Chapter 32. Threads
The tent was an exact replica of his makeshift home on Vis Uban, right down to the blackened burn mark in one of the threadbare rugs from that time he had knocked over a candle and almost set his house on fire. Even his clothes felt the same – the thick, blue-dyed fabric itching against his skin. The one thing that was out of place was Sam – no, not Sam, not his Sam. She may look like his Sam, walk and talk like his Sam, but she could never be. This was Sam's evil robotic twin.
Daniel stood with his arms folded defensively across his chest. "So, now what? We done? You got what you wanted. Don't suppose you want to just drop me off at the nearest Stargate?" Daniel tried, hiding his fear behind bolstered confidence. His comment must have amused RepliCarter, for one corner of her lips twitched upward in a sinister smile that he had never seen on his Sam.
"It is true, I learned the location of the weapon that could be a threat to me and my brethren, but I also saw the extent of knowledge your subconscious mind contains." She stalked closer, smirking. "You have no idea, do you?"
Daniel narrowed his eyes at her. "No. No, I don't." He tried not to sound too bitter, knowing that it would only encourage her, but if she knew everything that his Sam knew, then she would already know that it was a point of contention for him.
"You've tried accessing it but it's always just out of reach, isn't it? I could help you. We could unlock the knowledge of the Ancients, the secrets of the universe, together." Her familiar sapphire-blue eyes sparkled with an excitement that Daniel recognised; the same twinkle in her eyes that his Sam got whenever she made some new discovery or solved some unsolvable problem. Daniel had to look away.
"I have to admit it does sound interesting." She smiled at him; pretty, pink lips curving softly in the way he had seen a thousand times. "On the other hand, you're an evil killing machine, so no, I'll pass." Daniel quipped with a poker face that would have made Jack proud. The smile twisted off her face, her expression darkening into something that was definitely not Sam. Pain shot through his skull like a surge of electricity, and he winced as she probed into his mind.
"It would be much easier for both of us if you did not resist." She said, finally releasing her hold on his mind. Daniel braced himself against the dizziness, trying to swallow down the nausea. He straightened, folding his arms over his chest and trying his best to hold himself together.
"Why-why, why, why, in the wide world of all things rational and sane would I help you?" He countered, gritting his teeth against the throbbing in his head.
"Because deep down, you also want the knowledge I seek."
"Yes, but the problem is, anything I learn I won't be able to put to much use because right after I'm done, you're going to kill me."
"What if I promised not to?" She questioned, her head tilting to the side like he was some intriguing puzzle to be studied. Daniel snorted derisively. "Yeah."
"Do you really think I am that different from Samantha Carter?"
Yes. In every possible way, yes. "In that you're a Replicator, bent on galactic domination at the expense of all living things..." He shrugged instead.
"Her thoughts, her memories, even her emotions... they are not meaningless to me." She drew in closer, forcing him to take a step back until he was pressed against the side of the tent. "Do you want to know what thoughts she has of you? I could tell you." Her blue eyes pierced him, her frozen, doll-like expression unnerving, and Daniel licked at his dry lips. "Or perhaps," she continued, her saccharine grin widening, "you would rather know how she feels about this Jack O'Neill?"
Daniel turned his head, unable to look into those too-familiar eyes. His heart jumped against his ribcage. "Stop it." He commanded, but it came out as more of a plea. He could feel her eyes on him, and it made his skin crawl.
"You humans, so self-absorbed. So short-sighted... She never really loved him, you know." Daniel's head whipped up, his eyes widening. "She was just using him as something to hold on to while you were gone. And she doesn't love this Pete Shanahan person – not really. Not the way she loves you, Daniel." She was so close now; looking up at him with Sam's eyes, smiling at him with Sam's lips, touching him with Sam's hands. Daniel's breath caught in his chest. She had to be lying. It couldn't be...could it possibly be true?
"I do not wish to harm you, or destroy Earth for that matter. I could have done so already if I so desired."
"You're saying you'll leave Earth untouched?"
"I promise you that. And your life. And Samantha's. I could make it so it is just the two of you. No one else to compete with, no one to fight, no more death. I could make a paradise, just for the two of you. Isn't that what you want, Daniel?" She raised her hand to caress his cheek, her palm so soft against his rough stubble, and Daniel closed his eyes, relishing what may be the last time he ever felt her touch.
"No." He said, his voice strong despite the weakness in his knees. "If you knew Sam, really knew her, you would know she would never want that. No, I'm not going to help you." She dropped her hand from his face and stepped back, her sweet expression twisting into something cold and callous.
"But obviously I can't do anything to stop you so...give it your best shot." Daniel challenged, steeling his resolve for what was to come. The RepliCarter delved into his mind again, and Daniel was lost to the torrent of information pulled through his brain. It was like being dragged through water at high speed, currents pulled him this way and that, and he struggled just to keep his head afloat. He struggled just to breathe.
He saw something he recognised in the rush. Sam's face. His Sam. The Replicators were closing in around them on Dakara. They were losing. Daniel focussed on her face, holding her image in his mind. He waded towards her, fighting against the currents of information that threatened to sweep him away, to overwhelm him.
Sam. Sam, I'm coming.
Daniel reached out and grabbed the RepliCarter, his fingers tightening around her wrist, holding her there, holding them all there, frozen in place and time. "My brethren will not stop. You cannot control them." She spat, her mouth twisted in indignation.
"Not yet, but I'm learning." He hissed through clenched teeth. Just a little more. He just needed to give Sam a little more time. The pain was building in his head, growing into a full-force migraine like nothing he had ever felt before. It threatened to break his concentration, to break his hold, but he couldn't let it. He had to hold on. Just a little more.
"There are so many, aren't there? Too many for your mind to handle. It's taking all your concentration just to control them."
Daniel cracked his eyes open a slit, but he could barely see her smug face through his pain-blurred vision. She yanked her hand away, breaking free of him, and the warm tent fades away into the cold steel of the Replicator ship. The blocks pinning him to the wall slide away, releasing him, and he stumbled forward.
He barely notices her hand shifting; elongating into smooth, sharp metal, until the blade pierces him.
Pain blooms through his chest, worse than any Staff blast or bullet wound. Pain steals the breath from his lungs and spreads ice through his veins. He tries to inhale, to suck precious oxygen into his lungs, but they refuse to work. His vision is blurring, darkness hovering around the edges, threatening swallow him, but he can still make out her face. Golden hair catching in the light, like when morning broke and the sunlight spilled across their bed, and he would wake just to watch the sunbeam dance in her blonde strands. Pink plump lips curved up into a smirk; lips that had laughed with him, soothed him, calmed him; lips that had once pressed against his, soft and warm and loving. Sapphire eyes, cold and hard as stone now, but once looked at him with such fire, such joy and passion that it burned through his soul.
She pulls the blade from his chest and he sinks to the floor. Blood soaks through his shirt and dribbles down his chin, and he should be able to feel it's warmth seeping through the fabric, but he can't. He can't feel anything. He is cold, so cold, and his lungs refuse to inflate, shrivelling up in his chest and the darkness around his vision slowly devours him.
Sam. I'm sorry, Sam. Forgive me...
O – O – O – O – O
Sam stood to the side of the open steel door, psyching herself up to enter. She patted her cheeks once more, making sure all trace of weepiness was gone. Her eyes still felt gritty and tired, but she had locked herself in the bathroom to wash her face and hide in there until the redness in her eyes had dissipated. Sam inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly, straightening her spine and trying to calm her racing heart. She raised a fist and knocked on the doorframe, poking her head inside. His office was a mess; paperwork scattered across his desk in piles that tipped precariously, and a few sheets had even slipped onto the floor. Jack sat in his chair, squinting at a file in his hands, but his head raised when she knocked and he waved her inside. "Sir, I wanted to talk to you about-"
"Carter." He interrupted, his tone a warning.
Sam drew closer to his desk, chewing on her bottom lip. "We haven't heard from him in a week." He shuffled the papers in his hands, glancing up at her only briefly before returning his attention to his paperwork. "Doesn't mean anything."
"Sir, we know he was captured by Replicators. Chances are he was on board the replicator ship when it disintegrated." Sam's voice petered out when he lifted his head to stare at her intently, scrutinising. She dropped her gaze to the floor, shifting uncomfortably.
"All we know for sure is that he's missing." He said finally, setting his papers into alignment with two sharp taps on the dark-wooded desk.
"Sooner or later-"
"Forget it!" He barked, "I'm not falling for it this time!" Sam's head snapped up at his sudden outburst, the shock quickly replaced by confusion. "Falling for it?"
"Yeah! How many times have you thought he was gone and then he shows up – in one form or another? I'm sorry, but we're not having a memorial service for someone who is not dead." The Colonel lifted his gaze to the ceiling, as if searching for some sign of divine intervention. "Do you hear that? I'm not buying it!" He glared at the ceiling a moment longer, waiting, and Sam realised she was holding her breath. Jack glanced back at her with a shrug, and Sam felt disappointment flicker through her.
"So... you think he's..."
"He's not dead, Carter. He'll be back. Just you wait."
Sam nodded, the tension in her body lessening just slightly. "Yes sir. I hope so too, sir." She swallowed as she held his gaze, dark eyes boring into hers, trying to convince her of the strength of his conviction. She wanted to believe him – that's why she had come, seeking the confirmation she needed to hear. Needing to know that she was not alone; that the flame of hope in her heart was not fool's gold. She held that flame tightly, like a life-raft in a thunderstorm, that flicker of hope was all that stopped her from drowning in the sea of despair that threatened to drag her down into its inky depths.
Sam felt like she was drifting; one foot in and one foot out. Pete was busily planning their wedding without her, prattling on about florists and cake flavours and seating charts. She tried to engage, tried to force her interest, but every decision seemed so trivial, and it became harder and harder to focus her attention on anything that wasn't the weapon on Dakara or her secret search for Daniel. Jack had denied her request to search Vis Uban; as far as the military was concerned, for all intents and purposes, Daniel Jackson was KIA. So Sam had built an algorithm to search for quantum disruptions and particle energy anomalies that might account for, say, someone shifting between dimensions, but so far it had turned up nothing.
Even her own father had seemed somewhat disinterested in her own wedding. She had finally introduced him to Pete and all he'd had to say after was 'He seems nice'. In fact, he had seemed somewhat off ever since they had returned from Dakara, followed around by a cloud of wistfulness and melancholy. But Sam was too lost in her own cloud to focus on much else.
Sam sat in her car, staring out at the old log cabin. It was painful to be here, where memories flitted by like ghosts. In fact, it was painful to be anywhere, and the only thing that kept her from drowning in it was that small flicker of hope. She needed to feed it, to fan it into a roaring blaze that could never die. Sam let out a slow breath and finally stepped out of her car. She trudged up the dirt track and around to the side of the house, the scent of pine and burning meat wafting over her. Jack must be cooking. She turned the corner and, sure enough, Jack was standing on the veranda, beer in one hand and tongs in the other, two steaks sizzling away on the grill.
Sam cleared her throat. "Hi, sir."
"Carter!" He exclaimed, his eyebrows raising in surprise. She flashed him a thin smile. "Look, I'm sorry to bother you at home like this sir, but umm... Is this a good time? Maybe I should have called first..." Oh god. This had been a bad idea.
"No, yeah. I mean, it's fine." Jack stammered as he set his beer down on the edge of the grill. "So, um… what brings you to this neck of the woods on such a fine day, in my backyard?" He clicked his tongs at her, waiting.
"Well, actually, I've… ummm…" Sam's mouth was suddenly dry, her tongue sticking, and she cleared her throat. "I've been sitting in your driveway for the last ten minutes, trying to work up the nerve to come and-and ask you something." Jack only raised him eyebrows at her, waiting, and Sam tried to swallow again before continuing. "The truth is, I've been trying to work up the nerve for a lot longer than that."
"Oh?"
Sam hesitated, the words sticking on her tongue. "Pete put a down-payment down on a house." Jack broke into a wide grin. "Well, that's great!"
"It's a beautiful house..." Sam started, unsure how to proceed. She'd worked out a whole speech on the drive over here, but now that she was standing here, her brain failed to string a proper sentence together.
"But…" O'Neill egged her on.
Sam huffed a sigh, forcing the words out. "The… the truth is, I'm having second thoughts about the wedding." Jack blinked once at her, his head tilting to the side. "Why?" He set his tongs down and picked up his beer instead, taking a swig as he waited for her answer.
Sam twisted her fingers nervously. "See, the thing is, the closer it gets, the more I get the feeling that I'm making a big, huge mistake."
Jack frowned at her, shaking his head slightly. "Look, Carter, I don't know what-"
"I'm sorry to bother you with this," she intercepted quickly, before he could shut her down and she lost her nerve, "but uh, see, I have to ask you something, because I don't know if it's a good idea, or if it would even be allowed, or if you would even be okay with it I mean, I know you're the General now but I don't want-"
"Carter. Carter!" He interrupted her babbling, "Look. I don't know anything about anything, okay? And if I don't know anything, then I can't be mad about it, can I? And I also can't tell anyone else about something I don't know, right? So, if you're asking me what I think you're asking me, the answer is yes, you should, and I'm okay with it. And also, it's about damn time."
Sam gaped at the General, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "Sir?" She squeaked.
Jack took a quick swig of beer to hide the smirk that tugged at his lips. "Carter, I'm no scientist, but I'm also not blind... And, more importantly, Teal'c notices a lot more than he lets on." Sam felt herself blush all the way to the roots of her hair, but she also felt a great weight lift from her shoulders, her soul lighter than it had been in a long time. A grin spread, unbidden, across her face. "Thank you, Sir. I mean, this whole conversation could be pointless but..."
"Carter. He's alive. Trust me."
Sam ducked her head to hide her face. "Yes, sir."
"So, d'ya wanna beer?" He shook the beer in his hand at her.
"Oh, uhh..." Suddenly her phone rang, the shrill tone saving her from an awkward answer. She flipped it open and held it to her ear. "Colonel Carter."
"Colonel? It's Dr. Brightman. We need you to come in. It's your father..." Sam felt the floor drop out from beneath her and her heart fall through her stomach. Ice replaced the blood in her veins, making her numb.
"I'm on my way."
O – O – O – O – O
Sam sat at the briefing room's long table, staring blankly out the window to the Gateroom. The last two days had passed in a blur, and the lack of sleep was finally catching up to her. Shadows snatched at the corners of her eyes as the events of the past 48 hours replayed in her mind.
"Dad?"
"It's Selmak. He's dying." Sam felt her bottom lip quiver and she clenched her jaw, blinking rapidly to dissipate the moisture.
"Dad, I'm sorry." She murmured, her voice not sounding like her own.
"It's okay. He led a pretty full life." He placed his hand over hers, the strong fingers that had guided her all her life wrapping around her own. "He hung on as long as he could, then he slipped into a coma just after we activated the weapon on Dakara."
"You've known all this time?"
"I didn't want to spoil your wedding." He chuckled humourlessly. "I thought we could make it."
"We?" She asked softly, voice breaking.
Jacob sighed gently, "He's barely alive. I'm going to die with him, Sam."
She couldn't hold it anymore, and the tears finally spilled over her bottom lashes, splashing upon their joined hands.
"Sammy, I'm sorry. I hate to do this to you, but I should have been dead six years ago." He reached up to cup her face, gently wiping away the stream of tears. "Since then, I've been all over the galaxy, done things most men never dream of."
She choked on a sob. "I've heard that before."
He smiled sadly, warm brown eyes gazing at her. "I just want to know you're gonna be happy."
She tried to smile, just for him. "I am."
His hand fell back to the bed, and her skin mourned the loss of his warmth.
"Don't let your fear hold you back."
She frowned, sniffling. "What are you talking about?"
He seemed to look right through her. "You know what I'm talking about. Pete seems like a nice enough guy but..." He trailed off, but Sam didn't need him to fill in the rest. He had known, maybe all along.
"Dad, I don't even know if he's alive..." She whispered, her throat tightening on the last word.
The old General pet the back of her hand, smiling encouragingly. "Have faith in him, kiddo. He's never failed to find his way back to you yet."
Her face cracked open into a watery grin. "I do, dad. I do." She gripped his hand in both of hers, trying to imprint the wrinkles in his palm into her skin.
"When you do find him, can you give him a message from me? I wanted to do this in person but... I don't have the luxury of time anymore. Tell him... tell him, for what it's worth, he has my blessing."
Sam choked back a laugh, the tears renewing their path down her cheeks. She leant over to press a kiss to her old man's forehead. "I will, dad. Thank you."
It wasn't long after that, that he was gone, and Sam had yet another hard truth to face.
"I think I knew from the beginning. Guess I just thought when you said yes that... that it meant you'd picked me." Pete looked away sadly, gazing out across the empty park on the opposite side of the road. "Don't say I deserve better. Can't get much better than you."
She winced at that, the guilt feeling like a thousand-pound dumbbell weighing on her chest, crushing her lungs.
"That's not true." She said quietly, shaking her head. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him glance back at her, silently studying her profile, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze.
"All I can say is, I hope it all works out for you, Sam. You deserve to be happy."
The noises buzzing in her ears coalesced, focussing until she realised the deep, rhythmic sound was Teal'c speaking.
"Many Jaffa lost their lives at Dakara. Those that survived are united as never before. And we are in agreement. The weapon must be destroyed."
"Well, that's good then." Jack raised his eyebrows, glancing around at the occupants of the room as if seeking their confirmation.
"A new memorial will be erected in its place, so that our triumph over the Goa'uld will never be forgotten." Master Bra'tac informed them, a slight smile curving across his withered features.
Sam shook her head slowly, her thoughts still forming. "I still don't quite understand what happened. One minute Anubis is about to push the button that ends all life in the galaxy and the next minute he's just… gone."
"Indeed, it is a great mystery." Teal'c inclined his head, regarding her thoughtfully.
"One can only assume he was vanquished by some being. If not, why would he forfeit the weapon and his army?" Bra'tac queried, looking from her to Teal'c. Sam glanced over at the Colonel, meeting his measured gaze and sensing his cautious optimism. "You think?" She breathed, hardly daring to hope.
"I do."
"It's the only thing that would explain the self-destruct not going off." She said, trying and failing to curb her excitement. Bra'tac glanced uncertainly between the two of them. "Of what do you speak?"
"O'Neill and Colonel Carter believe that Daniel Jackson was somehow responsible." Teal'c informed his mentor, but he looked directly at her as he spoke.
"Nope, it wasn't me." Said a muffled, yet very familiar voice. Sam's head shot up so fast she heard her neck crack, and she sucked an audible gasp into her barely functioning lungs.
"Anybody else hear that?" O'Neill glanced around the table. Sam nodded furiously, her heart suddenly beating like a hummingbird against her ribs.
"In here!" Came the disembodied voice, and Jack stood to investigate, tracing the voice's origins back to his office. "Don't! Don't come in!" The voice squawked, even as Jack stepped inside.
"Woah! Hey there!" The General backed quickly out of his office, glancing around for a moment before pulling the white and gold-tasseled SGC flag off the flagpole behind him and tossing it to the person in his office.
Sam was sure her heart stopped dead when Daniel appeared in the doorway with only a thin flag wrapped around his hips, glancing awkwardly from Jack to Teal'c and Bra'tac and, finally, to her. She knew her jaw had dropped open because she could feel her mouth drying out. She wanted to leap from her chair and run to him, but every muscle in her body was frozen right now; she couldn't even blink.
"It's uh… a long story." Daniel said finally, his cheeks flaming. He glanced to Jack, who suddenly took a great interest in the flagpole he was holding. The General cleared his throat.
"Right…well. I guess we should, err, find you some clothes first, get you checked over by Dr. Brightman; we'll meet back here in an hour so you can fill in the gaps." Daniel nodded, then looked awkwardly down at himself. "Umm…"
"Right, um, Carter? Could you…" Jack waved his hand in Daniel's direction and Sam snapped to attention, tearing her gaze away from the broad shoulders and sculpted muscle.
"Yes sir, on it, sir." She leapt up from her seat, the metal legs screeching against the tile, and scurried down the stairs, her face burning.
She power-walked her way to the locker rooms, barely managing to dodge other SG personnel. Her mind whirred haphazardly and her heart had yet to return to its normal rhythm. She knew Daniel's locker combination and opened it with practiced ease, gathering the blue fatigues as well as shoes and underwear.
She hurried back to the briefing room, pondering what she was going to say. Maybe she shouldn't be saying anything at all; at least, not unless he said something first. But what if he didn't remember? What if he had lost his memories again? Though he had seemed to know who they were and where he was when he arrived. She wondered if he had been with them all long, watching over them. She wondered if he really did stop Anubis.
Sam climbed the steps back up to the briefing room. It was empty now, but she could hear faint voices coming from Jack's office. Daniel half-sat on the table pushed against the back wall, one hand holding on to the flag wrapped around him. Jack stood before him, his arms crossed over his chest, speaking quietly. She cleared her throat and both men abruptly halted their conversation and turned to look at her. She waved the piled of clothes in her hands.
"I'll be at lunch if you need me." Jack clapped the young archaeologist on the shoulder, then nodded to her as he passed, disappearing out the door and down the stairs.
Sam opened her mouth to speak, but the words stuck in her throat. She held out the clothes to him instead, her tongue peeking out to wet her dry lips. He stood to approach her, a half smile curving across his handsome face.
"Thanks, Sam." He said as he reached for his clothes. His hand brushed over hers as he took the pile from her, his touch leaving a tingling sensation on her skin. His kind, blue eyes pierced her, filling her soul until it was lighter than air, and her breath caught in her lungs.
"Daniel, I… I'm glad you're… I'm really…" Suddenly everything bore down on her like an impending tsunami; losing him once again, the uncertainty of his fate wearing her down, her father's death, Pete's shattered expression as she broke his heart, staring down death yet again, convinced for a brief moment that it was all about to end. The tears spilled over her lashes and streaked down her face, and she was unable to stop them.
His brows clashed together in concern and he stepped in closer, his hand reaching for her. "Daniel…" She choked out, her voice breaking, and she crashed into him. Her lips fell upon his, instantly melding together in perfect alignment, and she heard a soft whump as the pile of clothes were forgotten on the floor. She clutched at his broad shoulders, clinging to their strength and support, the warmth of his bare skin seeping in through her fingertips and reigniting the fire that she had barely kept alive. His free hand slid over her shoulder and crept up her neck, his palm firmly cupping her jaw as his tongue slipped into her mouth, eliciting a moan from deep in her throat.
Suddenly, he broke away, leaving her panting. "Sam. Sam, wait. What about Pete?" His confused gaze searched her face, his thumb brushing away the salty tracks of her drying tears.
Sam shook her head gently, not wanting to dislodge his hand from her cheek. "I broke it off. I-I couldn't…go through with it. I couldn't-couldn't marry him. Not when I was in love with someone else." She held her breath and held his gaze, watching his surprised expression slowly turn from shock to elation. A wide grin spread across his face – the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
"Samantha Carter, you have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that." He murmured, before pressing his lips to hers again and kissing her deeply. His tongue swooped across hers as her hands slid over his naked chest, mapping the dips and grooves of his muscles with her fingertips, needing to feel him, warm and alive, his heartbeat steady and strong beneath her palm. She heard him groan, his hand shifting from her face to trail down her back, sliding over her hip and wrapping around her waist to pull her to him, pressing their bodies tightly together. She could feel his arousal pressing against her hip, and she suddenly remembered where they were. She pulled back reluctantly. "Daniel," she panted, "maybe we should, ah, save this discussion for later?"
Daniel rest his forehead against hers, his eyes closed as he tried to control his breathing. "Right, yeah, sorry." He muttered, releasing her with a cheeky grin and backing away to collect his clothes off the floor. She glanced over at the closed door as he pulled on his pants and shirt, not wanting to make him self-conscious. She cleared her throat, trying not to look too obvious about the fact that her eyes were drawn to the way the tight, black fabric clung to the curves of his muscles. He had certainly filled out in the last few years that they had been on hiatus, which had only made it increasingly harder for Sam to deny her attraction.
"I guess we should get you down to the infirmary before Dr. Brightman sends someone looking for you. He squinted up at her from where he was bent tying his shoelaces, nodding, and Sam realised he was missing something. She dug into her jacket pocket as he stood and moved towards her, heading for the door, and pulled out his round, wire frames.
"Ah!" He smiled at her, taking the glasses from her outstretched hand and settling them across his nose. "Thanks, Sam."
Her heart swelled as she stared up at him, everything back in its rightful place. She leant up on her toes to press a lingering kiss to his cheek.
"Welcome home, Dr. Jackson."
O – O – O – O – O
The two newly reunited lovers lay in bed later that evening, having finally escaped General O'Neill's inquisition.
Daniel rolled onto his back, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Sam moved bonelessly with him, curling into his side as his arm draped over her, the thin sheen of sweat slowly cooling over their bodies. "God," Daniel sighed, running a hand through his damp hair, "I'd forgotten how amazing that was."
Sam snorted, grinning up at him. "Well then, I'm glad I was able to refresh your memory." She batted her eyelashes coyly, making him laugh. He shifted onto his side, propping his head up on his fist, the other hand sliding up her leg and over her hip, wrapping around her waist to press their naked bodies together.
"I missed you, Sam." He murmured, his fingers tracing circles in the small of her back. "I missed this – us. I..." He faltered, his gaze dropping away from her face as he licked at his lips. "I didn't think I could have this... You. I didn't think I..." He paused, his eyes flicking over her face, uncertainty darkening the normally crystal-clear blue. His hand left her back to slide along her jaw, cupping her face to draw her closer, and she breathed in his familiar scent. "I love you, Sam. I've loved you for a very long time."
Sam's breath caught in her throat, her heart straining against the confines of her ribcage. She ducked her head under his chin, resting her forehead against his firm chest, breathing him in. His hand wound its way through her hair, stroking rhythmically, and she tried to swallow around the lump in her throat.
"I was afraid." Her whisper was muffled by his skin, and he lowered his head down level with hers, craning to better hear her. "I was so afraid, Daniel. Of letting you in. Of losing you. And it only got worse after you died...the first time." She raised her head to look at him and he shifted over her, gently rolling her onto her back, her head pillowed on his arm. He hovered over her, covering half her body with his, his free hand falling to her waist, the thumb stroking softly back and forth over her sharp hipbone. She lost herself in the intensity of his gaze, the words that had been on the tip of her tongue momentarily abandoning her.
"Something my dad said before he died... He told me not to let my fear hold me back, that he wanted me to be happy. And I realised I was trying to build something, but not because it was right, or because it made me happy, but because it was safe. But then he said... He said you never failed to find your way back to me, and I realised he was right. And then I wasn't so afraid anymore."
"Of course, Sam, of course I will." He whispered in promise, dipping his head to press a fleeting kiss to her collarbone. "I will always fight my way back to you." He reached up to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers tracing over her jawline. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here when your father passed."
She smiled sadly, the tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She reached up to touch his face, his freshly-shaved skin smooth and soft under her fingertips. God, she had missed touching him, had missed just being with him like this, basking in the afterglow and talking in quiet whispers until the morning sun streamed through her window. She'd missed everything about him, and to be here with him now, his eyes boring into hers, deep and blue as the sea – it felt right.
"You know, he left a message for you. Told me to tell you something." Daniel's brows cinched together, his soft lips pursing in that way that she found adorable. "He did?"
She drew her thumb over those lips, tracing their curve. "He told me to tell you that, you have his blessing." Her gaze left his lips to meet his wide-eyed stare. "I guess he somehow knew. Maybe even before we did."
Daniel blinked owlishly at her, then a grin cracked his stunned expression, widening and radiating joy until it was like staring into the sun. Then he dipped his head to press his laughing mouth to hers, capturing her lips with his own. Both arms slid under her body, pulling her to him, and her legs wrapped around his as he settled between them.
Still grinning, he pulled back, just enough to tell her; "I guess I should have listened to your dad years ago." Then his mouth claimed hers once again.