Two months had passed since the funeral, and life had mostly formed a new routine. There were still those odd times when Sam would check her email, expecting there to be a note in the inbox from him, to her own dismay. She honestly was doing the best she could. Her friends helped her out the most, especially Cameron.

Cam took the note from Jack very seriously. He knew that there had to be a reason that Jack had been so adamant that he personally look after Sam, so that's what he did. He took her out to dinner at least once a week to give her a chance to vent her feelings. He would send her emails that he knew would make her laugh. He sat through countless stories of the General while she did her best to work her feelings out. All in all, he was just plain there for her.

It was mid December. The park in Colorado Springs was all decorated in lights of all different shapes and colors. They had just finished their weekly dinner and had decided to take a nice little stroll. I mean, it's only once a year when the world seems quite this magical. Cam didn't know if it was the romantic scenery or the wine from dinner, but he felt something inside of him snap. Before he even knew what he was thinking, he was kissing her soft lips. She must have been shocked, but she didn't fight it. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him in a daze. When he was running out of air, he realized what in the world was actually going on, and he pulled apart from her.

"Oh my God, Sam. I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay. Really. It is."

But even as the words were coming out of her mouth, her eyes were filling up with tears. She liked what was happening but was confused by it all at the same time. The conflict of emotions was just a little too much for her.

"Sam...really...I'm sorry...please don't cry."

She buried herself in his chest, and her cold tears were stinging in the December air. It took her a good ten minutes to regain her composure.

"I'm sorry, Cam. I thought I wanted this. I really did, but now I just don't know what I want."

"Really, Sam. I'm okay with that. I love just being your friend. I really don't know what came over me."

"No, it's not that. I like you; I just don't know if its for the right reasons. I don't want you to get hurt because my heart was still healing. The fact is, you remind me so much of him, and until I straighten that out in my head, I can't see you like this anymore."

Before he had time to stop her, she ran off towards her car on the outskirts of the park. He couldn't believe what had just happened...how utterly stupid his actions were, even if they were unintentional. He didn't know what to do. He knew that at the moment, he couldn't really run after her, even though his heart wanted so badly to, so he did the next best thing. He called Daniel.

She had just settled down in front of the fireplace with a glass of hot chocolate when she heard someone knocking on the door. She thought that it might be Cameron, and she thought she might want to apologize. She felt a pang of sadness and relief as she opened the door to find Daniel.

"Uh, hey Sam. Cam called me."

"Oh. He did?"

"Can I come in?"

Soon, they were both sitting on the couch with identical cups of hot chocolate. Daniel was nervous. Sam was his best friend, someone he could talk about everything with, but this was a subject he had been avoiding for the past two months.

"Look, Sam. It doesn't take someone as smart as you to realize that you and Jack had 'special' feelings for one another. I know how hard that must have been for you."

She nodded.

"You know, I had thought that maybe we would have gotten together after he got transferred to Washington, but it never quite happened. I kept waiting, wondering, holding off my life. Now, I just don't know what to do."

"Well, look, I don't know how to quite bring this up, but Jack had left me a letter when he passed away. I really think that now would be a good time for you to read it."

He pulled from his back pocket a tattered envelop. The edges were worn down, and it was obvious that Daniel had read this over and over again. Hesitantly, he handed it over.

Daniel,

Hey, Danny Boy. Look, you and I, we didn't get off to a very good start, did we? There were quite a few times in the beginning where you honest-to-God drove me absolutely bonkers. All-in-all, though, you grew to be one of my best friends. We shared some pretty rough times together, and there were quite a few times where I had thought that we had lost you. You were my go-to guy, more than I think most people even realized. Teal'c was great and all, but you always gave the best advice. So, now that I have passed from this world into whatever comes next, I am going to confide in you one last time.

I know that you aren't stupid. You have to have seen the feelings emanating between Carter and I. She's really something, isn't she? I mean, you and I both know that there are countless times that we wouldn't have been alive if it hadn't been for her. I wasn't lying when I told her that one time that she was one of this world's natural resources. I won't lie, either. I loved her. I loved with all of my heart. However, there is a reason I never pursued that. For one, I am sixteen years her senior. I was driving a car in the year she was born, for pete's sake. I was always hoping that Carter would find someone to settle down and have a family with. She deserves it after all she's done, and believe me, I'm glad it wasn't that Pete fellow, but I also know that it wasn't me. I had been there, done that. That part of my life was over and done with (especially now, ey?) Plus, when you got down to the nitty-gritty, we just really didn't have all that much in common now, did we? I loved her, there is definitely no doubt in my mind, but we were so much better as friends.

I also know, however, that Sam might not feel this way. She might not understand. However, I still have my hopes that she will settle down and have that family. I bet I know who it's gonna be, too. You see, I am a keen observer. During the Ba'al extraction, I saw some glances that lasted a little too long, knowing smiles, yada, yada. No, don't worry, I'm not meaning you. But what do you think of that Cameron Mitchell? Hey, I don't know him well, but from what I know of him, he's one great guy. He's one hell of a soldier, that's for sure. You have to know that it breaks me heart to write this. There were many times when I wanted there to be something more between Sam and I, but I've come to realize that if she's not going to be with me, I wouldn't mind her being with that guy. Well, the truth is, I wouldn't mind her being with anyone who makes her happy, but you get the point.

Hey, kiddo, watch over her for me, will ya? Watch over yourself, as well. The world needs people like you in it. And always, always know that even though I gave you hell a lot, I had always respected you work and who you are.

Sincerely,

Gen. Jack O'Neill

She sat there in silence as the reality of his words hit her like a ten ton boulder. Daniel just nodded in knowing, and got up to leave knowing that she was going to be okay. As he stepped onto the front porch, he turned around to say one last thing.

"I know that I don't know everything, and I got short-changed when it comes to matters of the heart, but I think you know what your heart wants to do."