"So, I hear you're gonna be in Washington next week."
"Yep. I have a meeting going over the X-302's on the 21st."
"You gonna see Jack?"
Sly, Daniel. Real sly.
"We're meeting for dinner."
"Really? That's nice."
"It's not what you think, Daniel. It's just dinner."
"Riiiight."
"I'm serious."
Daniel's face was all innocence. "So am I."
Sam poked her blue jello.
"So, are you staying at his place?"
"Daniel!"
"What? It's an innocent question."
"No! I am not staying at his apartment. I'm staying at the hotel by the airport, thank you very much."
"Oh."
Daniel shook his head while poking his own food.
"He's not gonna make the first move, you know."
"What? Daniel, this really isn't the place for this. Even if...even if I was to do something, he is still my superior officer."
"Oh, bull shit, Sam."
Sam's eyes bugged out of her head just a little bit at hearing Daniel curse.
"That's just an excuse, anymore, and you know it. You want to know why Jack won't make the first move? Because he respects you too much. He thinks that no matter how long you two wait that people will still think that you've been together for years. And that people will question every promotion you've gotten. And he still thinks you deserve more than him. Not only that, but I really just think he's scared. Well, one of you needs to get some balls because I'm really sick of the whole thing. I'm tempted to lock you both in a closet until you agree to come to your senses."
To say that Sam was shocked at Daniel's outburst was an understatement. The fact that this was said/shouted in the commissary was icing on the cake. Thankfully, it was 0200 and there was literally not another soul in site. Otherwise, she might have had to kill him.
After the stun of the words wore off, she replied mildly, "Why would he be scared?"
Daniel winced. He hadn't really meant to say all that. Jack would kill him if he knew he'd just said all that. Daniel'd just gotten so worked up at both of them being such obtuse idiots that he lost control of his tongue. He'd been trying to get Jack to at least call Sam and talk to her for a month now with no luck. Jack was actually starting to ignore him.
Daniel opened his mouth and closed it again. To tell her or not to tell her? He shrugged internally. Well, already said this much. Minds well say everything.
With a quick mental image of Jack nailing the lid on his coffin, Daniel replied, "Pete. You moved on, Sam. He has no idea where he stands with you anymore. So, yeah, he's scared to put himself out there. Afraid that he'll get hurt more."
Daniel winced again. Sam had taken on a very pale and dazed expression. Daniel didn't want to make her feel bad. She'd had the right to be with Pete and maybe she'd needed that to really know how she felt about Jack. Daniel didn't know. But, whatever the case, she did hurt Jack by doing it. There was no other way to put it.
Deciding he should leave her alone, Daniel got up to head back to his office and prayed that Jack would never find out about that conversation.
