Janet rubbed her eyes warily as she sat back away from her home computer. Running Cassie around town had taken longer then she had expected and had exhausted her. She'd only just gotten back in time to sign off on the examinations preformed by some of the infirmary staff working under her. Hammond had been annoyed but had let it slide. Feeling the weight of the day, she'd decided to sign out early and had taken a few outstanding medical reports home to strain her brain and try to work out what was wrong. She had five reports to think over tonight and of those, two belonged to SG1. Janet sighed as she pushed Jacks file to the side and picked up Daniels, reading the levels from the tests over again. She flipped it to the attached mission report and scanned the words for the third time that night, skipping past the lengthy descriptions of the cultural discoveries.

"Come on Daniel, why's this happening to you two" she asked as she read over the pages "you didn't consume anything on the planet, you didn't touch any device and you didn't come into contact with the plant life like Sam and Jack…" She frowned dropping her pen again. Exhaustion pulling her away "you spent the whole time studying the tunnels" she groaned. She finally placed the folder down and decided against pushing herself tonight.

As she was heading out into the lounge room she came across Cassie, sitting on the couch watching a rerun of that silly wormhole show she watches.

"Cassie, get to bed" Janet growled, unaware that Cassie had actually been asleep.

"Whahmm?" Cassie murmured incoherently as she woke up to the grating sound of Janet's annoyance.

"Go on, bed" Janet repeated as she stood over her in the lounge room.

"Oh ok" Cassie smiled weakly as she struggled to pull herself out of sleep and off of the couch. Janet followed her to her room, making sure she didn't make any detours. Janet smiled warmly as Cassie snuggled in to the bed and rested her head down on the pillow, relishing in the comfort.

"Nigh Cass" Janet told her as she went to switch the light off.

"Mum?" Cassie asked half asleep "what's wrong with Sam?"

Janet froze as she realised she was supposed to go see him and then watched her daughter in disbelief.

"What makes you think there's something wrong?" Janet stalled as she walked back into the room and sat on the end of the bed.

"Sam called while you were on the computer; she said to tell you that she was staying at Daniels house tonight, and not to come over" Janet nodded and then frowned

"What about that would make you think there was something wrong?" Janet asked and Cassie frowned.

"I think she was crying" Cassie explained while Janet bit her lip "she sounded like it"

"Listen Cassie, SG1 is going through something right now that is going to be hard for them. It's hard on Sam especially and I know you love to spend time with her and you worry when she's feeling down but right now, what she's going through is going to change her and she might not…" Janet paused as emotion seemed to be creeping up on her. She didn't want to have to explain any of this to her "SG1 might not be the same after this Cassie" Janet told her as she clenched her fist around Cassie's sheet.

"What's wrong?" Cassie asked sitting up in her bed as she watched Janet struggling to keep her emotions at bay. Janet pulled a tight lipped smile and stroked her cheek gently.

"I can't tell you right now Cass, but I will, I promise" Janet assured her as she lent in and kissed Cassie on the forehead.

---

Sam clung to Daniels shirt as he stroked her back. They weren't sure how long they'd been sitting there on his couch, probably hours.

Sam, on a whim, had called Janet earlier when Daniel had finally told her how torn he was in his need to apologize to Janet but she had had to leave a message with Cassie.

Since then Daniel had been gently probing details out of Sam, hoping she could take that small step towards recovery with him. She had been resistant at first but with 'what could have been' lingering on her mind over the state she found Daniel in, she figured he needed to know how she felt just as much as she needed to tell him.

"He raped me" she'd begun as she'd clutched her legs to her chest, her eyes fixed on an imaginary point as her mind played the images over "Damn it Daniel this is Colonel O'Neill" she'd shuddered as her breath came out laboured "This isn't supposed… this is never supposed to happen Daniel" she had cried out and all he could do was hold her.

He knew Teal'c had been there for her. He knew Janet had before anyone and as Sam confessed to him through the night, he became aware that Jack too had been there for her, despite her efforts to get away.

"I don't know if I'll ever see him the same way Daniel" She muttered into his chest as her fingers toyed with the collar of his shirt absentmindedly "When I had been hiding under the desk in the observation room, I'd never been so confused and scared by my own actions. But in the bathroom I just wanted it all to go away, I wanted to forget everything and just enjoy him holding me" she breathed in the scent of Daniel as she tried to control her breathing "I think I'd begun to come to my senses on the highway" she laughed while Daniel winced recognizing the flickering influence of Jack in that. It was so like Jack to introduce humour in the worst of situations. "I want to be able to forget it all Daniel, you have no idea how much I want to be able to smile at him without wondering if in some sick way I've grown closer to him because of what he did. I want to be able to stand in the same room without my pulse racing. I want to be able to look at him and not see the look of guilt on his face when I'd called him by name and…" her breath was in gasps as her tears returned, a flood of emotion overwhelming her as she felt like she was there, vividly enduring it. "… and he just continued, he looked straight at me but…" her body shuddered against him as her held her tight against him, stroking her back in reassurance.

"Its ok Sam" he whispered in her ear as she cried.

"I just hurt so badly and I know I have everyone around me to turn to but I want him Daniel, I want Jack back" she broke against him with that and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer, needing to hold him. Daniel dropped his head onto her shoulder as he embraced her, letting her cry against him as she drained herself of her built up emotion. After a long moment, Sam seemed to relax a bit against him as her body calmed and stopped shaking. Her breaths stopped coming in gasps and she pulled back, still holding him but looking him in the eyes. Daniel smiled at her softly as he wiped away a lot of the moisture on her cheeks with his thumb. Her features were red and puffy with crying by now and it hit Daniel that he'd never seen Sam like this before. He'd seen her cry before and had helped her through it before but he'd never seen her this far gone with it all.

"What?" Sam asked in response to his studying her features.

"You're red" he told her and she brought her hands up to her face letting out a modest laugh and wiping the remaining moisture away. Daniel pulled her hands away from her face and looked into her eyes intently.

"I don't mind" he told her honestly and she dropped her hands to her lap, smiling self consciously. Daniel brushed her frazzled hair out of her face and then gently pressed his lips to her cheek.

When he pulled back Sam's eyes bore into his with a strange sort of curiosity and then she lightly returned the kiss, brushing her lips over his and then pressing against him more firmly. Daniel froze as he felt her mouth on his. For a brief moment he panicked, not knowing how to react and then he felt their lips moisten as she parted his lips with her tongue. His response was an automatic one as he opened his mouth, relishing in the sensation and kissing her back. He succumbed to the feel of her body against his, her hands around his neck and her hot needing mouth on his mouth; only for a moment before reason took hold of him and he pulled back, gently pushing her away from him instinctively.

"Sam…" he paused looking at her confused "Whatcha doin?" he asked mimicking Jack. Sam bit her lip, closing her eyes as her cheeks amazingly became redder with the embarrassment.

"Sorry" she apologised instantly as she let her hands drop from their place around his neck. "I don't know what came over me" she told him honestly as she weakly stood from the chair and idly walked over the balcony doorway and rested against it. Daniel lifted himself from the chair and walked up to her.

"It's ok…" he paused "…I mean I understand why…" he offered and she smiled "… I just really don't think we should" he finished and she turned to him with a soft smile.

"Don't worry Daniel" she told him as she rubbed his arm "I just" she dropped her head feeling guilty "needed release" she blushed while he went quiet as the thoughts played over his mind and then he finally nodded

"Okay" he smiled and then hugged her again briefly before pulling back "want to get drunk?" he asked with a half smirk and Sam's features visibly brightened.

"Sure" she laughed and followed him into the kitchen.