It's raining heavily outside the car by the time he leaves her. Janet and Teal'c leave early on in the evening. But Daniel doesn't leave until very late. Uncomfortably late as its late enough for Sam to offer for him to stay but just early enough for him to drive without risking falling asleep at the wheel. She stands at the door, watching as he rushes out to his car in the rain.

The pouring rain provides cover but I'm parked far enough back for him to not notice. I let him leave without following as I watch her seeing him off, she stands out in the shelter of her front veranda for a long time, savouring the smell of the icy rain before turning back inside.

I debate following her in. temptation boiling with the ever present fury inside. There is so much for me to be angry with; but not with her, not now.

I start the car and take a different route. It's much longer but time isn't as important as stealth.

Before long, I find myself parked opposite his building, the rain calmer now but still thick down pour. Strangely this carries the same significants for me as so many operations before this.

Getting to his apartment is easy; it's a basic apartment building with minimal security. Probably something Daniel should have considered before choosing this building given the amount of classified material that makes it to his place.

I don't bother breaking in, I have a key, but I move slowly inside. He's in his bedroom I discover, pulling out fresh clothes to wear to bed, before he goes to the shower that I can hear in the background. He's probably letting it run to heat the pipes up a bit first.

I really don't understand why I'm here. My pulse seems to be masking any rational thought and I know I shouldn't be here. I have to turn back, and just pretend that I'd never come here; and yet I have to press forward.

I ease the door open, grateful it doesn't squeak as I enter his room. He's by his bed, back turned towards me, kicking his shoes off and unbuckling his belt. I don't hesitate.

I should, I really should, but I work with the precision I've been trained with. It takes one shot to his shoulder to take him down. He hits the bed and slides to the floor, shock mostly but sudden pain and the force of the impact helping him down. He's pooling blood by the time I finally move closer. He's known it was me, I can see it in his eyes. But he doesn't scream, doesn't beg, and doesn't try to reason with me. Any one would, he would too; but he doesn't.

His features show no shock, no hatred, and no fear; just compassion.

I should be panicking. I should be beside him putting pressure to his wound. I should be calling Janet.

Before any of that from my conscience and sense of reason, fights past the blind fury; I fire a second shot, a kill shot, between the eyes.

And then I collapse beside him, dropping the gun and pulling his warm but now lifeless body towards me.

His face still shows nothing other then compassion and my fingers tremble with remorse as I cling to his body.

"Daniel!"

I gasp opening my eyes as I shoot up right. I can barely breathe as short gasps struggle to break through my burning chest. Sweat covers my body; I can feel it mostly on my forehead and along my upper lip. I rub my eyes, wiping my mouth and forehead as I look around the room. It's my bedroom, thankfully.

Nightmares like that are enough for any man to question sanity.

I push my heavy covers away, grateful the extraordinarily realistic and frightening dream is over. And then I climb out of bed, straightening my shirt as I do. But then I pause suddenly as I see my hands and the blood smeared over them. I turn around to see my sheets, the pillow speckled with blood. Alarmed, I grab the phone hastily and start dialling.

The phone rings several times without answer until finally I hear his voice.

"Hi, this is Daniel Jackson, I'm not in and chances are I won't be back for a long time. But leave a message with a way to reach you, and hopefully I'll get back to you soon."

I throw the phone on the bed in frustration and sit on back heavily. I can't really have done this, can I?

I pick the phone up again and chance his mobile. It rings twice before I hear a cell phone tone nearby. It's close by towards the front of the house and I know it to be Daniel's. I hang up and it stops. Closing my eyes, I try to remember anything else…details about yesterday… things after being at Daniel's… did I grab his mobile? Did I take it here?

I push myself up and out in search of the phone. I just pass the front door when I hear it unlock and spin around as Sam steps inside. I freeze in panic trying to clue why she's here and then I see shock and concern in her eyes.

"Jack…" she gasps and I stare in confusion "…you're bleeding" she says pointing at my face in explanation and I close my eyes. It can't have been real.

"Sam, I think I've done something really, really stupid" I tell her finally as I step forward and she looks blankly at me, her hands trembling and her features lost.

"Jack, did you just try to call me?" Daniel asks as he steps into view, his eyes on his phone with a creased brow. At the very sight of him, I draw in a deep breath of relief.

"For crying out loud" I laugh stumbling backwards and resting against the wall behind me.

"Are you feeling alright?" Sam asks as Daniel looks towards me.

"What happened?" Daniel stares in confusion, allowing Sam to push past him, her eyes on me with the ever familiar face of concern. I cough, clearing my throat and frown.

"I uh…" I pause looking at Daniel "… had a strange dream"

"Did it involve you head butting your pillow?" Daniel jokes, closing the door behind him

"What are you talking about?" I ask as Sam sits down beside me, opening her handbag. She places her keys in first "Why didn't you guys knock?"

"We did" Daniel smiles "you didn't reply and we knew you were home…" he stops as he notices I'm not listening. The focus of my attention being Sam's hands as she pulls a small pack of tissues out of the little hand bag.

"What are you doing?" I ask her as she pulls one out of the pack and reaches towards my face.

"You have a blood nose Colonel" she tells me as she offers me the tissue, I take it and bring my hand up to my nose wiping away fresh blood.

"Oh" I realise before she pinches the fleshy part of my nose suddenly.

"Ah! Carter!" I manage trying to fight her off only to have her roll her eyes at me

"You stop the blood flow then" she scoffs and wipes her hand with a fresh tissue

"Oh. Sorry Carter…" I smile holding my nose "you just, surprised me"

"What'd you dream about?" Daniel yawnes, changing the topic as he wonders into the lounge room. Sam stays beside me, giving me a strange sympathetic look that I really shouldn't deserve. I should be sympathizing with her not the other way around. At the look of confusion on my face, she smiles shaking her head dismissively and then squeezes my hand. "Jack?" Daniel calls, sticking his head out from around the corner

"Huh?" I ask, sounding a lot more nasal then I would have liked

"Your dream…" he reminds me and I drop my head back against the wall

"It doesn't matter" I tell him, smiling at the way he groans and sits back down in the lounge room. I turn back to Sam who has stood up by now and is straightening her skirt. It's a nice blue one. It's lighter then any shade of blue I've seen on her before and the lace trim exposes her knees just above the high rising boots. My eyes travel upwards to her shirt; it's a long sleeved, white sweater; showing about an inch of navy elastic material underneath it at her hip. My guess is that it's a camisole she wears to bed.

"Why'd you two stop by?" I call out, the question is directed to Daniel but my eyes meet Sam's as I say it. She doesn't register this at first; she's looking at an old picture of Sarah I've managed not to take down.

"Actually…" Daniel speaks as he pushes up from his seat "we wanted to talk to you" he turns the corner again "it's about uh…" he pauses, looking to Sam, her eyes are on her hands now "well it's about me kissing Sam" he finishes and I close my eyes, regretting the question instantly.

"Me" Sam mutters and I look at her, confused

"Huh?" Daniel asks and she looks up at him

"I kissed you" she corrects him

"It doesn't matter who initiated it" he tells her looking back to me. This whole situation is one high up on the list of things to never repeat "what matters is that it didn't mean anything… to either of us" he looks to Sam, they share another sympathetic look and I can't help but groan and push up from the floor, still holding my nose.

"Sir…" Sam starts but I'm already shaking my head

"Whatever kids, I don't care" I tell them, hoping it didn't sound as bitter as it seemed to be.

"Jack" Daniel tries but my back is turned as I'm walking back to my bedroom. Foolishly, he's following me; but I hear Sam stop him, muttering some reason behind it. I sit on the edge of my bed waiting for him to win the silent dispute between, but after a while their voices become louder, enough to hear them clearly.

"There's no point!" she snaps at him, her voice still slightly hushed in an attempt to keep me from hearing.

"He's just going to sit in his room mounting his anger and shutting us out until…"

"Daniel!" she hisses "he doesn't want to talk to you" she insists "if anything, you're just pissing him off"

"Sam!" he snaps angrily, there's no real reason to it, he should know she's right "If we don't do something, he probably won't take the medication Janet prescribed"

"We don't know that." she retorts

"Come on! Sam!" he's not bothering to be quiet anymore but she goes quiet because of it. Her voice drops back to a whisper that I can only just barely make out.

"Go home Daniel" She tells him "I'll talk to him." the room is silent again but shortly afterwards, my front door slams and moments later a car drives away before the sound of Sam's heals, coming to find me, breaks the quiet.

I turn around, taking my hand off my nose now. She pauses at the door, leaning her palm against the frame as she peers inside, I bring my eyes up to hers and quirk my eyebrows at her.

"So?"

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