DISCLAIMER: Mine? Yeah, right. Anyone who believes that these characters are mine needs more psychiatric help than I do. And that's saying something.

SUMMARY: Daniel has fallen in love with a young woman he met while off world and has inadvertently proposed to her. Jack and Sam have decided that they love each other too much to keep fighting their feelings. and have decided to find a way to be together. Of course, if you think that I'm going to make it easy on either couple, think again. I love conflict and trying to find a way around it.

SPOILERS: Up through "Affinity". Anything after that may or may not be referenced in this story.

A/N: Thank you again, Lady Reaper for the review. I hope more people are reading this than are reviewing. I'm starting to feel a bit -- ignored for lack of a better term.

Sam stood still in shock. Daniel proposed to Shey? What in the hell is going on? "Daniel?" she asked.

Daniel was still holding Shey tenderly, seemingly oblivious to the words Talorn had spoken. Jack was still standing by the door at the foot of the stairs. He shrugged when she looked over to him.

"For cryin' out loud. Daniel, did you hear him?"

"So? I'll marry Shey. If she'll have me."

"Daniel," Shey's voice was sad. "I can not hold you to the proposal when you did not know what you were saying."

"I know what I meant. I meant it. You have a home here. For as long as you want."

"Daniel, please. I can not."

"Shey, he said the words."

"Talorn, he does not know our ways. I can not force him to obey a tradition that he does not know of."

"Shey, believe me. If I hadn't said those particular words, I would have said it in the words of my people. I would have asked you to marry me and be my wife."

With those words, Shey pulled away from him, tears running down her face. She turned from Daniel and started toward the stairs. The only one who realized what she was doing was Jack and he started toward the stairs. However, he wasn't quite fast enough.

Shey's steps led her to the edge of the stairs and then out over nothing. The small cry she made as she fell startled everyone else into motion. She tumbled down the first flight to the landing where Jack stopped her fall.

"Shey!" Daniel was beside her in less than a heartbeat. His heart was in his throat as he knelt down. "Please. Shey."

Sam grabbed the phone and called the infirmary to report what had happened. They sent out a team to bring Shey in immediately.

Daniel didn't move when the medics came in to move Shey. Jack had to physically move Daniel out of the way so the medics could do their job.

Jack didn't let go until after the medics had already gotten a good head start down the hallway toward the infirmary. He knew that Daniel was going to run after them. That was why he waited so long to let him go. He didn't want Daniel interfering with the medics working on Shey.

Daniel sat beside Shey. She was unconcious in the bed. Had been since the fall. What have I done? Would this have happened had I not insisted? What if I lose her now? The doctor doesn't think that would happen but -- Daniel couldn't help but be afraid that he would lose Shey. Especially now.

He had lost Sha're. He had lost Sarah. He had lost so many people over the course of his life. And just look at how many times he had almost lost Jack, Sam and Teal'c. And his own life. It sometimes seemed like his whole life was nothing more than a series of losses. The two worst though had been his parents. He had been so young when that happened. Then losing his wife.

And what about Janet? I cared so much about her and never once told her. Then one day she was gone. Just like that. Just like everyone else I have cared about.

That thought broke through the silence that filled the infirmary. Daniel put his head in his hands and wept. Great heaving sobs that broke the heart of everyone who heard them.

Jack and Sam stood at the doorway to the infirmary together. "I hope he doesn't loose her."

"So do I, Sam. So do I."

A/N: Okay. I'll admit it. I'm a sadistic person. Maybe there'll be more reviews for this chapter. I don't know if I'll continue if I can't start getting a few more reviews.