Lyrics featured are Calico Skies by Paul McCartney. Thanks to Amaranth Traces for reccing the song.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Cam led the team through the active event horizon and down the gateramp at the SGC to where Landry stood expectantly. The Colonel remarked with a triumphant swing of his hat, "That has got to be the nicest mission we've had to date... no shooting or name-calling... and Woolsey and his boys are there working their official hoo-hah within the same day." He stopped in front of the General and smiled a little. "It's been good, Sir."

Landry smiled slightly as the rest of the team, save for Daniel, looked amused, the Archaeologist looking a little grumpy. "I gathered, Mitchell." The General looked past Cam to Sam, and then said, "Well, you know the drill... the Infirmary, shower and change, and then the briefing room." He smiled a little again, well aware that this would be Sam's last SG-1 mission for a little while. "You have two hours this time."

Cam glanced at his co-command. "Well, if I didn't know any better..."

Daniel jumped in. "And you don't..."

Cam glared a little at Daniel, and continued, "... there could be cake somewhere around here."

Vala retorted, rolling her eyes at her new husband, "It's always cake with you."

"Actually... no, it's usually pie with me... but cake's good. Never say 'no' to cake."

As Teal'c smiled slightly through the ensuing argument in an attempt to stop himself from throttling both Mitchells, Cam led his team out, and Landry said, nodding at Daniel, "Doctor Jackson?" Daniel looked back from the door, and the General continued, "If you have a minute..." Daniel looked at Sam for a moment who gave his hand a squeeze before leaving with Teal'c, and the Archaeologist returned to Landry.

"Sir?"

Landry nodded and said, walking to the other doorway leading from the gateroom, "Walk with me, Doctor." The two men left the gateroom in silence. When they were finally alone in the corridor, the hustle and bustle of gateroom operations behind them, Landry glanced at the Archaeologist. "You're grumpy."

Daniel frowned. "Excuse me, Sir?"

Landry shrugged a little. "I would be too if I was in your place and if Kim was in Colonel Carter's place. Hell, I'm grumpy without her anyway." He paused as Daniel looked perplexed and disturbed that the General was telling him about his formerly estranged wife. "Go home early... do something nice for her. I know you're hurting, but snapping at Mitchell... which I know can be quite cathartic, isn't going to help matters."

Daniel sighed softly as his gaze lowered to the ground. He said in a quiet voice, feeling a little awkward about sharing personal confidences with someone who had deliberately or otherwise kept himself just that little bit apart from the personnel that he was in charge of, "I'm hoping..." He looked at the General, barely concealed hope in his eyes. "I talked to Jack... there doesn't seem to be a way out of this for Sam. The last thing I would do is stand in the way of her career, but... she's leaving the galaxy and with all respect, you know the odds of her returning."

"I also know the odds that SG-1 overcome on a regular basis." He patted Daniel on the shoulder. "She'll be fine... Daniel."

"That's my point. We won't know 'til it's too late."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Cam, in civilian clothes, poked his head into Daniel's office on spotting that the door was open and that the light was on. He stared at Vala, who was perched on the front of the Archaeologist's desk, a pile of books next to her as she resumed the reading stint that she had started prior to their mission to Ortus Mallum. He folded his arms across his chest.

"So... I take it that this isn't a phase then?"

Vala, having sensed his presence already, looked up with a smile. "Your language is rather colourful. You know... I have a new respect for Daniel." She closed the book that she had been reading. "... to understand all of these words and their variants, in this language and others... and to be able to use them to your advantage... that is tremendously impressive."

Cam smiled. "Damn straight. That boy's pulled us out of a lot of crap... he's also dropped us into some too... but it's our job. We don't find out things by sitting at home with a remote control or whatever." His smile widened. "Anyway. Come here, you." Vala grinned at him as she bounded towards him and he hugged her tight, spinning her around. When he finally set her on her feet again, he asked, looking a little disappointed, "How come you never hang out at my office? I mean, I know I rarely use it..."

She placed a finger to his lips and then looked around the room as she held onto him. "This place is just so interesting." She chuckled. "Daniel would kill me if he knew how often I come in here, but I like it. It's so peaceful. It's almost like when we're alone together. Nothing else exists outside of this place... it's a time and place all of its own."

He smiled as he kissed her gently. "Well... I'm glad you said 'almost'... otherwise I believe that I would have had to kick Jackson's ass. Sam and I would end up playing soccer with it... and then T would join in... and it'll all be a mess, especially if General O'Neill drops by."

She hummed, a blissful smile on her face as her fingers lightly massaged the back of his neck. He tried to glare at her but failed and ended up smiling back. She pushed his head down so that her lips could capture his, her fingers wandering the back of his head.

Resting his forehead against hers when the kiss had broken, he whispered, his face lit up with love, "Hey... let's go home."

She nodded and then asked with a frown, "Just out of curiosity – where is Daniel?"

He replied as he closed his eyes, his chin now resting against her hair, "Oh... he went on home to pick up mail. Sam had some stuff to tie off here." He paused. "I'm gonna miss her."

She gazed up at him, conviction in her eyes. "She'll be back though."

He smiled a little. "I know... try telling Jackson that." He held her hands. "You ready to go home?"

She nodded with a smile and he smiled back at her. He then slipped an arm around her waist and switched the light off before leaving the office with her. She asked in a bright tone of voice as her own arm went around him as a group of very amused Airmen walked past, their smiles vanishing when Cam glared at them, "So... how many days of catching up on all that enthralling sex do we have?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam sighed as she stood at the front door of her house later that evening, knowing that with all possibility she might never see it again. She closed her eyes for a moment as tears threatened to spill over at the thought, and she composed herself before unlocking the door. She walked in, closing the door behind her as she called while shrugging her jacket off and switching lights on,

"Daniel? I'm home."

Sighing again as she surmised that perhaps he had gone for a walk, she went into the kitchen. Switching the lights on, she almost fell back in surprise on seeing Daniel sat at the kitchen table. When she had got over the shock, she said, shaking her head slightly as she opened the fridge,

"You made me jump." She pulled out a carton of juice from the fridge and closed the door. She then realised that he hadn't said anything since she had arrived. She frowned a little and looked at him in concern. "Daniel?"

He looked up at her, tears and swirling emotions that if anything highlighted his eyes instead of clouding them. "This could be the last time."

She pressed her lips together as tears from earlier returned, and she dropped to her knees to hug him, whispering, "What happened to you being the brave one here?"

Tears now rolling down his cheeks, he held onto her with a startling force. "Sam, you know me more than anyone else. I'm not brave... and even if I was, I just can't be now... I can't even bring myself to tell you all the things that I should be telling you right now."

She sniffed as she smiled, trying not to cry but failing completely. "I'm glad you're being honest about how you feel for once." He helped her to her feet as he got up, and she said softly as he dried her tears, "Daniel... you could come with. You'd be able to visit Atlantis."

"I tried. Believe me. I've been blocked at every turn. Jack doesn't want me going to Atlantis again without the rest of the team too... and we're still on active duty even if there isn't an active threat any more so it could be years before I'd be allowed to go." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Oh... Samantha..."

She nodded, knowing what was on his mind. "I know." She kissed his ear. "This isn't how I wanted things between us either... but like with our jobs, it happened and we just have to get on with what we have." She kissed him and rested her head against his shoulder, gazing up at him. She stroked his hair and whispered, not liking the fact that he was frowning, "Daniel..." He looked down at her. "Let's make tonight happy. We have this one night before those hard months ahead... and I for one don't want to waste it worrying about things that might happen."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel and Sam lie face-to-face and naked on their bed following some gentle lovemaking. As she waited for sleep to come, and as he tried hard to stave off sleep, they talked quietly, keeping the general mood peaceful. After a little while, he shivered a little so he, concerned for his fiancée's wellbeing, covered them both with the sheets, and his hand lovingly caressed from her neck to her shoulder. As she slowly rubbed his waist, she said with a carefree smile, remembering the good times that they had had together, and being hopeful for the many good times to come,

"I've never been on vacation with you. We managed to have a relationship and even get engaged in between our crazy jobs, but we've never..."

"It was written that I would love you
From the moment I opened my eyes
And the morning when I first saw you
Gave me life under calico skies..."

He smiled as he watched her. "What about..."

"Nuh-uh, anything work-related... like chasing Ba'als or going through the 'gate, doesn't count."

"Shame... 'cos if it did, it would mean that we've been on vacation way too many times to count."

She chuckled but her smile soon faded as she looked up at the ceiling. "We've done some crazy stuff over the years, haven't we?" She smiled again as she looked at him once again. "You jumped out of a plane."

He grimaced a little at the memory. "Don't remind me."

She kissed him softly. "We... the team... we've each had to overcome fears and reservations to do the things that we had to do. I think it changed us. I for one wouldn't be a full bird Colonel if I hadn't joined the Stargate programme. I'd probably have ended up being an astronaut..." She looked at him oddly.

He smiled. "I could imagine that." He paused, mulling over the odd look that she had given him, and suddenly looking curious. "What's wrong with being an astronaut?"

"Oh come on... shuttles and the International Space Station... compared to what we've seen?" She glanced away from him for a moment. "Well, okay, so I guess I've been spoiled by all that... but really... I can't see myself as an astronaut. It might also be a mindset I've had since the Challenger disaster..." She shrugged. "... but it feels weird thinking about it."

"Well... if you ask me, you'd make a great astronaut... although you wouldn't be fully appreciated. How many astronauts would be expected to upload viruses to DHDs and blow up suns?" She snorted with laughter, and he smiled at her fondly. "I've always had a deep respect for you. My specialist fields were learnt in the classroom, so to speak. I just apply what I've learnt and sometimes re-interpret it to fit what actually happened in the case of historical and mythological events. You, on the other hand, while you have that too, you've also had to deal with the knowledge that a lot of the things, or at least some of the things that you've been taught are only half the picture. You've not only dealt with it, but you've..."

She smiled, amused as she silenced him with a finger to his lips. She whispered, "So have you." She moved her finger from his lips and gently combed his hair with her fingers as she gazed at him affectionately. "I don't want to talk about work tonight, Daniel. Tonight's my last night with you for a little while... I just want to remember everything... because..." She appeared momentarily fearful. "... I'm scared that I might forget something."

His hand came to rest on her waist. "You won't." He kissed her, offering her a weak smile as his heart felt as though it was about to tear apart as he considered their impending separation. "I'm always going to be with you, no matter where you go."

She suddenly closed her eyes and tears surged in her eyes and she turned away from him. Worried, he asked, propping himself up on an elbow as he rubbed her shoulder, "Sam? What's wrong?"

"I will hold you for as long as you like
I'll hold you for the rest of my life

Always looking for ways to love you
Never failing to fight at your side
While the angels of love protect us
From the innermost secrets we hide..."

She looked up at him, the tears in her eyes catching the soft light emanating from a bedside lamp. "You're telling me the things that you're supposed to be." She closed her eyes and hugged him, sniffing as she continued to cry. "I know it's taking you a lot to be that brave, Daniel... and it hurts that you'll put yourself through that for me." She kissed his shoulder. "Thank you." She tightened her embrace of him as her body trembled. "Thank you."

He blinked to stop himself from getting tearful as he held her just as tightly, whispering as he rested his head against hers, "No need to thank me." He entwined his fingers in her hair. "I'm just trying to make this easier for the both of us... I guess it feels like it's going to be ages, but before you know it... you'll be home and we can finally get married. It's just one more hurdle before it's our time... and I'll be right there waiting." He kissed her ear and smiled a more stronger smile than before. "There really isn't a lot that I can do. While it's painful to let you go, it's going to be okay. We'll be okay."

She looked at him, her eyes eventually wandering to his chest, her fingers idly roaming what she knew to be hers. "You're going to be okay too, Daniel." She kissed him and gazed at him lovingly. "You've got plenty of work to distract you from the pain."

"I'll hold you for as long as you like
I'll hold you for the rest of my life...

Long live all of us crazy soldiers
Who were born under calico skies
May we never be called to handle
All the weapons of war we despise..."

He gently touched the tip of her nose, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Sam... my Samantha... you know that doesn't work." He kissed her, closing his eyes when she held onto the back of his neck. He made a humming noise when she groaned during the embrace, and when they finally ended the kiss, he whispered, his lips moving to her neck, "Nothing will work. I'm just going to count the days 'til you're back here in my arms."

"I'll hold you for as long as you like
I'll hold you for the rest of my life
I'll hold you for as long as you like
I'll hold you for the rest of my ...
For the rest of my life..."

She smiled a little as she held him around his waist, her head against his chest as he held her tight, his lips moving a little against her hair as he talked softly to her. She caressed his lower back and then flashed him a coy grin. The same thought running through his mind, he grinned back at her as they rolled under the covers together, the Colonel shrieking with laughter as the Archaeologist squirmed when she tickled him. When she lie beneath him, his body over hers, he gazed down at her lovingly and whispered, his face alight with love for her as she continued to grin up at him,

"Oh Samantha... how I wish this night would never end."

She threaded her fingers in his hair as he began to nuzzle her throat. "Just you wait 'til I come home again." She closed her eyes with a blissful smile, concentrating on the moment rather than what was in their immediate future.