AN: I realize there is some angst inherent in this story, but since I only get two tags, I figure it's more comedy (at least according to me and my irrevernt humor) than angst, so that's why I went with the comedy. With that said, there's some more angst here too, but I don't think I can tell the story I want to tell without it.

Chapter Seven

In a flash, she was there, standing in the doorway of his office. She stood where she was, simply watching him for a moment. She could see from the way he moved, from the way he poured over the books in front of him, from the way he hesitated the slightest bit in his note-taking, that he was trying very hard to pretend like everything was normal when it wasn't. She knew he missed her, the real her, the regular her, the same way she had missed him when he'd been dead. She missed the breakfast they used to share almost every morning - it was their time to talk and be their scientific selves without having to explain why they were the way they were. It was their time to be friends. Sam wanted to ruffle his hair, knowing he'd undergone the same work up at Walter. She felt considerably guiltier for it. She'd been taunting the crap out of him.

He looked up for a moment, adjusting his glasses. His glance fell on her and he smiled. But a moment later his smile faltered and he looked devastated. He turned back to his book.

Sam opened her mouth to speak, thinking she should say something meaningful and profound. Nothing came to mind.

"I know you're there, Sam."

"So you're admitting it now?"

He looked up and smiled, shrugging. "At first I thought I was nuts. I thought it was some trick that my mind was playing on me." He sat back in his chair, giving her his full attention. "And then I thought you were some kind of evil spirit coming to possess us or something, especially after you trashed the mess that day."

Sam sat down on a stool. "I was a little upset."

"You should look into anger management classes because I'm pretty sure General Hammond will flip his lid if he has to replace all the plates again."

"Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to be screaming for attention and have no one acknowledge you?"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, I do. When Ba'al had Jack prisoner, it was like talking to a wall. A stubborn, infuriating wall."

Sam smiled, thinking of how much she wanted to hug that stubborn infuriating wall. "At least you got his attention."

"I'm sure you will too." Daniel grinned. "He always did seem to notice you, if you catch my drift."

Sam rolled her eyes, appreciating the good-natured teasing in a way she never had before. "There's a very simple concept at work here, Daniel. Only people who believe in ghosts can see ghosts."

"I don't believe in ghosts."

"You're talking to one."

Daniel stood up, crossing in front of her and reaching out. His hand was tentative as it passed over hers, lowering a tiny bit at a time until it finally came in contact. "You seem pretty real to me now."

"So anyway, Jack doesn't believe in ghosts."

Daniel shrugged and went back to his desk, stirring the cup of coffee Sam knew was long cold. "Jack doesn't believe in sobriety at the moment either. I'm sure he'll change his mind eventually."

"Or his liver will change his mind."

Daniel looked up, a playful smile on his face. "So it's Jack now, is it?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "What's he going to do? Court martial me?" Sam shifted around on her stool, a hundred questions vying to be asked first. "Why is it that you're willing to admit you see me now?"

"Walter certainly can't fix the computer on his own. So when Teal'c came to visit me in the infirmary while I was waiting for my drug test and told me Walter had fixed the computer on his own, I knew you were real."

"I'm sorry about making you look crazy."

He grinned. "I'm sorry for ignoring you. Friends?"

She nodded. As much as she wanted to talk to Daniel and reassure him, she was too concerned about Jack to relax. "How's he doing?" She didn't need to say his name. She knew the seriousness of her expression and the tone of her voice would tell Daniel she wasn't talking about Walter or Teal'c anymore. There wasn't anyone else Sam would come back from the grave for.

"You're not talking about your dad, are you?" Daniel sighed. "I'm not going to lie, Sam. He's a mess."

Even though she already knew it, she didn't want to hear it. It hurt.

"He was the first one to realize what happened, you know. It wasn't even like someone broke the news to him gently." Daniel looked away, unable to meet her eyes. "He saw the picture of the wreckage in the newspaper, Sam. He told me he'd put you on that plane, that he'd sent you home because you were fighting. And then he didn't say anything else for a week."

Sam nodded, waiting for her chin to stop trembling before she could talk. "I saw him at the funeral."

"He hadn't started drinking then." He glanced up, checking to see if it was ok to continue. "He's been drunk every waking hour of the last two weeks. I don't even think he's sleeping. He's just drinking and passing out."

Wiping at the tears in her eyes, Sam knew she needed to hear the rest. She nodded at Daniel to encourage him.

"He's blaming himself, Sam. You know how he is. He thinks it was all his fault. Pretty much all anyone can get out of him is either a curt restatement of the fact that you're dead or a drunken declaration that you're dead because he killed you."

Sam shook her head. "He didn't kill me."

"I know that. Teal'c knows that. The rumor mill, however, well, that's a different story."

"Yeah, Walter mentioned that."

Daniel crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her. "So what do you need my help with?"

"I need you to convince Jack that I'm here so I can talk to him."

Daniel nodded. "Unfinished business before you can cross over or something?"

Sam frowned and shook her head. "More like nothing better to do. I'm bored. I left a message for God, but apparently he's a very busy deity."

"You mean there really is one all-powerful, all-knowing God?"

Sam shrugged. "From what I hear. But keep in mind that I've yet to see the proof. For all I know he's like L. Ron Hubbard."

"How so?" Daniel was intrigued by the idea of a final, definitive answer to the question of religion.

"Like they may just be keeping an office for someone who is never coming back."

"It would be awfully disappointing to find out there really was a god only to find out he's gone."

Sam nodded. "Maybe we should have been a little gentler in undermining all those worlds' religious beliefs, huh?"

"But they were worshipping mean gods. The real one isn't mean, is he?"

"Like I said, I haven't met him, but as far as I can tell, he's more unreasonable than mean."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm dead, Daniel."

Daniel grinned. "And you figure you deserved to live, right?"

"I'm dead because there was a mistake where my case worker signed the wrong form."

"You're kidding."

"No, I was supposed to live. Sandra Carter was supposed to die. But someone made a mistake and apparently, the bureaucrats can't fix their mistake because I'm still dead."

Daniel shook his head, silent empathy written all over his face. "Red tape will be the death of us all."

"No, just the death of me."

"So Jack needs to know it wasn't his fault and then you can move on with eternity or whatever?"

"Wrong again, Danny. I'm bored. And I have to wait until Jack dies before we can do anything, so if you can convince him that I'm here, then I can hang around with you guys and I won't be bored anymore. It'll be like I'm still alive, which I am in a really odd way."

"Why do you have to wait for Jack?"

Sam blushed, pulling exclusive invitation out of her pocket. "Because we're soul mates."

Daniel grinned, the urge to tease her affectionately shining in his eyes. "Soul mates?"

Sam blushed deeper. "Look, I'm still kind of hoping this is a really strange dream."

"When you were here before, when you had your little episode in the mess, I tried talking to him. I tried to tell him that some part of you was still around, but he wouldn't listen."

"He's stubborn, Daniel. You can convince him. I know you can."

"I think that's what touched off the drinking, Sam. I think he hurt too much to listen. He can't even stand to hear your name."

"You accept that I'm here, right? You know that."

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, or I'm stark raving mad, but either way, I'm fine with it." He looked sheepish as a red tinge crept into his cheeks. "I miss you."

"I'm the same me as always. You don't have to miss me." Sam had the idea that once he truly believed she was there, which he appeared to, it would change things dramatically. She moved next to him, reaching out for his hand and squeezing it. Unlike when she'd held Teal'c's hand at her funeral, Sam felt Daniel's hand close around hers. "I'm right here."

He smiled, lifting their joined hands as if to convince himself that it was real. "Yes, you are."

"Now you just have to convince Jack that I'm here and then he'll be fine and I'll be here and we'll all be ok."

"Maybe you should get Teal'c to try."

"Daniel, you can convince Jack of anything."

"No, you can convince Jack of anything."

"Then tell him what I'd tell him."

"I don't think it's so much what you tell him as it is-" Daniel looked around for a way to escape, but smartly realized there was likely no way to hide from a ghost.

"As it is what?" Sam had a feeling she wasn't going to like where the conversation was heading.

"I'm not a hot blonde, Sam, and I really think that is a distinct advantage in getting Jack to listen to anything."

She was mortified, but she didn't bother to deny it since she'd always suspected as much. "Then tell him if he believes you then he can see a hot blonde."

Daniel frowned. "I'm pretty sure Jack would object to me saying that about you."

"Then come up with something better." Sam wasn't sure what she thought about the idea that Daniel identified her as hot, but she knew he was right about Jack not liking it.

"What would you say? Because I know you would pretend your looks had nothing to do with it."

"Ask him if he thinks people can come back from the dead."

"And when he says it's impossible?"

"Ask him when that's ever stopped me from doing anything."

"I don't know, Sam."

"Come on, Daniel." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't make me torture your ass for all of eternity."

Daniel looked at her and smiled. "I'm so glad you're really here there's no way you could torture me."

Sam grinned. "Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall-"

Daniel slapped his hands over his ears. "Ok, stop, I'll talk to him."

"To whom are you speaking, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c's face appeared in the doorway.

Daniel was scared as he checked with Sam. She nodded. "I'm talking to Sam."

"Major Carter is dead. She is no longer with us."

Sam jabbed her finger in Daniel's side. "Don't flake out on me now."

Daniel reached down and snagged Sam's hand, holding it up for Teal'c to see. "Oh yes she is."

Teal'c was silent for a moment until a grin slowly spread across his face. "Indeed she is. Her spirit is most stubborn."