A/N: Wow, first time in what, 15 stories that I've gotten over 100 reviews. I should be cruel to you guys more often, suspense seems to work. Hmm, note to self...

Ch 12 - Kindle fire with snow

That night, after Carter had taken the first shift, she hadn't slept at all. Colonel O'Neill had the shift after her, and she had pretended to be sound asleep every time he came to see if she was or not, but she had still been wide awake when Daniel had taken over for the Colonel.

She was sick of lying still pretending to be asleep, so after she guessed the Colonel was sound asleep, she got up quietly and went over to Daniel, who was sitting by the fire drinking a cup of suspicious-smelling coffee. "Hey Sam," he whispered, scooting over to make room for her.

She sat down next to him and said, "Hey. You can go back to sleep if you want. I'm up anyway."

"Nah, that's all right," he said, passing the coffee to her. "Anyway, Jack would kill me when he found out."

She took a tiny sip of the coffee and almost gagged. "Oh God, Daniel, that's terrible. Are you that desperate?"

"Yes," he said frankly, taking the cup back and looking hurt, as though she had insulted him rather than his pathetic cup of soggy grounds. She smiled at him in a sudden wave of affection as he stared moodily into his cup.

Colonel O'Neill, a few yards away, made a weird snoring sound. They both jumped, looking at each other as though caught in an act of treachery. When he made no further sounds or movements, they continued their whispered conversation.

"You told him everything didn't you?" Daniel asked.

"How'd you know?"

"The way you've both been avoiding each other all night was a tiny clue. That and the fact that when we were straightening up the camp after dinner and he accidentally bumped into you you jumped about ten feet in the air."

"No I didn't."

"Yeah you did. I thought I was going to have to coax you down out of a tree," he said teasingly, nudging her shoulder with his.

"Shh," she said quickly, glancing over at the sleeping lump that was the Colonel, making sure he was really asleep.

"So if you've talked about everything, why aren't you asleep right now?"

"I don't know. I can't sleep. I think I'm too tired."

"Mentally, physically, or emotionally?" he asked.

"Yes?" she answered.

He smiled and shook his head sympathetically. "You know, I know I'll never understand the militaristic way of thinking, but it really sucks that in addition to all you guys go through, the rules clearly state that..."

"I know," she said quickly, glancing over at the lump again. "But honestly, I'm not sure that's not just a convenient excuse."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we're both pretty damaged people, Daniel. Emotionally at least."

"We all are. All of SG-1. That's why we're so close."

"I know. That's my point. Maybe we just have this... thing or whatever it is between us, because it's easy."

"It's not easy at all, look what you guys are doing to yourselves..."

"Okay, maybe not easy... but comfortable? Like a security blanket? Like as long as we think 'oh if the rules weren't there...' then we won't be worried about our personal lives? Does that make sense?"

"Yeah. If you have an excuse for not having a life, you won't think about it. You'll just think in the abstract, that someday things will change and everything will fall into place. It makes sense. But Sam?"

"What?"

"I think you're wrong."

"Daniel..."

"That's all I'm going to say," he promised. "Your point makes sense, but in this circumstance, I happen to think you're wrong."

"Okay," she said, agreeing to let it go.

"At any rate, I'll be glad to get back to Earth tomorrow," she added after a few moments. At least at home she wasn't constantly around the Colonel. And they were sure to get a few days of mandatory downtime. For once, Carter figured she wouldn't have to be ordered out of her lab and off-base. She would gladly welcome a weekend holed up alone in her house, maybe spending a day with Cassie at the mall.