Page 14
* * * * * *
Janet just stood in the doorway for a moment and then turned and shut the door.
Turning around after she'd locked it, she made her way to the sweetest man she'd ever had the privilege of knowing.
Part of her cautioned that she should leave; that he would probably be embarrassed at being seen like this, but the rest of her knew he needed to feel secure enough to fully release his feelings.
Jack O'Neill was probably the
one person she knew for sure could get Daniel through this, but at the same time, Jack was the one person Daniel most wanted to respect him.
A double-edged blade.
So maybe, just maybe, he'd let her pay him back for being
there each time she'd needed a good cry and Sam wasn't available.
Janet pulled up a folded chair from behind the new bookcase she and Sam had sprung for as a late birthday gift and sat down next to Daniel.
Putting her arms around him, she laid down her head and let her own tears fall.
Daniel didn't stir for another 15 minutes and then slowly sat up, sniffling a bit.
His bleary eyes fastened on Janet and he smiled his gratitude
to her and wrapped his arms around her so she'd be more comfortable.
They just stayed like that until both were silent and their grief had truly lessened.
Daniel opened his eyes and wiped away the tears.
He then went rigid in surprise.
Sam, a tear or two showing in her eye, was standing beside Janet, stroking her hair.
He couldn't hear what she said, but her distress was evident in the way her chin trembled.
Janet reacted
to his stiffness by sitting back, confusion shining in her reddened eyes.
She then followed his gaze to a point behind her and saw nothing.
But her nothing was apparently something incredible to him.
Then, she heard it.
Sam's voice.
Saying things she knew and things she didn't.
Some were to her, some were to Daniel.
Janet's eyes widened and she shook Daniel lightly, thinking she might be going slightly insane.
His eyes were fixed and nothing she said would snap him out of it.
The thought that maybe he was looking at Sam convinced her she was going nuts.
She had been here long enough.
Daniel knew Janet couldn't see Sam.
He
also knew he should let her know it was okay, but he didn't want to lie to Janet.
Even more, he didn't want to be labeled as the person who sees dead people.
He knew it was really Sam, but he couldn't figure out how it could be her.
He was startled when Janet pulled away and stood.
She leaned down and hugged him tightly, lightly brushing her lips in his hair as she pulled back.
"I need to go. The Colonel was giving the staff a hard time when I ducked out and none of them are going to forgive me for abandoning them to his attitude."
Daniel smiled.
"Now you know why I didn't volunteer to accompany him and Teal'c."
Janet smiled back.
"If you need anything, you know I'm here."
Daniel nodded.
"Same here."
"I know."
Janet picked up the files she'd laid down and slowly walked to the door.
"You know...I probably shouldn't say this, but I could
almost swear I can hear her talking to me."
With that, Janet left.
Daniel sat very still as his mind began pouring over possibilities.
What if Sam wasn't really dead?
His parents had died right in front of him and with or without his glasses he hadn't seen them, so why could he see Sam?
What if she'd somehow been taken from her body, but not the same way the truly dead were?
Even if
that were true, what good would that do since her body was pretty much out of commission.
He watched Sam walk up to him.
She fuzzed a bit at the edges, as if she was blurring a bit, but other than that, she was completely
solid to him.
He watched her reach out toward a pen laying on his desk and try to rock it.
It didn't budge.
She caught her bottom lip in her teeth, obviously frustrated.
It hit him.
She was trying to write down what she wanted to say since he couldn't hear her.
Except...Janet had heard her.
Well...maybe she had.
Lots of people claim to hear the dead...
What if it's not hype?
What if it is and you're losing you mind?
More importantly, do you tell Jack or Teal'c?
No...at least, not for now.
What if you'll only see her for a short time?
Daniel's mind slowed to a stop.
He stood and walked to Sam.
He reached out and traced her brow.
He didn't feel it.
He was going on sight alone, but it was obvious she could feel it as tears he also couldn't catch fell down her cheeks.
The heaviest weight on his heart lifted.
It wasn't the same, it would probably never be the same, but it was more than he'd had a moment before.
* * * * * *
Sam couldn't help crying as Daniel's finger traced her face, as if memorizing it in case she disappeared again. * * * * * *
Well, now she knew.
Daniel could see her, at least for now, and Janet could hear her...maybe...hopefully.
Now to just get the two of them together.
Then some real communication could happen.
Strange that Janet could hear her, though.
She hadn't been with Sam when she'd died.
On the other hand, she was Sam's best friend besides Daniel.
Maybe that friendship had created a link with the two of them.
Sam wondered who else was able to communicate with her in one form or another.
Both the
Colonel...oops...Jack, still hard to think of him that way...and Teal'c were close to her in different ways.
Oh well, only experimentation would reveal all.
Her attention was caught by a fire in Daniel's eyes as he obviously
had a revelation.
Humor twinkled back at him from her eyes as he turned to the computer and began calling up different files and connecting to the net.
Realization set in as sign language after sign language flashed on the screen.
Okay, they could learn one together and they'd be able to slowly communicate.
Good idea.
She grinned at him, glad to see most of the sadness in
his eyes replaced with happy concentration.
He had a puzzle to solve.
This was where they thrived, the two of them.
They'd figure this out.
Story, graphics, and extra characters are © 1999-2000 StoneGarnets/Garnet Hyneman. Guestbook by Xoom. SG-1 and established canon characters are © MGM, etc...This is a non-profit fansite.
