AN: Paragraphs in italics indicate flashbacks.

Chapter 4: Discoveries

As Daniel sat down outside the infirmary, his thoughts turned back to the events of the day. Bits and pieces of the conversations he had with Sam flashed through his head. With almost frightening realization, he noted that the words spoken between them earlier that day might very possibly be the last he shared with his best friend. He was extremely thankful that his last conversation with her had not been as contentious as the ones he shared with her the day before regarding her marriage to Pete. The conversation this afternoon in the temple had been his way of making amends to Sam. His eyes slowly drifted shut and his mind replayed what was said that day in the temple.

The sun blazed down through the windows of the temple, etching glowing patterns across the floor and walls. At the far end of the building, Daniel was sitting cross-legged on the floor, gently brushing off the wall in order to further reveal a fresco that had been hidden in layers of dirt. Walking into the temple, Sam was astounded at how much Daniel had accomplished in a few short hours.

"Wow, Daniel," she exclaimed, "This place is really amazing. You've been quite busy."

Daniel ceased brushing and turned to face her, a smile plastered on his face. "Yeah. It's like nothing we have ever found before on another planet. These frescoes are similar to those from ancient Rome. You know...like the ones found at Pompei and Herculaneum. But they're more than that – these pictures are actually a language. It seems that instead of writing about their beliefs and their history, the people who once lived here expressed everything through pictures. We'll have to do some more research to find out."

"Have you been able to find anything else out about them?" Sam queried.

He shrugged, "Well, right now it is sort of like reading the different chapters of a book at random. But once I uncover all of the frescoes and video tape and photograph them, I should be able to piece something together."

Sam moved to stand behind him as he resumed his brushing. "That's great, Daniel. I'm almost done with collecting mineral and soil samples. I still need to get some water samples from the river near here, but I should be done in a couple of hours. You've been at this for hours and I need a break as well. How about some lunch?"

Daniel readily agreed, "Actually, I am getting a bit hungry. Thanks for reminding me."

They grabbed their packs and sat down against one of the walls. Pulling out a sandwich, Carter put it down and pushed the button on her radio. "Teal'c, come in."

"I am here, Colonel Carter."

"How are things looking out there?" she asked.

"All is peaceful. There are no signs of any inhabitants, just as the MALP indicated. Neither are there any signs of undesired visitors," he reported.

"Good. Daniel and I are breaking for lunch. Care to join us?"

Teal'c voice answered through the radio, "I will be there presently Colonel Carter, after I have checked the perimeter once more."

Daniel and Sam proceeded to quietly munch away on their sandwiches. It was obvious, however, that Daniel's head was still swimming with unanswered questions of a personal nature.

"Sam? Mind if I ask you something?" he cautiously inquired.

She faced him, a suspicious look in her eyes. "It depends. If you want to further question my recent decisions regarding my personal life…then no."

Daniel did not yield at this rejection. "I was just wondering how it came about. What led to your quickie Vegas wedding? I mean you always are so planned and prepared. You analyze every detail before acting usually."

"Are you trying to say that I lack spontaneity?" Sam joked.

"No. Well, actually...You have to admit that this is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done."

"I don't know. I was quite the wild child as a teenager. Getting married, I'll admit was probably one of the most life-changing decisions that I have made. But somehow it doesn't seem all that impulsive or rash to me."

He persisted, "At least give me some details. Since I was unable to attend my best friend's wedding, due to the fact that I knew nothing about it, you can at least describe it to me."

Sam smiled brilliantly at him. She had been dying to share information about her happy day with someone. "Okay, okay. Enough with the guilt trip. We had a couple of weeks of downtime after the whole Gate getting stolen incident, so I decided that it would be fun to go camping. You know hiking, kayaking..."

"Sam, are you crazy? We go camping and hiking almost every week on missions. Why on earth would you want to spend your vacation doing the same thing?" Daniel asked incredulously.

"I don't know. It just seems that sometimes we know other planets better than we know our own. I wanted to spend time getting to explore it and share it with someone. Anyways, back to my story. We decided to drive to Utah and see one of the National Parks out there. I decided on Zion, which also happened to be the furthest away. But it was so worth it. The cacti were blooming and there weren't too many other tourists. It was so peaceful and the scenery was just gorgeous. It really is more breathtaking than anything you can find on another planet."

Daniel interrupted, "So, you went to Zion. Why the detour to Vegas?"

Sam sighed in annoyance at Daniel's one-track mind. She then continued her story, "We had been camping out for a week and then one day we decided to hike through The Narrows. It is a long, narrow chasm at the entrance to the canyon that you can walk through. To cut a long story short, there we were walking and admiring how beautiful it was, when he turned to me and said, 'Sam, you know Vegas is only a couple of hours away from here. What do say we forget the rest of this whole camping thing and get married?'"

Daniel was silent for the first time and looked at her, impatiently waiting for her to continue.

Sam obliged him. "I was completely shocked, as you can imagine. At first I thought he was joking, and I laughed it off. But then he reached for my hand and said, 'Sam, I know it's not the most romantic way to get married but I am being completely serious when I say that I want to marry you... today... tomorrow at the latest. I want to spend the rest of my life beside you. I have for a very long time and I feel for the first time that it is a possibility - that you and I can do this and there is nothing standing in our way. Please, Sam. Don't make me...don't make us wait any longer. Marry me?'"

Daniel looked impressed. "Wow, who knew Pete could be such a romantic."

Sam nodded in agreement. "Well I just couldn't say no to that. Everything he said made me realize how right he was…how I keep putting my own feelings on hold for the good of the SGC and Earth. And it's not as if anyone ever asked me to do so. I have been making assumptions that I can't have a personal life and do my job effectively at the same time. Maybe it's just been an excuse. Maybe I've been afraid to let myself have a personal life, to reach out for the things I want and need."

"What are you so afraid of, Sam?" he asked sympathetically.

She looked slightly embarrassed for a moment. Her expression then turned to one of sorrow. "Afraid that when I finally get what I want so much that it will all be taken away from me. If I don't care about anybody in that way, if I don't invest the time and emotion in a relationship, then I will have nothing to lose."

Daniel smiled at her in understanding, "What's the old saying? It is better to have loved and lost than never loved at all?"

Her face lightened. "Exactly! I finally realized that. It was an epiphany. No one was standing in my way except myself."

"So, are you still afraid?"

She laughed slightly at this. "Terrified. But I've come to realize that even if it all ends today, I won't have any regrets. I have taken a chance on love for the first time in my life. And I won the ultimate prize. I am in love and I am completely happy. Not just content, Daniel – truly happy."

Daniel reached over and wrapped his arms around her. "God Sam. I wish I had known. I would have kept my big mouth shut yesterday. I cannot tell you how sorry I am for butting in like that. I also cannot tell you how thrilled I am that you have found that kind of love. And you're right. It will always be worth the risk you've taken. No matter what happens. Believe me, I know."

Sam smiled sympathetically at her friend, knowing that his thoughts centered on the beloved wife he had lost over three years before.

"Thanks Daniel. You know I wasn't mad or anything yesterday." She paused, "Okay, maybe I was a little perturbed at you. But I also know that you wouldn't have interfered if you didn't care a great deal about me."

"I always will, Sam. No matter what, I will always be your friend."

Sam's words haunted Daniel as he tried unsuccessfully to sleep in the uncomfortable plastic chair outside of the infirmary. It seemed to him that Sam's premonitions had been right – she had just gained everything she had ever wanted and it was cruelly being taken away from her. Daniel opened his eyes and quietly reassured himself, "You've got to pull through, Sam. You of all people deserve a happy ending."