Chapter Five

Daniel made no second attempt to apologise to Samantha. It was clear she wanted nothing more to do with him. He was hurt that she was so willing to throw away their friendship over something that had started off so small, but if that was the way she wanted it…

Samantha was sorry she had let things deteriorate so quickly between her and Daniel. She honestly hadn't meant for it to go so far. If he had ever given her the opportunity to apologise, a smile or a friendly greeting, she would have all but thrown herself in his arms begging for a second chance. But he never did. She had thrown his feelings for her back at him too hard, stomped on his heart and ego too thoroughly for him to give her a second chance like that.

Well, it was more like a third chance after the way she'd yelled at him in the infirmary. Daniel certainly knew how to be there when she was pissed off. God, she felt bad about that. If she hadn't been in so much pain and pissed off about the fact she was off-duty for at least two months – but it was too late for that now. Daniel hated her.

It had been obvious for that little outburst to everyone that Samantha and Daniel were unable to work together. Hammond had asked them both about it, and neither would give a straight answer ; it was something they would both prefer to forget about – the other had made it perfectly clear they had.

Hammond approached Daniel first, wanting to know if there was anyway he and Samantha could work out what was going on between them, because if there wasn't, they wouldn't have to be separated. Samantha's broken arm was a stark reminder of what could happen when the team wasn't focused.

He had immediately volunteered to be reassigned. He didn't care where he went, he just didn't want to be close to Samantha when she obviously resented his presence. It broke his heart to think about it, and he tried to tell himself that if she was going to be so unreasonable – but it rarely worked, and for the better part of a week he moped about what could have been.

Samantha's heart fell when she heard Daniel had requested a transfer. She wasn't told directly, of course, but heard it through the grapevine. Within a day everyone knew that Doctor Jackson and Major Carter had had a falling out and he refused to work with her anymore – that was some of the nicer things that were being said.

She made herself get over it, as much as she could. It hurt that Daniel was so determined not to forgive her. What she'd give to take it back…

"Has it ever occurred to you to just talk to him?" Janet asked Samantha one day when she caught the scientist looking off into space, a sad, wistful look in her eyes.

"And let him insult me again?" she asked. "Or refuse to talk to me? You didn't hear him on our last mission, Jan. He absolutely refused to say anything that wasn't related to the mission. I blew it big time."

"Well, you certainly could have handled a few things better," Janet agreed diplomatically. "But I think you underestimate how much he cares about you. He wouldn't have gone with you if he didn't. And he can't have just switched those feelings off like that."

Alanna had said something similar, and Samantha had taken much comfort out of those words, either. She just couldn't face up to Daniel again, couldn't bear it if he directed all the bitter sarcasm he could muster at her. She had honestly thought nothing would hurt more then the fact Daniel could go out and sleep with another woman hours after kissing her, but she had never fully appreciated Daniel's command of the English language – and twenty-six other languages…

No, better to pretend like it didn't matter, pretend like she didn't care, then subject herself to that again.

Janet knew better then to try and talk to Daniel about it. It was clear from the way his blue eyes clouded over when she mentioned Samantha's name – and it was unintentionally too, meant as a throwaway remark – that she had hurt him deeply and any attempts to get them to reconcile would fall of deaf ears. No, any peace offerings would have to come from Samantha, and she was just as determined as Daniel not to risk her heart again.

Of course, it didn't take long for the rumour mill to cotton on to the mutual attractiveness of Daniel and Captain Miranda Patterson, the newest and most junior member of SG-4. Like any workplace where the workforce was fairly contained, there was a lot of gossip, and when you got two attractive people spending a lot of time together for whatever reason, there were always going to be suggestions that they were together. It didn't help that Daniel and Miranda had hit it off immediately – just as friends, of course, but what kind of story did that make? – and could usually be found in one or the other's offices, having a grand old time.

It didn't take long for the gossip to reach Samantha's ears. For some reason, several people had thought that, since various rumours credited her as being his dumped girlfriend, discarded lover or harbouring an unrequited love for him, she should be the first to know.

She smiled indifferently and pretended like she didn't care. "What Daniel does is none of my business," she told anyone who was rude enough to ask. She said this with so much feigned indifference that several people were sorely disappointed that they weren't going to get the hysterics of a scorned woman. No, she would not give them that satisfaction.

Inwardly, though, she was crying. She couldn't believe Daniel had forgotten about her so quickly. The only reason that could be for was that he hadn't cared that much to begin with. She'd thought there was love in his kiss, but maybe that was just lust. Maybe he only wanted her the same way he'd wanted the Cheryl woman. Maybe someone like Miranda Patterson was more to his taste.

She didn't often cry about it, and never in the base, but one day it all came to a head and her restraint abandoned her. She'd been in the mess hall – alone, thankfully, she usually hung out with Jack and Teal'c but if they'd seen the way she'd reacted they might have tried to stop her and she would have ended up crying in the mess hall – and seen Daniel and Miranda, laughing about something – probably her, she thought bitterly, and what an ass she'd been. She wondered if they laughed about her a lot.

Daniel had looked up and caught her staring at him. Was she actually showing an interest in him? People had been clamouring to report to him that Samantha had shown an utter indifference to his supposed dating of Miranda. Not that he'd be so unprofessional (somehow, the idea of dating Samantha didn't seem the same as dating another member of the Stargate Command), but he'd been kind of hurt. Clearly, he hadn't meant much to her.

He smiled encouragingly, hoping this meant maybe she cared in some way. She took his smile as a smug one – you didn't mean anything to me, see how I've moved on. She couldn't take it, she couldn't stay in the same room as Daniel and watching his smug little romance blooming. She fled to the sanctuary of her office and cried.

Janet found her ten minutes later, sobbing her heart out. She had never seen Samantha cry over a man – except all the times Daniel had 'died', interestingly enough – and it was a little disconcerting to see it happen. "Sam, honey, what's wrong?" she asked, although she already knew what was wrong. Daniel, always Daniel.

"Nothing, go away," Samantha ordered her friend.

Like Janet was going to abandon a friend in need. "You know, he doesn't care about her nearly as much as he cares about you," she told Samantha.

"I said go away!" Samantha ordered, embarrassed that anyone, even Janet, should see her crying.

Janet went, fed up with this stupid game Samantha and Daniel were playing. It was time for her to intervene she marched down to the mess hall, not-so-politely grabbed Daniel and began dragging him out. "Hey!" Daniel yelled indignantly. "What gives?"

"I am sick of watching you and Samantha pretend like you don't care about each other," Janet said. "She's crying over you, Daniel, and if you don't do something about it I swear I'll kick your ass from here to Sunday." Janet could be very aggressive when she wanted to be, and Daniel didn't doubt she'd be after his blood if he didn't make Samantha stop crying.

"She made it very clear she wasn't interested," Daniel declared stubbornly. "The first time I kissed her she basically told me I wasn't good enough for her and that I was a sleaze for even thinking of it, and the second time she threatened me with sexual harassment!"

"She didn't tell me about that," Janet admitted. No wonder Daniel was so upset. "But I'm sure she had good reason to."

"Yeah," Daniel said sullenly. "She's a schizophrenic ice-queen."

"She is not, she's just hurt that you treated her so badly. Oh, don't give me any excuses about how badly she treated you – the pair of you had been equally mean to each other and I'm sick of it. The two of you obviously care about each other, now go and do something about it." And with that she practically pushed Daniel against Samantha's office door.

Tentatively, Daniel opened the door. Janet hadn't been kidding that Samantha was crying ; it was quite a shock to the system, he'd never seen Samantha cry – although he'd been told by other people that she'd cried every time she'd thought he was dead. Suddenly, all his resentment towards her evaporated. She was crying over him! She had to care! "I told you to go away, Janet," she ordered through her tears, not looking up when she heard the door open.

"It's not Janet, Sam, it's me, Daniel," Daniel said softly. Samantha looked up in surprise, and then resentment as the number-one person she did not want to see her crying was seeing her crying. Clearly, Janet had gone and gotten him, although what she'd said to him to make him come, Samantha didn't think she wanted to know. Probably threatened him with castration.

"Go away," she ordered him.

"No." He said down beside her. "Janet said you were crying… over me."

"Don't flatter yourself. Janet's full of crap," Samantha lied, not very well. Oh, God, she loved his eyes. And she couldn't help but looking at his mouth, remembering how good it had felt when he'd kissed her. She trembled slightly at the memory.

Sighing, Daniel cupped Samantha's face and used this thumbs to wipe away her tears. He figured he really had nothing to lose by being honest – except maybe having it thrown back in his face again, and if she did, well, it wasn't his fault for lack of trying. "I'm sick of this, Sam," he said. "I really like you and everytime I've tried to do something about it you've thrown it back in my face."

"You slept with that woman… after you kissed me," Samantha reminded him. "How do you think that made me feel? Like I was just… something to satisfy your lust."

"You made me feel like scum just for kissing you!" Daniel pointed out indignantly. "When all you had to do was say there'd been a misunderstanding. I was pissed off, Sam. You made me feel like a sleaze, and you know I'm not like that. I really wanted to be with you and… you just blew me off completely."

He sniffled slightly, which meant he was close to tears himself. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "You took me by surprise… you made me realise how attracted to you I was... and how messy it would be, and –"

Her words were cut off when Daniel kissed her. It was more assertive then their first kiss, not as demanding as their second – she inhaled, and smiled to herself as she breathed the scent of her office and Daniel – and not Cheryl. She opened her mouth to let Daniel kiss her properly, whimpering in delight as one hand roamed her body freely, his other arm wrapping itself securely around her waist. "Yes," she whispered hoarsely between kisses. When he pushed her down onto the couch, she eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist. She ran her finger across his chest, feeling his heartbeat, through his hair, twisting his locks around her fingers, something she'd always wanted to do. "Daniel," she groaned his name. She ground her against him hard, and the result was instantaneous.

"Sam," he muttered thickly, pausing their kisses so he could look down into her eyes. He was hungry for her, and it gave her a thrill. "I've been thinking so much about how I want to make love to you, and I swear if I don't take you home right now, I'm going to take you here and now."

It was a tempting offer but the consequences would be massive. There was already enough talk about why Daniel and Samantha had been separated, they didn't need talk about their wild, passionate sex in her office on top of that. "Just let me let Hammond know we're leaving," Samantha said. She was sure the General wouldn't mind, neither of them had anything pressing and besides, he'd been hinting at a reconciliation between the two of them for some time now…

She had known from experience that Daniel could be aggressive, although she hadn't entirely been expecting it – which didn't mean it wasn't welcome. As soon as they got in the front door of her house, he was all over her, and she was returning his advances with equal passion and hunger. Several years of pent-up attraction was about to explode.

It was over quickly, although they were both sated. "Mmmm…" Daniel murmured, pulling Samantha in against him, so he was spooning her. "I think I'm falling in love with you."

She snuggled up against him. She couldn't believe they had been so foolish and wasted so much time. "I think I'm falling in love with you," she replied. Then, "Do you want to stay the night."

He laughed softly. "I'm naked in your bed, I think that was a given."

"Screw you, Daniel," she said good-naturedly.

He leaned over and turned her on her back so he could look down at her. "I'd much rather…" he began with a knowing leer.

She leaned up to kiss him. "Shut up, Daniel," she said, her words soon forgotten in the passion of their kiss.