Chapter 3: Waking to Love
The next morning, Sarah was the first to wake. She opened her eyes and was momentarily confused because she wasn't sure where she was. That is, until she felt a strong arm around her waist and gently turned to her left to see Daniel sleeping next to her. She thought for a moment and remembered the night before when she had come to check on Daniel and he had awakened to comfort her when she cried through her guilt of all she had done. Then he had just wanted to hold her for a while and she had fallen asleep in his arms. Sarah reached up and gently stroked Daniel's face with her hand, smiling when he didn't stir. She knew that the ordeal the Goa'uld Osiris had put Daniel through over the past days had completely exhausted him and she was glad that he was finally getting a decent sleep and it warmed her heart to see the peaceful expression on his face.
"I'm glad that Daniel's finally getting a good sound sleep. His ordeal left him completely exhausted. I think I'll go out into the kitchen and make some breakfast so I don't wake Daniel. I should let him sleep for a little while longer. He really needs his rest." Sarah thought as she maneuvered herself out of Daniel's arms, careful not to disturb him, and headed into the kitchen to make breakfast.
Two hours later, Daniel was awakened by the smells coming from his kitchen. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. After taking a moment to remember what had happened the night before, Daniel was momentarily alarmed when he noticed that Sarah was no longer at his side.
"Okay, calm down. I know I'm not dreaming this whole thing because my kitchen doesn't start cooking breakfast by itself. I guess Sarah woke up earlier and decided she didn't want to wake me and went to make breakfast." Daniel thought as he climbed out of bed and made his way into the kitchen.
Sarah was in the kitchen finishing up making breakfast when she heard quiet footsteps behind her and then felt Daniel's arms wrap around her waist. She turned her head and kissed him gently.
"Good morning." Sarah smiled.
"Morning, beautiful lady." Daniel teased as he continued to hold her tightly.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah. I guess I didn't realize how exhausted I really was. Last night I was so tired it wouldn't have taken much to put me out for a week."
"That's exactly why I decided to come in here on my own to make breakfast for us. When I woke up you seemed to be sleeping so peacefully that I couldn't bring myself to disturb you."
"Well, thank you. You have no idea just how much I needed to get a good night's sleep. I was beginning to feel extremely run down. In fact, last night I was so tired that all I really had to do was close my eyes and my body took over from there."
"I'm not surprised seeing all that you've been through over the past several days. I'm glad to see that you seem to be much more rested." Sarah smiled, giggling lightly as Daniel wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I feel more rested than I've felt in over a week. During the past few days I've been so run down that when I was at work at the SGC I could hardly function. Actually, one morning Sam and Teal'c came to the commissary to have breakfast with me and found me sleeping with my head on the table. I woke up long enough to have a short conversation with them about the dreams I was having and then I put my head back down on the table and ended up sleeping in the commissary for the better part of two hours until someone finally found me there."
"I wish there was something that I could have done to stop what Osiris was doing to you, Daniel. I always thought myself to be a strong person but I guess this whole situation proves that I'm not as strong as I believed I was."
"Sarah, I want you to listen to me. You are one of the strongest people I know. I don't know of many people who could have survived being the host to a Goa'uld like that. Most people would have died long before the symbiote was able to be removed and if they managed to survive that long would have surely died soon after. So don't ever doubt your strength. Another thing that I always want you to remember is that what Osiris did to me was not your fault. When a Goa'uld takes a host, the symbiote completely takes over and the host has absolutely no control. The Tok'ra are the only exception to that rule. You are going to get through this and I'm going to do everything I possibly can to help you. That is a promise." Daniel whispered reassuringly.
"I know. It's just hard. But right now, I think we should have some breakfast."
"I don't know when I've heard a better idea."
As Daniel and Sarah sat at the kitchen table sharing the breakfast that she had prepared, Daniel found that he couldn't stop thinking about how lucky he was to have a second chance. For him, these opportunities to change things and right past wrongs were very rare indeed. This morning, as he sat drinking his coffee with Sarah smiling at him from across the table, Daniel corrected himself on the thought he had last night. In this moment, all things were right in Daniel Jackson's world. He silently vowed to himself at that point that he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that they stayed that way.
The next morning, Sarah was the first to wake. She opened her eyes and was momentarily confused because she wasn't sure where she was. That is, until she felt a strong arm around her waist and gently turned to her left to see Daniel sleeping next to her. She thought for a moment and remembered the night before when she had come to check on Daniel and he had awakened to comfort her when she cried through her guilt of all she had done. Then he had just wanted to hold her for a while and she had fallen asleep in his arms. Sarah reached up and gently stroked Daniel's face with her hand, smiling when he didn't stir. She knew that the ordeal the Goa'uld Osiris had put Daniel through over the past days had completely exhausted him and she was glad that he was finally getting a decent sleep and it warmed her heart to see the peaceful expression on his face.
"I'm glad that Daniel's finally getting a good sound sleep. His ordeal left him completely exhausted. I think I'll go out into the kitchen and make some breakfast so I don't wake Daniel. I should let him sleep for a little while longer. He really needs his rest." Sarah thought as she maneuvered herself out of Daniel's arms, careful not to disturb him, and headed into the kitchen to make breakfast.
Two hours later, Daniel was awakened by the smells coming from his kitchen. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. After taking a moment to remember what had happened the night before, Daniel was momentarily alarmed when he noticed that Sarah was no longer at his side.
"Okay, calm down. I know I'm not dreaming this whole thing because my kitchen doesn't start cooking breakfast by itself. I guess Sarah woke up earlier and decided she didn't want to wake me and went to make breakfast." Daniel thought as he climbed out of bed and made his way into the kitchen.
Sarah was in the kitchen finishing up making breakfast when she heard quiet footsteps behind her and then felt Daniel's arms wrap around her waist. She turned her head and kissed him gently.
"Good morning." Sarah smiled.
"Morning, beautiful lady." Daniel teased as he continued to hold her tightly.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah. I guess I didn't realize how exhausted I really was. Last night I was so tired it wouldn't have taken much to put me out for a week."
"That's exactly why I decided to come in here on my own to make breakfast for us. When I woke up you seemed to be sleeping so peacefully that I couldn't bring myself to disturb you."
"Well, thank you. You have no idea just how much I needed to get a good night's sleep. I was beginning to feel extremely run down. In fact, last night I was so tired that all I really had to do was close my eyes and my body took over from there."
"I'm not surprised seeing all that you've been through over the past several days. I'm glad to see that you seem to be much more rested." Sarah smiled, giggling lightly as Daniel wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I feel more rested than I've felt in over a week. During the past few days I've been so run down that when I was at work at the SGC I could hardly function. Actually, one morning Sam and Teal'c came to the commissary to have breakfast with me and found me sleeping with my head on the table. I woke up long enough to have a short conversation with them about the dreams I was having and then I put my head back down on the table and ended up sleeping in the commissary for the better part of two hours until someone finally found me there."
"I wish there was something that I could have done to stop what Osiris was doing to you, Daniel. I always thought myself to be a strong person but I guess this whole situation proves that I'm not as strong as I believed I was."
"Sarah, I want you to listen to me. You are one of the strongest people I know. I don't know of many people who could have survived being the host to a Goa'uld like that. Most people would have died long before the symbiote was able to be removed and if they managed to survive that long would have surely died soon after. So don't ever doubt your strength. Another thing that I always want you to remember is that what Osiris did to me was not your fault. When a Goa'uld takes a host, the symbiote completely takes over and the host has absolutely no control. The Tok'ra are the only exception to that rule. You are going to get through this and I'm going to do everything I possibly can to help you. That is a promise." Daniel whispered reassuringly.
"I know. It's just hard. But right now, I think we should have some breakfast."
"I don't know when I've heard a better idea."
As Daniel and Sarah sat at the kitchen table sharing the breakfast that she had prepared, Daniel found that he couldn't stop thinking about how lucky he was to have a second chance. For him, these opportunities to change things and right past wrongs were very rare indeed. This morning, as he sat drinking his coffee with Sarah smiling at him from across the table, Daniel corrected himself on the thought he had last night. In this moment, all things were right in Daniel Jackson's world. He silently vowed to himself at that point that he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that they stayed that way.