<< Previous | Story Intro | Return to Stories | Next >>

Janet cleared both teams in record time, teasing Daniel about his inability to remain still while she checked him over. Laughed when he rolled his eyes impatiently and explained that he needed to get a flight booked before all of the seats on the early flights were taken.

The debriefing was thankfully short. The designation for the planet was put on the "Do not call" list, which meant that it was dangerous. Daniel explained to the general how he managed to secure SG-1's release, although he didn't mention that the tobacco in the pipe was marijuana. Neither did any of the men of SG-3.

After thirty minutes, General Hammond instructed them to write up their reports, and dismissed them all. Then he called Daniel into his office.

"Yes, sir?" Daniel asked, leaning against the doorframe.

General Hammond looked at him, decided that it wasn't necessary for the young man to sit down. When Daniel heard what he had to say, chances were he wouldn't remain seated anyway. "Ms. Webster called me last night."

"Yes, sir, I told her to do so. I wanted you to be aware of the situation in case she needed help."

The general nodded. "Yes, I know. Son, she called me last night."

The meaning of the statement finally filtered through. "Oh, god! Is she okay? Did that bastard hurt her?" He was in the room, his hands gripping the edge of the desk tightly.

The older man smiled. "She's fine, Doctor Jackson. Very level headed young lady. She called me as soon as he showed up. I had her call 9-1-1, and let them know that she's under our protection. She said the police arrived promptly, before this man was able to get through the door. She agreed to press charges of harassment."

Daniel nodded. "She's okay?"

"She's fine, Daniel," General Hammond said gently. "I'm very anxious to meet this young woman. Especially since she was aware something was wrong before we were. We were only aware that SG-1 was late for check-in."

"Well, sir, if the team hadn't gone without me, they might have avoided the entire thing," Daniel pointed out somewhat petulantly. Jack had been the one to insist that he go to Tacoma, and almost as soon as he was on a plane the older man was taking the team out on a mission! If SG-1 had remained on the base, as they'd been scheduled to do, he'd have been there to deal personally with the "Kenny' problem!

General Hammond grinned. "Something of which I intend to remind Colonel O'Neill."

Daniel grinned in return. "Is that all, sir?"

"Yes, it is."

Daniel nodded, then left the general's office, almost running down the corridor toward the elevator, and his office. He raced into the room, flipped on the light, dropped onto the chair and turned on his computer. "Come on, come on, come on," he muttered, waiting for it to boot and go through the required virus check.

"So, Daniel, are you going to work this afternoon?" Sam asked, grinning as she walked in, leaning against a worktable covered with artifacts.

"Maybe." His attention was on the screen in front of him. Expedia. Okay, first flight out…wait…was she ready? He picked up the phone, dialed the number he'd already memorized.

Fifteen hundred miles away the phone rang in a tiny apartment. "Hello?"

Daniel grinned. "Hi, Angel. I love you."

"Daniel! Oh, I love you, too!" Her heart was pounding against her ribs at the sound of his voice. She dropped down onto the couch, pulled her knees to her chin, wrapped one arm around her legs.

He closed his eyes, let the sound of her sweet voice wash over him. "Are you ready to come to Denver?"

"I was ready before you left," she replied.

"Okay, I can get you on a flight first thing in the morning." His fingers hovered over the key for the five-thirty a.m. flight. No, she'd have to get up too early, she'd be too tired when she finally arrived. "Can you get to SeaTac by six-forty? There's a flight that leaves at seven-forty."

"Not a problem," she replied.

He hit the button. "Okay, Angel, I have you booked on Alaska Airlines. Flight 588. First class."

"Oh, Daniel, I don't have to fly first class!"

"I want you to. You'll be more comfortable. Have you picked up the rings yet?"

"Not yet. It's not quite ten here," she replied.

"What about your things? Did Walter take care of that?"

She smiled. It had taken her less than two hours to pack everything that wasn't going in her duffel and garment bag, and what little she had in the apartment. "Everything is packed and ready. A truck from the Air Force is supposed to be here Friday. Kelley was already planning on taking the day off to be here when they come, I hope she won't mind me not being here!"

"She won't," he said, not actually caring whether or not her roommate…former roommate, he reminded himself gleefully…would be upset.

"Everything is okay now," she said softly. "You saved them."

He grinned. "Yeah, I did."

"I knew you would."

He glanced up to see that Jack and Teal'c had joined Sam by the worktable. "I can't wait to see you, Angel," he said softly, turning his chair so that his back was to them.

"I can't wait, either. Which is really silly, I mean, we don't have a choice do we? I won't like waiting, but there's nothing else I can do!" she said.

He chuckled. "I have to go, I have some work to get done."

"I understand. What time will I be in Denver?"

"Eleven-sixteen. Just go to the counter and give your name, show your ID when you check in. They'll have the ticket there for you."

"Okay. Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"You'll be picking me up, won't you?"

"Oh, yeah, Angel. I'll be there to pick you up."

In the apartment Casey cocked her head to the side. "Bring them along," she said.

"Who?" He had no intention of bringing anybody, because he was reserving a hotel room as soon as he hung up. They were going straight from the airport to bed!

"Your friends. We can have lunch together, and then drive to Silver Springs."

Was she nuts? Was she trying to drive him insane? "I…uh…thought I'd get a room there in Denver," he said quietly. He had to smile when she giggled.

"I like that idea. But your friends could still come along. We could have lunch, and then they could go to a movie or something," she suggested.

"We'll see," he replied.

"Okay. I love you."

"Love you, too, Angel. Call me before you get on the plane."

"I will, I promise."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye." He put the receiver back on the cradle, finished making the purchase for the ticket, carefully typing in his credit card number. He found a hotel nearby, booked a room for the night. Looked up at his friends again. "She wants you to go with me," he said. "I'm getting a room," he added, his meaning quite clear.

Jack, Sam, and Teal'c exchanged glances. "Tell ya what. Carter and Teal'c can ride with me. If she gets in around noon, we'll do lunch, and then we'll just head back here, sound good?" Jack asked, looking at the man and woman standing next to him.

"Sounds good to me. I'm anxious to meet her," Sam said.

"As am I," Teal'c said. "It will be an honor to meet the woman who has put such happiness in your eyes, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel grinned. "Thanks, Teal'c."

The large black man bowed his head slightly.

"Is there something you guys wanted?" Daniel asked.

"Nope. Just…dropped in to say hi," Jack replied. Hands in his pockets, he turned and walked toward the elevator. Teal'c was right. He hadn't seen Daniel this happy since the night they'd that feast with the Abydonians, just before Apophis came through the 'gate in that temple and took Sha're and Skaara. The man had suffered long enough. He deserved to be happy!

Teal'c followed Jack, agreeing to go down to the commissary with him. He was hungry, they were all hungry! No doubt Major Carter and Daniel Jackson would join them soon.

Sam stepped closer to his desk. "So, you're really happy?"

Daniel looked up at the woman he'd worked with, closely, for five years. The woman who was a best friend and an older sister and a mother hen all rolled into one. "I'm really happy."

"Look, I know it isn't any of my business…" she started, perching on the corner of his desk.

"No, it's not," he replied, although he was smiling. "But that won't stop you."

Sam batted playfully at his shoulder. "It's happening awfully fast, isn't it? I mean you get there on Monday, spend the night with her, propose on Tuesday…that's fast, Daniel."

He sat back in his chair, frowned slightly. "I don't know if I can explain it, Sam. She opened that door, and I knew. I don't know how, but I did. She read the letter that the Casey from that alternate reality wrote for her. Invited me in. Made a pot of coffee. Damn good coffee, too," he grinned. Sam suffered the same caffeine addiction that he…and Casey...did. "We talked. I asked her to have dinner with me. I kissed her…I have never experienced anything like that before. It was like…like being hit with a few thousand volts of electricity, only…pleasant…very pleasant. I couldn't leave her…I had to have her with me. It was like…if I let her out of my sight, she'd disappear - just vanish into thin air."

Sam nodded.

Daniel looked up at his friend, knew that as a woman Sam would understand what he was about to say, more than Jack did. "She was a virgin, Sam. She came to my bed willingly…eagerly. And gave me everything she had. It was the most incredible experience of my life. Beautiful. Special. Sacred."

Her eyes went wide. "So, did she feel this…whatever it is…as well?"

He nodded. "It's like a connection. It's so incredible. And yeah, she felt it too. She said that it was as if our hearts had been reaching out to - searching for - one another, and that once we had found each other, were tired of waiting. That's exactly how it felt!"

"I'm glad you're happy, Daniel," Sam said softly. She stood to leave.

He caught her hand. "Have you and Jack talked to General Hammond?"

The blush that rose over her cheeks was fairly uncharacteristic for Sam. "Yeah, we talked to him."

"And?"

She shrugged. "We're waiting to hear from the president on the matter."

"And if he approves?"

Another shrug. "I guess we'll just see where…and how…it goes," she replied.

"Is there…is something wrong between you two?"

She shook her head. "No. Not really. It's just the waiting. Can we be together, can we not? I think we're both bracing ourselves for a negative response, trying to put distance between us."

"I understand. It will work out."

"I hope so."

He watched her leave. Decided that he'd talk to General Hammond as well. Then settled down to work on the half dozen translations that needed to be finished for upcoming missions.

<< Previous | Story Intro | Return to Stories | Next >>