Daniel had deliberately changed the subject again. Sam knew he'd done it earlier, but she couldn't remember what they'd been talking about at the time. She studied his face, trying to recall. For some reason, she felt like it was something very important, something she really ought to know.

They stood and began walking in silence as Sam tried to remember what she'd forgotten. Looking at the cobblestone path beneath her feet, she noticed it was very well kept, not an unsightly weed or upturned stone in sight. Though it seemed to wander off to nowhere, she decided the inn must use it regularly. Maybe for weddings, she guessed. Further ahead, they'd probably find a clearing with a trellis where couples could exchange vows. She had to admit, it was very elegant and romantic, and the trees and flowers made it a beautiful location, especially on a warm evening like this. She could imagine herself getting married here. That is, if she ever actually got married.

Still on the wedding planning track, she found her mind wondering what color scheme the blossoms might best correspond. In the dim light, she couldn't quite make out their hue, but they looked like they could be white or pink. Reminding herself that she no longer had to worry about this kind of thing, she inhaled deeply, and found that she couldn't catch even a hint of their fragrance.

Daniel turned his head at her change in breathing. "The flowers. I can't smell them," she explained. He nodded then turned to pluck one. He held it out to her. She leaned in and inhaled deeply once again. This time, the sweet smell filled her nostrils. With a smile, she took it from him. "Thanks."

Only one corner of his mouth turned upward, then he continued down the path without saying a word.

Looking at her flower, Sam could see the outer petals were soft yellow, the inner bright red, swirling together into a vibrant orange. As though it had telepathically given her the answer, Sam found the revelation she'd sought. His date! We were talking about why he canceled his date. She bit her lip as she wondered how to broach the subject again. When she looked toward Daniel, she realized he had already walked several feet away. Surprised, she hurried to catch up with him.

Placing her hand on his arm she asked, "Daniel, is something wrong?"

He kept walking without looking at her. "What makes you think that?"

"Because you're acting. . . strange."

He shook his head. "It's nothing I want to talk about."

"Come on, Daniel. You can talk to me." Sam suspected this might have something to do with his cancelled date, and she felt guilty for not trying harder to talk to him about it earlier. She'd been going on and on about her love life when Daniel clearly had some problems of his own in that area. "You've been here for me tonight; let me do the same for you."

Daniel stopped and cocked his head to the side. He looked at her for a very long time, his eyes boring into hers. It felt as though he were studying her intensely. She shifted uncomfortably, and he finally answered, "Thanks for offering, but it's really nothing you can help with."

"Oh." She cast her eyes to the ground, disappointed and hurt that he wouldn't confide in her, but still determined to be there for him if he asked. "Well, if you change your mind, I'm here." She rubbed his arm to emphasize the sentiment. Thinking that maybe a long walk would cheer him up, Sam looked down the path and said, "I wonder how far this goes." She tried her best to make out where it stopped, but it seemed to go on for quite some distance. She smiled at him and asked, "You want to follow it to the end?"

He managed a smile. "I've got nothing better to do."

She grinned back and placed her arm in his as they continued walking.

The sun had set long ago, and they were guided only by the dim lamps every couple hundred feet. Within a short distance, they spotted the trellis Sam suspected they'd find. A few times, they passed a bench, but they never stopped -- except when Daniel would spot a new kind of flower he'd pick for Sam. After about fifteen minutes, she'd acquired quite a decent sized bouquet, and Daniel's mood had improved dramatically.

They soon found themselves at a clearing with a large fountain. Daniel approached and stretched to stick his palm into the streams of water. He smiled at the feel of it splashing over his skin. "I've always loved water," he said. Sam wasn't sure if he was speaking to himself or to her. "It's so calming and soothing but also very dangerous." She perched on the stone ledge surrounding the fountain and ran her hand across the surface. As she did so, he turned to face her with an intense gaze. "It reminds me of you."

Her breath caught in her throat and she nearly lost her balance. "Oh?" she managed to mutter.

He smiled warmly at her. "Beautiful but deadly."

Sam's chest tightened and tears threatened the surface of her eyes, yet she couldn't keep the smile from her face. It was the most amazing feeling she'd ever experienced. It was also confusing as hell. Why would such a simple compliment from Daniel make her feel this way?

Daniel stepped closer and touched her shoulder. "Sam?"

She nodded and assured, "I'm fine. I just got a little light-headed." She smiled. "Must be the wine."

He lightly rubbed her shoulder before he let his hand drop. Sam stood and took a few steps away, seeking some Daniel-free space to clear her head.

"Maybe we should make a wish," Daniel suggested.

Sam turned back and saw him looking at the bottom of the fountain, which was littered with coins. "Hmm. . ." Sam grimaced as she came up behind him. "I don't really believe in that superstitious stuff. Do you?"

"Well, superstition plays a large roll in a lot of cultures. Maybe it's not such a load of bunk." She looked at him critically, and he admitted. "No, I don't really believe in it." He shrugged and his eyebrows shot upward. "But I thought it might be fun."

"Fun?" Sam had to smile at Daniel's idea of entertainment. "Throwing coins into a fountain doesn't exactly seem like my idea of a good time." She reclaimed her seat on the edge. "Besides, I don't think you should waste the twenty-five cents."

He slid next her, purposefully bumping against her shoulder. "Come on, you don't think the possibility of having your wish come true is worth twenty-five cents? What else are you going to get for a quarter?"

If Sam threw in a coin, she knew what she'd wish for: Jack. She liked to think she wasn't so far gone that she would do something she found so ridiculously desperate as to rely on superstition. Sam leaned into him, pushing his weight back as though she were pushing back his arguments. "I'll buy some gum or one of those cheap plastic rings you get out of the machines at the grocery store. At least I know I'm getting something."

He stood and faced her. "Aww. . . come on. Where's your adventurous spirit? Your inner child?" He reached into his pocket and fished for a coin. "It's just a quarter." He finally pulled one out and held it out, ready to toss it in. "Make a wish with me."

Sam jumped to her feet and grabbed his hand, enveloping the coin. "Stop being ridiculous. It's not going to come true."

"It might."

"It won't."

"So?" Daniel challenged.

Sam pleaded, "Can we just forget it and go?"

"Yeah," he answered, lowering his hand and putting the coin back in his pocket. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Sam plastered a smile to her face, but as she met Daniel's eyes, she found she didn't have to fake it as much as she thought she would. In fact, she almost beamed. "Yes, I'm great, actually. Now can we go?"

"Sure," he responded. Sam began to walk away but stopped when she heard him say, "But I'm going to throw something into that fountain, and if it's not a quarter, it's gonna be you."

Sam spun back to face him, her jaw nearly hitting the ground. With a daring smile and a hand on her hip, she challenged, "I'd like to see you try."

He shrugged and grinned as he took a step toward her. "Fair enough."

For an instant, Sam was stunned that Daniel was going to follow through on his threat. She had expected to call his bluff, but as Daniel came closer, Sam's brain began to run through the possibilities for counterattack. They were quite limited by both her attire and the fact that she didn't want to actually hurt Daniel. "No, no, no, no, Daniel." she argued as she backed away. She dodged and managed to evade him temporarily, laughing while using her bouquet to fend him off. Her footwear turned out to be her downfall, and he quickly found an opening, which allowed him to scoop her up.

"Daniel, that's not fair. I'm wearing heels!" He didn't answer, and just kept walking toward the fountain. "If I go in, you're coming with me." He still didn't answer, and she began clubbing him with her flowers. Finding it useless, she tossed them to the ground. "Come on. Put me down!"

Daniel grinned. "Don't worry. I will."

Sam gasped in disbelief. Daniel was the last person she'd expect this from. "No, Daniel," came Sam's stern reply. "If you put me in that fountain, I will hurt you when I get out."

"There's no point in making threats," he answered, trying to keep his grip as she squirmed in his arms.

Sam decided to switch to a new tactic: flattery and distraction. She deliberately batted her eyelashes at him and tried out her best coy smile, though it came out looking rather goofy. "Daniel, have you been working out lately?"

He laughed, "You know I have. You were in the gym with me on Monday, but that isn't going to get you out of this."

Along the way, Sam's flailing limbs made her shoes fly to the ground. He carefully avoided them as he approached the fountain. Then he lowered her over the edge toward the water, making sure she was in just far enough that she couldn't get the leverage to stand up. If he let her go, she would tumble backward into the water. He leaned over her, smiling wickedly. "You're right. Throwing coins in a fountain isn't any fun. This is much better."

Sam turned to pleading. Up to this point, she was certain Daniel would never drop her in. Now, she wasn't so sure. "Daniel, don't. Please. I'm sorry I said it wasn't any fun."

His eyes glittered and his smile would have melted an angry System Lord. Sam couldn't stop herself from smiling back. "Are you really?" he asked.

Now, Sam knew once again that he would never let her fall. But that didn't mean she wasn't thinking of ways to get him back for this. She knew that if she shifted her weight just right, she would go under, pulling Daniel along with her. She didn't do it, though. After all, she really didn't want to get herself wet. She also had a small feeling that she wouldn't forgive herself if she made Daniel let her go. It felt good having him this close. For some unexplainable reason, she liked the feel of his hands on her body, of his body against hers. She hadn't realized it until this moment, but she'd missed the comfort of his touch. She'd never admit it to herself, in fact, she'd deliberately dismiss it as simple nervousness, but her body tingled with anticipation that he might kiss her. "Yes," she whispered.

"Hmm. . ." He looked into her eyes, licking his lips in mock concentration.

Sam's mind worked overtime to try to form a logical explanation for why this simple gesture was sending fire and ice impulses up her spine and down to places she didn't want to think about, couldn't think about. This was Daniel, after all. So why was she on the verge of pulling his lips to hers and sending them both tumbling into the cool water with their bodies tangled together?

He continued to hold her close, with that dangerous look in his eyes. Then, to her great displeasure, he shrugged and said, "Well, since you asked nicely." He then pulled her up so that she was safely sitting in front of him on the ledge.

Feeling unexplainably stunned and hurt, Sam pushed him away with both hands. "I should have kicked your ass when I had the chance."

"Luckily for me, you didn't," he answered as he took a seat next to her and grinned nervously.

A smile slowly slid over Sam's face, and unfortunately for Daniel, he missed the wicked glint in her eye. "You're damn right you are. Of course, now I'm forced to do this," she responded as she pushed him backward.

There was no time to react, and before Daniel knew it, he was soaked and being pummeled by streams of water. He flailed around for a few seconds until he finally grabbed the edge. Pulling himself onto his knees, he pushed his hair back from his now water-spotted glasses and gaped at her in shock. "I can't believe you just did that."

Daniel looked like a drowning fish, and Sam suppressed her fit of giggles long enough to say, "Oops."

Daniel tried to muster his best mock-threatening tone. "That's it. No more Mr. Nice Danny. You're gonna pay for that."

Sam only laughed harder at Daniel's failed attempt at a threat. He came off far too adorable to be intimidating. She did feel a pang of guilt for throwing him in, but she couldn't stop her giggles. It was simply too funny.

As Daniel climbed out of the fountain, Sam knew there was a chance she'd end up in it very soon if she stuck around. Spinning on her heels, she high-tailed it out of there. "Not if you can't catch me," she called back.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Having extracted himself from the water, Daniel sat on the fountain's edge, looking down at his wet clothing and wondering how he was going to dry his glasses. Realizing that it was pointless, he slid them into his pocket. He shook the water from his hair as he laughed at the unusual turn the evening had taken. He hadn't expected to be thrown into a fountain, and he certainly hadn't expected to spend any portion of his night chasing down Sam Carter.

He couldn't explain what had made him start the whole thing. Now that he'd done it, he was actually a bit embarrassed. Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was the spark of something in her eyes that'd made him go just a bit more 'alpha male' than he was ordinarily comfortable with. Maybe it was both.

He really hadn't intended to follow through with his threat to throw Sam in. He wasn't even going to pretend. He was only joking, but when she'd turned around, hand on her hip with that smile on her face, all he'd wanted to do was kiss her and be close to her. That was out of the question, so he'd settled for the closest he could get. He hadn't even stopped to think about it.

Daniel took off his jacket and attempted to wring the water out. He couldn't believe Sam had pushed him in. After all, he never had any intention of actually throwing her into the water. He never would have gone that far. While the idea of wet, scantily clad Sam appealed to him, he didn't want to have to face her wrath after he'd done it. He wasn't sure exactly how many ways she knew how to render a man unconscious, but he was sure he didn't want to find any out firsthand.

He was just glad his little stunt hadn't upset her. He'd joked and played around with her in the past, but never like this. He'd felt like he might have crossed a line, and he was relieved when he'd seen her laugh. At that point, he was glad he'd done it, because her laughter was a welcome change from the somber expression she'd worn most of the night.

As he continued to shake the water from his clothes, he spotted her shoes still lying where they'd fallen. Realizing that he wasn't even going to get anywhere close to dry, he picked up the shoes and jogged after her. After all, he couldn't just let her get away with this.

Within a short distance, Sam came into sight. She'd slowed her pace to a walk, and hearing footsteps, she turned back to see him coming and increased her pace.

"Oh, no you don't," Daniel called out as he sped up to catch her. "You're not getting away that easily."

Sam's bare feet allowed Daniel to catch up quickly. As he closed in, he tossed his jacket and her shoes aside, and threw his arms around her, lifting her off the ground. His momentum carried him forward, and he spun around so his back would hit the tree directly ahead of him and stop his forward motion. He hit with a thud, but not so hard it caused more than a fleeting bit of pain.

Caught in his grasp, Sam turned to face him, laughing and breathing heavily. "We're much too old for this," she declared. With his arms around her, and their chests rising and falling rapidly as one, he joined in her laughter. He leaned his head against the tree, allowing himself to catch his breath while Sam rested her head against his shoulder.

A few seconds later, Sam's breathing slowed, and she lifted her head to face him. "I'm sorry I pushed you in."

He chuckled. "Don't be. I was asking for it."

"You sure were," she agreed as she smoothed his still damp and disheveled hair. She then moved to straighten the collar of his shirt. "You're really soaked," she observed.

"So are you," he noted, glancing downward to where her body was pressed against his.

She followed his gaze to see the newly dampened fabric of her dress, then smiled and met his eyes. "It's okay. I deserve it."

Daniel pulled her tighter against him, causing more of the liquid that permeated his clothing to soak into hers. She laughed as she felt the cool water soak through her dress, down to her skin. Her laughter vibrated through her body, its ripples finding their way to Daniel.

Without taking time to consider the repercussions, Daniel reached up to caress her cheek. At his touch, he saw her gaze dart downward and she bit her lip nervously. He tilted her chin upward then threaded his fingers through her hair. Her smile still lingered as she once again met his eyes. Daniel could feel her hand sliding up his shoulder to snake around his neck, and without waiting for further invitation, he closed the distance to her lips.