A/N: Quite amazingly, I've managed to put this chapter out relatively quickly. The amazing part of this stems from the fact that I have not one, but two barfing toddlers and no childcare. How great is that? Anyway, they're in bed, and I needed to escape from the reality of two-year-olds with the stomach flu.

I'll probably be next. How great is that?

Ugh.

So, happy New Year. May yours be less vomit-filled than mine.

Oh, and I know this chapter is kind-of lame, but it had to be written before I could get to some of the fun things I have planned for the rest of the story.

Chapter 13

Daniel walked swiftly down the last corridor between the infirmary and Sha're's quarters. He'd just finished briefing Dr. Brightman on their most recent plan of attack, and was eager to share the news with Sha're. He was about to turn the last corner when, suddenly, a figure stepped out from a doorway, nearly colliding with him. Stopping in his tracks, he took a moment to regain his balance and then opened his mouth to politely apologize. Before the words had formed, however, he realized who the figure belonged to.

Anise.

Great.

Pasting a phony smile on his face, he cleared his throat. "Uh, hi." He said lamely.

Totally unruffled by the near miss, Anise smiled with a great deal more warmth than she usually did. "Greetings, Daniel," she said softly. "Are you well?"

Blinking at the unexpected – and completely unwanted – attention, Daniel struggled for an impersonal answer that might end the conversation before it started. "Ah, yeah," he mumbled. "Fine." Then, hoping to escape, he scrambled for an excuse. "You know, I really-"

Completely ignoring his distant attitude, Anise plowed right over his words. "I am glad we have this chance to speak." Her voice, the deep, alien baritone which characterized a Tok'ra, was warm and blatantly seductive.

Trying not to wrinkle his nose distastefully, Daniel looked at the floor in an attempt to hide his rising anxiety. "Really?" he asked her toes, "Why is that?"

Though he could no longer see her face, the timbre of her voice left no doubt as to her intentions. "Because I felt it would be wise to speak of our past romantic involvement. I do not wish for there to be any lingering awkwardness between us, especially if we may be working together in helping your friend regain her memories."

Unable to stop himself, Daniel choked at the mention of their 'past romantic involvement.' Being diplomatic was ingrained in his personality, especially when dealing with important allies of the SGC, but his skills were certainly being tested in this instance. "Anise, I don't think-"

Once again interrupting him, she sounded almost forlorn as she continued. "We both know why our attraction can never be acted upon. It is outside of our control. I can never go against Freya's wishes in this matter. But perhaps you might find some comfort in knowing that, even after the many years since our last kiss, I still wish we could have been more to each other." Brazenly, she placed a finger under Daniel's chin and tipped his head up so that he met her eyes. "Do you think you can find it in yourself to work with me as a professional? If it is too difficult, I will ask for reassignment."

That question actually made Daniel think for a moment. He might be able to get rid of her! After a brief moment of temptation, he remembered that, in addition to being an ally, she might also be a useful tool for helping Sha're in the future. And he certainly didn't want her asking the High Council for reassignment on the grounds that he was in love with her. Squelching a shudder at that thought, he shook his head. "That won't be necessary," he said as politely as possible. "I'm sure we can both be professionals."

Anise looked yearningly into his blue eyes for a long moment before sighing in resignation. "Indeed," she murmured. Then, patting his cheek softly, she whispered, "Farewell, Daniel," before walking down the hallway he'd just left.

Daniel stood for a moment, turning to watch her go. Shaking his head in amusement, he found himself looking forward to sharing this particular experience with Sam. After his last encounter with the amorous Tok'ra, he'd shared all the gory details with his friends in an effort to cheer them up. Neither Sam nor Jack had ever admitted their brief affair during their stranding on P5X-918, but both had been understandably glum after their return. To this day, neither of them had ever spoken a word about it, but Daniel could imagine the difficulties they'd faced, attempting to put the forbidden feelings behind them.

His smile took on a more easygoing quality as he pondered the happy ending that had finally come to pass for his friends. They had certainly earned it.

Watching the shapely Tok'ra disappear around a corner, he let out a quiet snort of laughter. Sam might not need cheering up anymore, but she'd still enjoy hearing about the totally imaginary relationship Anise had cooked up in her head. With one last chuckle, he put the whole ordeal out of his head and turned back toward Sha're's quarters.

He might not have been quite as amused, however, if he could have seen his stricken wife at that moment. Totally unaware of the circumstances surrounding Anise's words, she'd been on her way to visit Dr. Brightman, when she'd accidentally overheard the entire conversation. With the Tok'ra's words of parting, Sha're had whirled around and fled back to her quarters, choking back disappointed tears.

Three days later, Daniel sat in a corner of the mess, absently pushing a few lonely peas around with his fork. Staring off into space, he tried to put his finger on what could possibly have caused Sha're's recent change in demeanor.

When he'd approached her about the decision to trigger her memories, she'd been cheerful, determined, and full of her usual spirit. But just an hour later, when he'd relayed the plan for her recovery, she'd been reserved, quiet, and strangely sad. He'd tried to determine the cause of her sudden shift in moods, but he'd been unable to get past her defenses. Worse than that, she hadn't reported regaining a single memory in that time.

Walking across the room with a plastic take-out container full of mixed greens, Sam saw Daniel's gloomy, far-off look and immediately decided to check in on her friend. She'd been planning to eat in her lab today in order to catch up on some backlogged work, but there was simply no way she could ignore his obvious distress.

Sitting down across from him, she smiled warmly. "Hi, Daniel."

Brought out of his thoughts by Sam's cheerful voice, he blinked and turned his attention to her smiling face. "Oh. Hi." He knew his greeting was somewhat strained, but he didn't really have the heart for idle chatter at the moment.

Unable to hide her concern, she looked at him intently. "What's the matter?"

Daniel smiled faintly at her ability to read his thoughts so well. "Nothing concrete," he replied. "I'm just worried about Sha're."

Opening her salad, she ripped open the cellophane packet of French dressing and spread it evenly over the leafy mixture. "Is she having trouble remembering things?" she inquired quietly, "Because Dr. Brightman did say it might take months for her to really make any progress."

Daniel shook his head. "No, it's not that." Both he and Sha're were aware the doctor's warnings. Amnesia patients, she'd explained, often regained their past experiences in fits and starts. That wasn't what was bothering him. "Something happened," he explained quietly. "I have no idea what, but something upset her." He shrugged. "One minute she was determined and cheerful. The next minute, she was completely depressed and withdrawn. I have no idea what the problem is." The frustration in his voice was clearly evident.

Sam paused, looking at her friend's intense expression. "Maybe it's something she doesn't feel comfortable talking to you about," she suggested gently.

At that, Daniel's eyes shot up. "But she could always tell me anything," he replied, sounding hurt.

Putting her fork down, Sam reached across the table and patted his hand lightly. "I know," she sympathized, "but this Sha're doesn't know you as well as the one you remember. Maybe she just needs some space to work things out."

Nodding, Daniel issued a resigned sigh. "You're probably right," he admitted. "I'd just feel a whole lot better if she had someone else to talk to. It must be terrifying, being stranded in an alien dimension with no friends or family."

Sam felt her heartstrings tug with compassion over his obvious distress. "I could try talking to her, if you think it would help." The suggestion wasn't much, but it was all she had to offer.

Daniel looked up at her, looking both hopeful and appreciative. "Would you?"

She nodded. "Sure." Then, smiling wryly, she shrugged. "Not sure how much good it will do, though. I'm not much for girl talk."

Daniel chuckled. "That's okay, neither is Sha're." One of the things that had initially drawn him to her was the sensible, brave way she approached everything in life. "I have a hard time picturing either of you giggling over nail polish or fashion magazines."

Grinning, Sam agreed. "I was always more interested in Popular Science than Cosmo."

The amusement faded from Daniel's blue eyes as his thoughts returned to the situation at hand. "It doesn't matter what you talk about. Just be a friend to her."

Sam squeezed his hand gently. "How could I be anything but?"

Sam knocked on the door to Sha're's quarters quietly. It was somewhat late – almost ten o'clock – but she'd finally managed to wrap up the last of her overdue reports. In spite of the hour, however, she wanted to keep her promise to Daniel – even if it meant returning home long after the twins were in bed. Jack knew of her plans this evening and understood, even if he teased her about missing their "only three quiet hours alone" in the day.

There was no immediate response to her knocking and she was about to give up and leave, when suddenly, the door swung open.

Sam examined the dark-haired woman and instantly felt foolish. Sha're was wearing a long, cotton nightgown and was clearly ready for bed. "I'm sorry," she apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I can come back tomorrow."

Sha're's face, however, lit up with a brilliant smile when she saw Sam standing in her door. "No, please," she said in heavily-accented English. "I would like the company." She opened the door all the way and gestured for Sam to come in.

Stepping hesitantly into the room, Sam couldn't help but notice how Spartan the chamber was. "Boy, you'd think they'd give you some pictures or something," she mumbled absently. Then, turning her attention back to the other woman, Sam was struck with a thought. "Maybe we could go shopping?"

Sha're looked a little overwhelmed. "Shopping?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. You know, for some things to put in your room. Wouldn't you like to see some color in here?"

Smiling shyly, Sha're nodded tentatively. "I would like that," she said, "but I did not think I was allowed to leave your base without Daniel."

Sam just smiled. "I'm sure I can persuade General O'Neill to let me stand in for him. Or," she said, struck by a thought, "we could bring Daniel with us, if you'd like."

Instantly, Sha're's face fell. "Oh," she mumbled, "I suppose we could do that."

Surprised by the dark-haired woman's clear aversion to the suggestion, Sam paused a moment before responding. "Sha're, is something wrong? Why wouldn't you want Daniel nearby?"

Biting her lip, Sha're seemed to wrestle with her thoughts. After a few seconds, she met Sam's blue eyes timidly. "I do want him nearby," she admitted softly. "But I am afraid of becoming a burden to him. I know he must have other duties and activities in his life and I would not want to take him away from them."

Sam stepped forward without hesitation. "Oh, Sha're, don't be silly. Daniel cares about you." Seeing that the lovely woman wasn't entirely convinced, Sam spoke with as much passion as she could muster. "When Daniel returned from Abydos and joined SG-1 all those years ago, he had only one goal in mind: To save you. You're probably the most important person in the world to him. He could never see you as a burden." Pausing, she sat down on the edge of the bed, gesturing for Sha're to do the same. When they were both settled, she took a deep breath and then slowly began sharing a very personal story.

"Not too long ago, when I was pregnant with the twins, there was an accident on one of Jack's missions." Steeling herself against the emotions that still swamped her when she recalled those dark days, Sam forced herself to continue. "We thought he was dead."

Sha're's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, Samantha," she whispered. "How terrible that must have been for you!"

Nodding, Sam felt her eyes well with tears, in spite of her best efforts. "I can't describe it," she murmured. Then, remembering the point to her story, she seemed to shake off the lingering darkness of those months. "But I do remember feeling exactly as you just described. I didn't want to be a burden to anyone. I thought I should be able to do everything on my own." She smiled wryly. "Daniel, of course, pretty much ignored me when I said as much. He wouldn't even consider allowing me to cope with Jack's loss and my pregnancy by myself. So, even though he was dealing with his own loss, he took me into his house and stood by me, right up to the day the twins were born." When she looked at Sha're, her eyes once again shone, but this time they were happy tears. "Daniel's friendship saved me at the darkest hour of my life. And now that I can look back on that awful time with some perspective, I see that he found as much comfort in helping me as I found in being helped. Does that make sense?"

Slowly beginning to understand Sam's point, Sha're nodded slightly. "You think that if Daniel helps me, it will help him?"

The question was issued so softly, Sam had to strain to hear it. "Yes," she replied. "That's exactly what I think."

The two women looked at each other for a long moment. Then, with a small smile, Sha're nodded. "Then perhaps we should invite Daniel to shop with us."

A/N: I realize we haven't had much insight into Sha're's thoughts yet, but I've actually done that on purpose. I want you, the reader, to learn about her as our favorite SG team does. I've been chewing on the next chapter for a while now, and I think you're going to like it… evil author grin