Later that evening, Sam, Isis in her arms, remarked as Daniel walked by her side, his arm around her waist as he balanced a box in the crook of his other arm, "Jeez, I feel like the cat lady."
He gently kissed her, retorting with a smile as he caressed the small of her back, "You're way too hot for that, believe me."
Reaching the doorstep, music audible from within the house, she returned his kiss, taking her time, and she replied with a smile, neither noticing that the music, laughter and chatter had grown in volume, "You make me feel a lot younger than I am."
"That's because you are."
Someone clearing their throat drew their attention immediately to Jack standing on the doorstep, his arms folded across his chest as he remarked, "When you two have quite finished making out on T's doorstep…"
Sam and Daniel looked embarrassed and Jack stood aside to let them in, saying as he inclined his head towards the party, "Come on in, you two. I'll take that box off you… Carter, you can keep the cat. I'm not sure anyone's got enough room for it… although Shauna has been baking again..."
The couple laughed and walked in, hand-in-hand as Jack strode through to the kitchen, and they were greeted warmly by their friends, T putting his arms around them as he said with a little smile, "How are you two doing?"
Sam replied, glancing at Daniel as Isis leapt down out of her hold to explore, "Fine, T. How are the kids?"
"Oh, they're cool… running around the back with Jack Jr and the other kids of the department. God, I've missed you. 'New York, New York…' Ooh, hey, got a surprise for you, Sam, m'girl."
Sam asked as they walked into the kitchen, "What is it?"
Suddenly, they stopped and Sam looked up and then laughed, grinning on seeing an elderly man, supported by a cane, with a neatly trimmed beard, balding on top, and pockmarks on his cheek.
"Brae!!!"
Brae replied as they hugged, "Oh, it's so good to see you again, Sam. I wanted to see you but my daughter took me on a cruise. How are the burns?"
"They're fine. They're healing well."
She added with a grin, an arm around him as she led him towards Daniel, "Come on, you've got to meet someone."
As T stopped talking a mile a minute to Daniel about kidney transplants, Sam said, "Brae, this is Daniel, my… boyfriend."
Brae replied with a pleasant smile, vigorously shaking a surprised Daniel's hand, "Ah, yes, the Psychologist. I've heard such a lot about you. So many good things."
Daniel smiled, and Sam said to Daniel, still grinning, "Daniel, this is Brae…"
T took over, saying, an arm around Daniel's shoulders as he looked at Brae, "He took care of me after my Dad got murdered. He's the reason why I became a fire-fighter."
Sam added as T looked embarrassed, "T donated a kidney to Brae as well."
Daniel nodded in acknowledgement and said with a smile to Brae, "Nice to meet you."
Brae replied, patting him on the shoulder, "Same to you, young man."
Sam grabbed Daniel's arm and said, gently kissing him as she led him back into the lounge, "Come on, I'll introduce you to the guys."
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Sitting together on the couch, his arm around her as they watched Val lead Jonas off somewhere, Shauna shrieking with laughter when T whispered something in her ear, Daniel whispered in Sam's ear, kissing it as she leaned into his embrace, "Do you want your ring back yet?"
She kissed him, replying as he discreetly passed her the ring, "Sure… I've… actually, everyone thinks I'm blind and that you're just passing through."
She kissed him again and continued, "I don't know about being visually impaired, but you are so definitely not passing through, believe me."
He returned her kiss, remarking, "Good… otherwise I would have had to give you Isis."
She laughed, resting her head on his shoulder as she held his hand, and Cam bounded behind the couch, hugging them from behind as they looked up at him in surprise. He whispered with a grin,
"Now? I noticed the little special ops thing going on between you… luckily, the Colonel wasn't looking otherwise he would have taken the opportunity to crack another joke. If you're doing it now, I'll cheer the loudest. You'll see. Good luck."
He patted them on their shoulders as they whispered their thanks and Sam got up, whispering as she stopped a passing Shauna, "Shauna… we've got some news…"
Shauna squealed loudly as Sam, Daniel and Cam smirked, the entire room falling into a bemused silence, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Please don't be messing about this time!"
Daniel stood up and held Sam's hand as she said, looking around at the expectant faces, "Guys, we've been holding out on you."
She glanced at Daniel and continued with a grin, "I lied about him being my boyfriend…"
Most of everyone looked shocked, some cynical, Jack remarking, "Well, that's certainly a way to make a party sour. Don't tell me he's your brother – we'll all be sick; we saw those kisses. Well… kisses… more like using each other as oxygen masks…"
Sara hit him on the arm to silence him, and Sam took a deep breath, finally finishing, "He isn't my boyfriend. He's my… fiancé. We're getting married!"
As Daniel let her hand go, slipping his arm around her waist, she held up her hand to show that she wasn't lying, and everyone gaped for a long moment, Shauna looking utterly shocked and speechless for once. Cam, grinning, cheered as promised, saying as he leapt over the couch to hug them,
"Go, you guys! I'm getting a brother-in-law!"
Everyone eventually exchanged glances and then cheered, Shauna squealing again as she hugged both of them, remarking, "You know how to surprise us, don't you? Oh… you two."
Jack, smiling, affectionately ruffled Daniel's hair, saying, "I knew it. Shrink Monkey. Oh, c'mere you. Let my wife think I'm gay. I don't care."
He hugged the Psychologist tightly and then Sam, and T asked, his arm around Shauna as Jonas and Val hugged the happy couple, "So… when did this happen?"
Sam smiled and looked at Daniel, who replied with a little smile, "At Christmas at my parent's house. Sam said 'yes'."
Val asked, Jonas' arm around her, "Ooh, Daniel… did you get down on one knee?"
Daniel, amused, looked at Sam, who replied, her face glowing with happiness, "Yep. It was amazing."
Jack remarked, rubbing his hands together with glee, "Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's get the champagne out to toast these two! Hey, where are you having the wedding?"
Sam replied as Daniel now held her hand, squeezing it, "We don't know, Sir."
"Well, wherever you have it, it's going to be a full house. You're not going to keep us away. The whole state could go up in flames but hey, some things are just more important."
"Thanks, Colonel… I think."