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Sam sat cross legged on her neatly made bed, looking at photographs of her and Daniel together at different times before his ascension. she carefully placed her favourites beside her, placing the others underneath the book she’d been trying to read but couldn’t concentrate on.
Letting the last photograph fall from her grasp, she carefully removed the necklace with Daniel's wedding ring on it from inside her t-shirt. Janet had given it to her for safe keeping while she kept a vigil at Daniel's bedside as he succumbed to the effects of the radiation poisoning.
Janet placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder while she sat beside Daniel quietly talking to him. “Sam, honey,” Janet started, “I found something in his pack. It’s the only item of his that hadn’t come into contact with the radiation.”
Briefly glancing away from her stricken teammate. Sam asked, “What is it?”
Janet fished in her pocket, retrieving a wedding ring, placing it in Sam’s open hand. “I think that you should hold on to this.” she didn’t need to confirm that she knew one of the worst kept secrets on the base.
Taking the piece of jewellery from the doctor, Sam examined the inscription a brief smile flickering across her lips. “It’s the gate address for the planet where we got married.” she looked at the item again “I can’t wear it though, it wouldn’t feel right to keep a piece of him when he’s not going to be here.”
Sam glanced at the ring, fresh tears threatening to fall when a knock at the door brought her out of her grief. “Who is it?” she called out, hoping that she didn’t sound upset or like she’d been crying.
Daniel slowly opened the door. “It’s me,” he shyly replied, hesitating for a moment he took in her appearance before entering and closing the door behind him. “Can’t sleep?” he asked.
“No, I tried. What are you here?”
“I’ve just been chatting with Teal’c.” he paused, “he told me that I should be talking to you. Whenever I close my eyes I get these glimpses into a life and I don’t know if it’s mine or someone else’s.”
“Glimpses,” Sam queried, curious to find out where this conversation was leading.
Clearing his throat Daniel started, “There’s a woman with blonde hair and we’re in a house that I don’t recognise, we’re laughing, spending time with a child.” he looked at her for some confirmation that she knew what he was revealing to her. “There’s also a lot of touching and kissing, sitting on the back porch late a night looking up at the stars.”
“It’s our house,” she stated retrieving a photo of a recently built house, Sam passed it to him. “We bought the house when we got engaged, Cassie stayed over most weekends when we were on Earth.”
“Janet’s daughter?” he asked, hoping he hadn’t miss-remembered something as important as that. Sam nodded, confirming that he was correct. “Engaged? So you and I weren’t just some short lived summer fling.”
“Married, actually,” Sam whispered as she wiped threatening tears away with the side of her hands. “Sorry, this is hard.”
Reaching out, Daniel placed a hand on top of hers, “Do you want me to go?”
“Stay.” Fiddling with the necklace she was looking at earlier, Sam opened the clasp to remove it, laying it on the bed giving him the option to take it back. “No we weren't. That's your wedding ring, Janet gave it to me for safe keeping when you…” she sobbed unable to finish her sentence.
Daniel leaned across wrapping his arms around her, holding her close as her tears fell. “
Gradually withdrawing from the embrace, Sam said, “You once told me that nothing is static when it comes to emotions. It wasn’t until I lost you that I began to understand what you meant by it.”
Picking up the ring, Daniel looked at the inscription. “Is that a gate address?”
“Yes. I could ask the General if we can go back for you to see the planet where we got married.”
“I’d like that,” Daniel placed the ring on his left hand, holding it up to admire it. He moved his hand when Sam slightly shook her head. “What?”
“It’s nothing,” Sam chuckled. “You used to do that all of the time.”
Stifling a yawn Daniel got up to leave. “Stay,” Sam insisted.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am,” she replied, just let me put the photos and books away first. I wasn’t expecting any visitors tonight.