')". Once again, the pairing for this piece isSam/Daniel. If this bothers you in any way, please click the "Back" button instead of the "Review" button. Thanks.
May 25th, 1997
Not long after Jonas Hansen met his end, Daniel had noticed Sam seeming slightly "off." He himself was still preoccupied over Sha're. He realized they both needed to do something in the world not limited to the confines of Cheyenne Mountain. Deciding on what they could do was a challenge at first. Sam had suggested stock car races, Daniel a visit to the natural history museum. Rather than argue over it, they ended up doing both. Not only did they educate each other on their respective interests, but they enjoyed each other's company, adding another layer to the foundation of their friendship.
August 29th, 1997
Following Cassie's close call with the bomb in her chest, SG-1 took her to the park and then for ice cream. Everyone had plans that weekend except for Sam. Still concerned about her and thinking she needed a friend, Daniel ended up treating her to a movie. She seemed a lot better and wanted to have some fun, so they went to a bar and had a few drinks. So relieved she was more like her old self, Daniel found it hard to refuse when Sam asked for another round of drinks. He was feeling a bit too good to drive home and let Sam call a cab; she'd had more than her share as well. He also didn't refuse when she insisted he spend the night at her house, gladly taking the couch. When he woke the next morning, he found his car parked in her driveway. Rather than question how it got there, he merely offered Sam a smile.
November 4th, 1998
Jack had wanted to celebrate everyone's return to normalcy following the game of Musical Bodies instigated by Ma'chello. He treated his fellow teammates and friends to steak dinners at O'Malley's. Later in the evening they had opened up the dance floor and by the time the lights dimmed and the slow dancing commenced, Sam looked over and noticed Daniel staring at her. He then asked her to dance. She didn't expect the words "I'd love to" to come tumbling from her lips, but they did. As they swayed to the music she melted into his embrace, just relieved that he was back and never wanting to let him go again. The grateful smile he'd given her as she locked eyes with him spoke of silent thanks for not giving up on him throughout this predicament. She could tell he needed this as much as she did; this warm, safe feeling that lasted until the very last note of the song.
March 8th, 2003
One evening not long after Daniel descended and returned to SG-1, Sam offered to take him out to dinner. Afterwards they went to her house for some dessert and ended up having some serious conversation. In his not-quite-drunk-but-still-feeling-quite-good state, Daniel revisited the question he'd asked Sam when they'd found him on that planet. Sam's throat suddenly felt parched as she was forced to confront her own demons regarding her feelings for him. What she'd said was the truth, although she did secretly harbor feelings for him even when he was still married. Taking a deep breath, she admitted those feelings to Daniel, but because of the Air Force's attitude toward interpersonal relationships between teammates, told him it would be best to only remain friends. After admitting some feelings he'd held for her as well, Daniel ended up agreeing with Sam. She was somewhat relieved, but the little hint of disappointment in his eyes still crushed her.
July, 2003
It was four months later. Sam and Daniel had each started to crack under the pressure of keeping their feelings for each other at bay. Quite conveniently, it all came to a head when SG-1 was given leave. The two scientists planned a weekend together in Estes Park. During their last night they had dinner in a quaint Italian hideaway. Once they had finished dessert, Daniel removed something from his blazer pocket, got down on one knee and effectively said "damn the regulations." Sam couldn't keep herself from echoing that sentiment. Of course, this whole notion was revisited once they arrived back at work. Luckily the higher ups didn't have a problem with either of them remaining on SG-1 as long as they conducted themselves professionally.
Epilogue (November, 2013)
Carefully fingering the worn edges of her diary, Sam smiled. Reflecting on all this during her tenth anniversary as Samantha Carter-Jackson, she was glad they'd worked so hard to prove that.
THE END
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