"I've been looking for you" Jack said walking into Sam's lab.
Sam smiled and turned in her chair. "You said you'd find me."
"Yup" Jack kissed her on the side of her neck. "But I didn't know you'd be hiding."
"How'd it go with Hammond?" Sam asked.
"Not bad" Jack leaned back against her work table.
Sam turned around to face him. "Then what's wrong?"
Jack looked at her, meeting her penetrating blue eyes. "I told Hammond about us."
"What?" Sam was surprised. "Not all of it?" she felt queasy.
Jack didn't say anything. Which, Sam knew, was a 'yes'.
Sam sighed. "Why?"
"He wanted to talk about my future here. He said something about assigning me to SG-1. I had to tell him where I stood, what my priorities are."
Sam nodded. "He had a right to know." She hadn't wanted him to know just yet, but Jack was right. Hammond would have to know sooner or later. Sooner or later Hammond knew everything. All thier failures, all thier shortcomings...
"Sam?" Jack sounded unsure as to whether or not she approved.
"I told Daniel" Sam admitted.
Jack raised his eyebrows. "Daniel?"
"I met him at the house today. I'd promised we'd talk."
Jack could see the regret written on her face and felt a coldness wash over him. He knew she wasn't going back to Daniel, he knew she'd never loved him in the first place. But the idea of sleeping with Daniel's wife -or Sam even being Daniel's wife-still grated on him and he didn't care to think about any more than necessary. But seeing how hurt she was by what had happened he knew he was going to have to accept the past. Because as much as it was 'over', he was going to be living with the consequences for quite some time... "How'd it go?" He asked, trying to be casual.
Sam shook her head. "I don't know. I thought we were going to discuss the house but we just ended up talking and..." Sam exhaled. "He said he was sorry, I told him about us, and he left. I don't know." She repeated looking at Jack. "I'm just glad it's over."
Jack took her hands and pulled her out of the chair and into his arms.
Sam leaned into Jack's shoulder and he put his arms around her and rested his chin in the crook of her neck.
"It's over" He promised.
Daniel sat down on the couch and looked at Janet. "She's with Jack."
Janet sat silently waiting to see how Daniel was taking it. The obvious reaction would have been relief -as she was relieved- that Sam had moved on. That it somehow made what they had done less important. But the heart was not so simple, nor easy to predict.
"So how are you taking it?" Janet was neutral and emotionless, allowing Daniel the luxury of honesty without fear of hurting her feelings.
"I don't know. I mean, this is a good thing. I'm glad she's found someone." Daniel had the sound of man trying to convince himself of something. "She doesn't deserve me, I let her down, I'm the jerk here. I don't have any right."
"So what's wrong?" Janet was in full doctor mode. Had anyone been listening they never would have guessed she had an emotional investment in the man in front of her. But then, when it came to hiding emotions Janet had learned from the best. And perhaps surpassed them all in that no one had ever suspected her.
"What's wrong?" Daniel repeated. "I don't know. I guess...I feel like an idiot. I married her, and I lived with her, and I even slept with her a few times when she felt like coming home. It's not like I ever really thought she loved me, not the way she loved Jack. But I convinced myself she needed me. I was so desperate to feel something, anything, I actually believed she couldn't live without me."
"I don't think she could have." Janet said. "I think she needed you just like you needed her. Daniel I was there with you two, I've seen how happy you could be together. How content you could be just to be with each other."
Daniel nodded. "Content. But never happy, only less alone."
"Maybe that's all that mattered then."
Daniel sighed and lowered his head. When he looked back up the clouds had cleared from his eyes and he smiled warmly at Janet. "When was the last time I told you how much I love you?"