Chapter 33. Beachhead

Sam strut down the familiar slate-grey corridors of the SGC, unable to quash the satisfied smirk that tugged at her lips. Area 51 had plenty of toys to tinker with and that had certainly kept her busy, but the Cheyenne Mountain base would always be her home. But aside from that, a certain archaeologist still remained stationed here, despite all their best laid plans.

Sam knocked on his office door, but didn't wait for him to unbury himself from the book he was pouring over before pushing it open. Noting he was alone, she closed the door behind her, quietly studying his hunched over form. "Miss me?" She grinned, watching the way his face lit up when he saw her. He dropped the book he was holding, crossing the distance between them in three quick steps to sweep her into his arms.

"You have no idea." He muttered before capturing her lips with his. His hands roamed over her body, splaying across her back to pull her to him, almost bowling her over with the intensity of his kiss. She grinned against his lips, and he moved to her neck, kissing and sucking and nipping his way down. "Daniel – ah! – maybe we should – mmm! – someone might see us."

Daniel broke away from her, his hands sliding down her arms to clasp her fingers instead. "Sorry," he smirked wolfishly, not looking sorry at all, "I just missed doing that."
Sam grinned, ducking her head to hide her blush. "Me too." She moved past him, gripping his hand as she led him back to his desk. "Luckily for you, I think General Landry is pretty eager to have me back." She perched herself up on the only clear patch of Daniel's desk, while Daniel sank into his chair before her, his hands automatically reaching out to touch her, fingers tracing up and down the back of her calves.

"So is Mitchell – I'm concerned he may actually have an aneurysm when he hears that you're here." Daniel chuckled, resting his chin against her knees. Sam ran her fingers through his hair; it was starting to grow out again, and she scraped her nails lightly over his scalp, enjoying the way he hummed as his eyes closed, almost purring in her lap.
"Kinda feels like a conspiracy," he mumbled, his eyes still closed, "my transfer request to Atlantis getting denied, your application for the Atlantis Command position being delayed. Mitchell did say he was trying to, as he put it, 'get the band back together'."

Sam hummed in agreement, her hand still playing in Daniel's hair. "Well, we'll just have to put a pin in our plans for now, Danny. At least, for the moment, I'm here with you."
He looked up at her, smiling dazedly; his cheek smooshed against her thigh and his glasses askew, but he looked at her with so much love in those bright, baby-blue eyes that Sam felt her heart swell.

The jingling of the door handle shattered their moment, followed by a shrill, grating voice. "Oh, Daniel darling..." Daniel shot upright faster than a loaded spring, and he pushed off from the table, wheeling his chair back to a respectable distance. "Is your door closed because you're indecent? Cameron sent me to-" She swung open the door regardless but stopped abruptly when she spotted Sam sitting on the desk. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realise you had company. Hope I'm not interrupting." She smiled sweetly at Daniel, surreptitiously scrutinising Sam out of the corner of her eye.

Daniel rose from his chair, "Uh, Vala, this is Lieutenant Colonel Doctor Samantha Carter." Sam slid off the desk and turned to face Vala, standing at attention, her hands clasped behind her back and her shoulders set as she eyed the tiny stick of a woman.

"Ohh, so this is the famous Colonel Carter everyone talks about?" She sounded almost impressed.

"Vala Mal Doran, I presume." Sam watched the tiny girl flounce past Daniel and plop herself down in his vacant chair, crossing one knee over the other.

"Oh? Does my reputation precede me?" She purred, glancing up at Daniel through hooded lashes, and Sam swallowed down her laughter at Daniel's surly expression.

"Oh yes. Daniel told me all about how you endangered his life on multiple occasions." Sam said cheerfully, exchanging an amused look with the archaeologist in question. Vala pouted, stung. "Well, anyway, Cameron sent me here to get you. General Landry wants you in the Control room." She said petulantly, purposefully speaking more to Daniel than to Sam. Sam met Daniel's inquiring gaze, "The Prometheus should be arriving at the rendezvous point for Dakara right about now. We better gear up. They'll be wanting to depart as soon as possible."

"Right." He nodded, beating her to the door and holding it open for her. Vala leapt out of her seat to follow, not wanting to be left behind. She skipped out behind Sam, shooting Daniel a sultry grin as she passed. Daniel only rolled his eyes, locking his door behind him.

As he caught up to the two polar opposite women, he patted his breast pocket out of habit. A sudden surge of panic zapped through him like frozen electricity when he realised it was empty, but it was quickly quashed by relief when he remembered that the little black, velvet box was safely locked in the drawer in his office. Yes, he had been disappointed that his big plans hadn't worked out, but like Sam said, at least they were together. Daniel would just have to think up a different way to pop the question.