Season 5 Episode 21 - Meridian

Episode summary: Daniel stops a naquadia bomb from detonating on Kelowna, and receives a lethal dose of radiation. Jacob Carter attempts to save him with a Goa'uld healing device, but Daniel - aided by Oma Desala - asks Jack to tell Jacob to stop. He dies, and ascends to a higher plane of existence.

At the knock on her front door, Sam set down her glass of wine and closed her eyes.

The knock came again.

She stood and went to the door, already knowing who it was.

"Sir?" She said as she opened it. He stood there for a moment just looking at her.

"Can I come in?"

She wordlessly opened the door enough to admit him, and went back to her glass of wine, folding herself back into her seat on the couch. He sat down in the armchair to her right, perched on the edge with his hands clasped together.

"He's alive in 2034." Jack said. "Alive, and human. Human enough to have fathered Serena, anyway."

He watched her for a minute.

"It means he's coming back." He said eventually when she didn't speak.

"Yes sir." Sam said, taking another sip of her wine to swallow the lump in her throat.

"He's not dead, Sam." He said softly.

Sam looked upwards, trying to blink back a fresh wave of tears. "He died, and he's gone. Is it supposed to hurt less because he's ascended instead of dead?"

She saw him stop himself from giving an abrupt answer of 'Yes'.

"He's coming back." He said again, instead.

"So I should pull myself together and pretend everything's fine like you and Teal'c, is that it?" Sam asked angrily, as a few hot tears escaped from the corners of her eyes.

"I'm not … that's not what I came here to say."

"Then what?"

He looked at her for a long moment, and she let out a deep, shuddery breath. He stood, took the wine glass from her hand and sat down next to her on the couch.

"C'mere."

She resisted at first, still angry, but he was insistent and she eventually let him pull her into his arms. The tender act of kindness was too much, and it felt like a damn burst as she started to cry into his shirt. He held her until she'd calmed down.

"I was so mad at you for telling Dad to stop." She admitted in a whisper.

"He told me it was what he wanted."

"I know." She sighed. "I just miss him."

"Me too."