Sorry this took so long. Writing Daniel-Janet is a bit challanging for me at times. And trying to fit everything in the right places...Hope this makes sense.

-Previously-

Janet walked into her bedroom shutting the door behind her and leaning back against it.

"Janet?" Daniel squinted in the dark. He'd just gone back to sleep when the door slammed. "I thought you were going out with Sam"

"She left Daniel" Janet's voice was hollow.

"Why?"

Janet silently held up Daniel shirt.

"Oh shit" Daniel swore.

"I'm sorry" Janet apologized. "I shouldn't have asked her inside. But I didn't want to make her wait in the yard, and I didn't think…"

"Janet don't." Daniel interrupted her. "This is my fault." He said with self-disgust "Dammit!" Daniel slammed his hand into the backboard of the bed.

"Daniel!" Janet reprimanded him.

Daniel shook the sting out of his hand. "I was supposed to protect her Janet" Daniel said more calmly. "That's the reason I married her. The reason I stayed around. I was supposed to be the one person who wouldn't do this to her."

Janet sat down on the edge of the bed. "So was I"

"But I married her Janet"

"I know" Janet clutched his shirt in her hands, her eyes staring unseeing at the ink stain by his pocket. "I know Daniel"

Daniel had waited until he knew Sam would be at work to go home. He'd found her note on the table and called Janet. They'd decided since they had to spend the day in exile they might as well spend it together. He'd gone back to her house and they spent the day slowly, not talking a lot, just being together. Janet had some laundry and cleaning to do, and Daniel had offered to do a few things around the house, and as he fumbled his way around he realized just how little time he'd spent in his own home. The bedroom door had been squeaking for weeks for instance. He'd never been Mr. Fix-it, but he could have tried. Of course, Sam would have gotten it finished in two minutes, if she was ever there...

Daniel looked at Janet over the top of his book as they sat in the living room. They'd done everything that day but make love. He wondered if it was because there wasn't any hurry anymore now that his marriage was over, or if they were avoiding it out of guilt.

Janet looked up and saw him staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing"

"Daniel" Janet knew he'd been thinking something.

"I was was just thinking" Daniel returned his attention to his book. "It's nothing."

"Okay" Janet gave up and turned the page.

"Janet" Daniel looked up from his book again.

"What?" Janet smiled in her voice, but didn't look up, knowing it could take a long time for Daniel to get to the point.

"I love you"

Janet dropped her book.

"You'd better go" Janet pushed Daniel away lightly as he showed no sign of leaving. "It's getting late"

"You know," Daniel said seriously. "Sam already knows"

"But Cassandra doesn't" Janet sat up in bed. "God, Daniel if she found out...you know how close she is to Sam. She'd never speak to me again."

"I know how close she is to Sam" Daniel stood up and pulled his pants on. "But you are her mother."

Janet shook her head. "You don't understand" She hugged her knees. "She's a teenager. She's developing strong ideas about things, and she's identifying herself asa woman, learning what it means to be a woman. And one of her fundametal beliefs is that men who cheat on thier wives are losers, and any woman who would sleep with her best friends husband is a..." Janet stopped short of saying it but the word 'whore' hung in the air as clearly as if she had.

Daniel sat down on the edge of the bed and looked her in the eyes. "You're a good person Janet" he said earnestly.

"I don't think so Daniel" She told him quietly. "Not anymore."