The weeks soon began to pass. Daniel was fine after having Kem'tar removed. Or at least he was physically fine. Mentally was another story. He seemed to withdraw into himself. Refused to talk to anyone. Only ate when he was forced too. All he really did was stare up at the ceiling or sleep. But his dreams were plague with nightmares which was cause for Janet to sedate him every night after he went to sleep just to keep him calm. But Daniel didn't stick around. A month after Kem'tar was removed he requested leave and General Hammond could do nothing to stop him. So Daniel disappeared. No one knew where he went or why. Jack wasn't to happy since getting a new member of the team wasn't fun but getting two new members was even less thrilling. The second replacing Sam who was out on maternity leave since her job was considered dangerous to the babies health.
The sun was shining brightly and birds were chirping happily when Sam woke. A small smile was etched across her face when she felt the baby kick. Then reality seemed to kick in. She was going to be a momma soon. A month to be exact. A single mother. Her happy mood began to fade when she thought about her estranged husband who she hadn't seen in over eight months. This was her daily routine. Every morning she woke up with thoughts of Daniel. And every morning she'd lay in bed and sob for hours. She didn't want to raise this child alone. And she didn't want to raise this child with anyone other than Daniel being the father.
Daniel glanced out of the plane window as it began it's decent into the Colorado airport. It had been little over eight months since he requested leave from the SGC and disappeared. Eight long months that he spent burying himself in work. He had returned to being an archeologist and digging up tombs in Egypt. Strangely enough he managed to repair his friendship with Steven who Daniel found out that he'd be working with on the project. Everything seemed to flow normally. Daniel adjusted nicely to being back in his old field of work. But there was one thing that disrupted his little world. Sam. He couldn't help but think of his wife every so often. Steven would find him staring off into space during silent nights of research. So to Daniel's displeasure Steven told him to take sometime to sort out his life since there was obviously something bothering him. So again Daniel was on the move. But this time he was going to take advice that he should of taken many months ago. He was going to talk to Sam. Explain to her and hope that she understand.
The Stargate blared to life and General Hammond's voice echoed as he gave the command to open the Iris. SG-1 was coming back early which wasn't a good sign. Jack was pissed as he stepped onto the ramp of the SGC. "I will not work with them ever again." He pointed to the two new members of his team as he marched out of the gate room and to the locker room to cool down.
Teal'c raised an eye brow at O'Neill's sudden departure but he could understand his mood. The two newest members of SG-1 were cocky and questioned all of Colonel O'Neill's orders. And today they both managed to insult Jack beyond belief. They had spoke about Major Carter and DanielJackson as if they were nothing. Teal'c had to admit that he had to restrain himself from tearing them limb from limb. No one would ever fit into SG-1 because SG-1 was more than a team. It was a family. A family that was still very protective of Sam and Daniel.
After several hours of sobbing into her pillow, Sam pulled herself together and managed to take a shower. She loved to run her hand over her extended stomach. It calmed the baby within and her at the same time. After the shower she set to work on making breakfast which consisted of eggs and toast. She lost herself in this act, trying to forget about her crumbing life.
Daniel knew where Sam lived. He had done some digging using the computer before he left Egypt. It was a skill that Sam had taught him, strangely enough. Her home was located in a nice part of Colorado. From what Daniel could tell it was a ideal place to raise a child. A sigh escaped his lips as he pulled into the driveway and shut his rented black town car off. He had done well for himself while he was gone. His knuckles were white from holding the leather covered steering wheel to tight. This was it. The time of truth. As he exited the car he found a small part of himself hoping that she'd just slam the door in his face so he wouldn't have to explain his actions. But the other parts of him longed to see her. Hold her. Tell her everything was going to be ok. Sometimes he found himself blaming their bond for his feelings. It was just another excuse that made him feel better. Made him not have to admit that he missed her. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't block out the feelings. He even kept her ring on a chain around his neck and the bonding bracelet still sat around his wrist. The scar on the palm on his hand was subject to many conversations between his colleagues in Egypt but again he made up a lie about where he got it. His reminiscing seemed to take him deep into thought and before long he stood in front of the finely crafted oak door of Sam's house. Licking his suddenly dry lips he raised a hand, curled it into a fist and knocked. All he could do now was wait.
Sam frowned hearing the knock at her door. She wasn't expecting guests at this hour of the morning. Janet would be over later to check on her. She wiped her hands on a towel laying nearby and waddled towards the door, almost stepping on Bast, a sleek black alley cat that Jack bought her as a housewarming present when she first moved into the house. Her name was apparently picked out by Teal'c since he was the first to call her by name on the day that Sam received her. "Coming." She yelled out as she began to undo all the locks and finally she yanked the door open only to come face to face with the last person that she imagined to see. "Daniel?" She seemed in shock for a moment but quickly recovered. "What are you doing here?" Her voice seemed to take on a cold tone.
Practically jumping when the door opened, Daniel laid a hand over his pounding heart and prayed for it to calm. For a few second Daniel seemed to take in her appearance. She looked as beautiful as the day he met her. Being pregnant seemed to add a glow that made her look even lovelier. "I..." He really didn't plan on what to say. It took all his energy to convince himself that he was doing the right thing by coming here. Taking a few deep breaths, he closed his eyes then opened them. He had so much to say but his mouth wouldn't form the words. "I was in the neighborhood and..." He stopped seeing the cold, hateful look that she was giving him. "I think we need to talk." He said simply and locked his soft, blue eyes onto her cold, angry ones.
"Talk? I think we are talking Daniel." Sam leaned against the doorframe and eyed him. He looked good. His skin was now a rich bronze color and he wore a nicely shaped goatee around his mouth and down his chin. And by the way his clothing was clinging to him, he had to of bulked up. She also noted the lack of glasses.
Daniel let out a frustrated sigh and ran his hand through his short hair. "I know we are TALKING Sam. But I mean that we need to TALK about things. About us." He was beginning to wonder if he should just turn and walk away while he still had his head attached.
She wanted to yell at him. She wanted to tear him limb from limb but she couldn't. All she could manage was a weak nod and move out of the doorway and into the living room. Sam took a seat on the black leather couch.
Taking her movements as an invite he stepped inside and quietly shut the door. Daniel then made his way into the living room, taking in the sights along the way. She had many pictures on the wall and on the mantel above the fireplace. Most of them consisted of her, Jack and Teal'c after they were rescued and after his sudden departure. While others were her, Janet and Cassie. She looked happy, he noted as he took a seat on a black leather recliner that was across from the couch. He also noted that there was no sigh of him in any of those pictures. She literally erased him from her life. But he couldn't blame her.
"Why are you really here, Daniel?" She asked quietly, not able to stand the uncomfortable silence any longer. Sam swallowed and leaned back, waiting.
Daniel cleared his throat and looked down at his hands. "I was told by a friend that I needed to sort out my personal problems. I decided to take his advice." He licked his lips before continuing. "I'm not here to try and get you to forgive me. I'm here to try and explain why I did what I did. All I want is for you to listen. After I'm done I'll leave and you'll never see me again." He took her brief nod as a sign to continue so he did. "I was happy on Kemet. I came to accept that we'd probably never be going home. But I wasn't going to let that stop me from living my life." He chewed on his bottom lip. "I knew that you and Jack had feelings for each other. I wasn't blind and I know everyone at the SGC wasn't blind either. People just chose to ignore it like I did. Again I had accepted that my feelings for you would never be known or returned. I was content on being just your friend because that made you happy. But after we reached Kemet I thought it could be different. There was no Jack. No saving the world. No Stargate." He was up and pacing now. "I foolishly let myself think that I could be happy. That you'd come to realize how much that I lived you and even return that love. Then after Jack and the others arrived, my little fantasy world came crashing down. Reality was my wake up call. Reality and the way I saw you looking at Jack. The way you smiled at your father. It wasn't a sad smile or a forced smile. It was a real smile and that wasn't something that I could do. I couldn't make you smile. Not like that. Never like that. So I had to do the best thing for you. So that you'd be happy. So that you'd smile like that everyday instead of on occasion. At the moment denying the bond was the only thing I could think of. It would leave you free to be happy with Jack or with anyone else that made you happy. When I blacked out on the ship, Kem'tar told me I didn't want to wake up. I didn't want to face the real world. After he blended with me, I had a few short hours of peace. He was able to block the memories of the previous three years. After he was removed...I was lost again. I did the only thing that I could. I ran. I ran as far as I could to escape from a world that I felt totally alone in. I ran to deserts of Egypt to hide my pain by burying myself in work. But you know what, it didn't work." He sounded bitter now as he stopped and sat beside her on the couch. "It didn't work because you haunted my dreams. When Steven told me to take some personal time, I knew. My feelings for you were real. I had to come back and try to make you understand so that my soul would be at peace." He glanced over at her and frowned at the look she was giving him. "I was stupid. I shouldn't of come." Daniel shook his head and began to stand.
Sam grabbed Daniel's arm and pulled him back to the couch. She then took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "You feel that Daniel? That's our child. OURS. No mine and Colonel O'Neill's. OURS. Yours and mine. We created life, Daniel. Not because we were forced. Not because we were drunk." She spat that part out since Jack had told her what Daniel said about the night the baby was conceived. "We did it out of love. Sure the bond was part of it but it only made feelings that were already there, stronger. I though you were smart Daniel? If you were so damn smart then why couldn't you see that I loved you with all my heart and soul. Yes, you were my best friend but the more I thought about the more I realized that we were more than that. Soul-Mates, Daniel. We were meant to be together and you were too blind to see that. I wouldn't of slept with you if I wasn't one hundred percent sure that I loved you. I wouldn't risk our friendship for casual sex." She kept a death grip on his hand not letting go. She couldn't. Why couldn't he see that she needed him? That the baby needed him? "I want this baby to know its father. I want it to grow up in a household with two loving parents. But if you decide to walk out that door, don't bother coming back." She dead serious.
"What am I supposed to do, Sam? Hmm? Tell me, please? What I did was wrong and I'm sorry for that. But what would staying accomplish? You want this child to grow up in a loving household but how could that happen? It's been eight months Sam. I have a life. A career. A steady ring of friends. I've even redeemed myself in the archeological community through my work over these past months." Daniel pulled the chain with the ring on it from under his shirt and held it in his hand. "Do you remember when you gave this to me?" He smiled shyly almost like he was getting caught in the memory. "You had just found out about the baby and wanted everyone to know that we were bondmates. So you gave me the ring as a promise that we'd always be together. A little short sighted, I guess." Swallow he pulled the chain over his head. "I love you so much that it hurts sometimes. But were we really meant to be together?" He held out his hand that held the ring.
Eyeing the ring, Sam couldn't help the sob as it escaped from her lips. Daniel was giving her the choice. A choice that he'd accept. Right now if she told him to get out and never come back, he would do it. She reached her hand out and curled his fingers back around the ring. "I want you Daniel. I want my husband. I want our baby to know its father. At least let us try." She was holding back tears. A sharp pain ripped through her abdomen. She gasped in pain before it subsided. "Oh God. Daniel, I'm in labor." Her eyes were wide and darted around wildly as her water broke.
Daniel began to nod at her words when she appeared in pain. "Sam?" He blinked. "Labor? But...you can't be in labor." He almost sounded like a frightened child. "I call the ambulance." He rushed around looking for a phone, finally he spotted one and dialed 911. He spoke to the operator and then hung up after she assumed him that a ambulance was on it's way. "It's coming Sam." He rushed back into the room and clutched her hand.
After that is a haze. Daniel can remember the ride in the back of the ambulance to the hospital but everything after that was a blank. All he knew was that he had been sitting in the waiting room for over three hours without any word on Sam's condition. He was blurry eyed from lack of sleep, jet lag and the fact that he didn't sleep the night before leaving Egypt, and had a massive headache from lack of caffeine. So he did the only thing he could do, he began to pace with his head down. And since his head was done he never noticed the herd of people entering the hospital and inquiring about Sam. He never noticed the receptionist point to him for any information. He never noticed the fist until it connected with the left side of his face sending him flat on back. And he never noticed that it was Jack who threw the punch or that Janet, Cassie, and Teal'c, with a beany pulled down over his head, were audience to it. Once he did notice all he could manage was a almost robotic "Ow!" before several nurses rushed to his aide and several security guards escorted Jack to the other side of the waiting room to speak with him about the incident. Daniel really could careless about himself at the moment since a doctor was heading his way with a raised eye brow. "How is she?" He asked once the nurses backed off, finding nothing broken or bleeding.