Chapter 5
Daniel furrowed his brow in confusion as Sam went through her stash of goodies.
“You have popcorn?” he asked curiously.
Sam turned to face him, holding up a single bag of microwave popcorn and grinning.
Her grin faded as she noticed he was staring at her.
“What…?” she asked bewilderingly.
“You have popcorn?” he repeated, an amused smirk spreading across his face.
“Yes! What is so funny??” she demanded, giggling slightly.
Daniel raised his eyebrows nonchalantly.
“Oh, nothing. Not surprising that you’d have a microwave, but … microwave popcorn?” he replied in an amused tone.
“Why not? I always keep it here in case I’m too busy to head to the commissary when I feel like snacking on something.”
Daniel turned his back to her and snickered.
“Hey, at least it’s healthier than chocolate and coffee,” she shot back, raising an eyebrow.
Daniel whipped his head around, a mock look of surprise on his face.
“Ooh, good comeback, Captain Doctor,” he teased.
Sam grinned and nodded as she removed the popcorn bag from its plastic wrap and placed it inside the microwave oven.
Daniel made his way up to her as she was about to set the time on the oven.
“Sorry about that, I was just teasing,” he smiled shyly. “I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings or anything.” He shot her a worried expression.
“Are you kidding? No, you didn’t hurt my feelings, Daniel,” she giggled, almost affectionately.
“Good, I’m glad,” he said gratefully as he looked into her eyes.
“I have to admit, though, you’re being quite a snarky little bunny tonight, Daniel,” Sam grinned. “It almost makes me wonder if you’ve been hanging around Colonel O’Neill too much.”
“Oh, God,” Daniel groaned, a pained expression on his face. “I never thought I’d end up sounding just like Jack.”
Sam giggled.
“I was only kidding, Daniel. You could never be just like the Colonel. And I mean that in a good way,” she grinned naughtily.
“Well, that makes me feel a lot better,” Daniel chuckled. “It’s a good thing he can’t hear us.”
Sam nodded as she headed back to check on the popcorn.
“Nope, he’s settled in his humble abode watching some hockey game, I would imagine,” she answered as she made her way back to Daniel, popcorn ready and waiting in a Tupperware bowl.
“Sounds thrilling,” Daniel said dryly as he joined her on the couch. “I’d take ‘The Simpsons’ over that any day.”
“Likewise,” Sam grinned as she shoved a few kernels of popcorn into her mouth. She hit the remote and the TV flickered on. A promo advertised two upcoming episodes of the show.
“Wow, two episodes of ‘The Simpsons,’” Daniel said as he reached for the popcorn. “We lucked out.”
********************************************************************
“This one looks like a repeat,” Daniel said, as he munched on some popcorn.
Sam nodded.
“Yeah, I think it’s from three or four years ago.”
She and Daniel stared at the screen, dumbfounded, as they realized where the plot of the episode was going: to make money, Homer Simpson started a snow-plowing business and became known as “Mr. Plow.”
“Oh God, this is too weird,” Daniel deadpanned.
Sam turned her head, and grinned slightly at Daniel’s expression.
“I’ll say,” she agreed.
She turned back to the TV screen.
“This is one of my favorite episodes, though,” she added, reaching for the popcorn once again.
********************************************************************
“Boy, we could sure use Homer Simpson in a snow plow right about now,” Daniel sighed once the episode had ended.
“Oh, come on,” Sam grinned.
“Funny how life often imitates art, isn’t it?” he continued glumly.
“Lighten up, won’t you? It’s not the end of the world,” Sam giggled.
“I guess you’re right,” Daniel sighed.
He turned back to Sam with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
“Mister Plow/That’s my name/That name again is Mister Plow,” he sung, imitating Homer from the episode.
Sam blushed as he edged a bit closer to her.
“’Our forecast calls for flurries of passion followed by extended periods of gettin’ it on …” he grinned, repeating Homer’s line from the end of the episode, while tracing Sam’s face with his finger.
“Daniel!” Sam laughed.
Daniel grinned mischievously and attempted to tickle the side of her neck.
“Daniel, stop it!!” she laughed harder.
“Hmm, note to self: the Captain Doctor is ticklish,” he said cheekily as he mimed writing something on an imaginary pad of paper.
“Come on, that wasn’t fair!” she protested, still grinning.
“All’s fair in love and war, Doctor,” Daniel replied, waggling his eyebrows.
“What ‘war’?” Sam scoffed.
Daniel realized what he had said, and his cheeks flamed. He put his head down.
“Ah … never mind, I’m just being ridiculous,” he finally replied, as he looked up at Sam and smiled shyly.
She shook her head and grinned. She was glad that Daniel was starting to lighten up and relax a little. Hopefully he was making the best of the situation now.
“Oh, the next episode is starting,” she said, turning her attention back to the TV. “I think this one is a new episode.”
“Oh, good,” Daniel said softly as he turned back to the TV as well.
************************************************************
“That was a pretty good episode,” Sam said as she shut off the TV.
“Yeah, it had its moments,” Daniel agreed. “There were some pretty funny parts actually,” he grinned.
Sam looked at him expectantly.
“ … like when Milhouse’s parents first arrived, and his dad said, ‘Sorry we’re late, but Luann had to put on her face …’”
Sam grinned, amazed at Daniel’s near-perfect impersonation of Kirk Van Houten.
“’… she doesn’t want anyone to know that she has no eyebrows … well, you don’t!’”
Sam fell back on the couch, laughing.
“Those crooked eyebrows!! That was good!” she exclaimed.
Daniel chuckled.
“What about the scene when Homer visits him and he has that racing car bed?” Sam added once she had sobered up a bit.
Daniel looked at her expectantly.
“You know, when he tells Homer about the perks of living the single life. ‘I sleep in a racing car, how about you?’”
Daniel grinned and nodded at Sam’s good – though not quite as good as his – impersonation.
“And Homer answers, ‘I sleep in a big bed with my wife.’” Sam finished, giggling slightly.
Daniel’s grin faded, and his eyes drifted downward. He nodded slightly.
Sam’s brow furrowed in confusion as she looked at Daniel.
“Daniel?” she asked curiously. “Are you okay?”
Daniel didn’t look at her. He kept his eyes averted and nodded once again.
“I didn’t say something wrong, did I?” she asked, concerned.
“No,” Daniel barely whispered, shaking his head. His eyes appeared to glisten with unshed tears.
It was at that moment that Sam realized he was still pining for Sha’re, and her comment had only made it worse.
“Oh, geez, I’m such an idiot,” she said seriously as she sunk back into the couch.
She sighed and covered her face with her hands.
“Daniel …” she began, removing her hands from her face. “I am so stupid. Can you ever forgive me?”
She bit her lip worriedly as Daniel turned back to face her.
“No, Sam, you don’t need to apologize,” he assured her gently. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t be brooding like this.”
“What? Daniel, it’s been three weeks since Sha’re was captured. You have every right to be brooding.”
“Yeah, but not to this extent,” he sighed.
He stared at Sam as if he had more to say, and Sam raised her eyebrows as a signal for him to continue.
“I saw her in the shower, Sam,” he said quietly, averting his eyes.
Sam’s brow knitted in confusion.
“What?”
“In the shower,” Daniel repeated. “I … I was so cold and the water was so warm,
I felt like I was back on
Sam looked at him intently.
“She was exactly as she had been before she was taken … until something happened and she started to change.”
“Change?” Sam asked.
“She just started looking … different,” he continued, blushing faintly.
“Different how?” Sam asked curiously.
Daniel finally turned and faced her. He looked into her eyes and the corners of his mouth slightly lifted up into the faintest of smiles.
“She was just different … still beautiful, but very, very, different. And that’s about it.”
Sam looked at him pitifully.
“Daniel, we will find Sha’re. You know that, don’t you?” she asked gently as she began stroking his hair in a comforting gesture.
Daniel hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“Yes,” he finally answered. “You guys have been so supportive to me ever since this happened … Jack, even Tea’lc … and especially you, Sam. Thank you,” he smiled gratefully.
“Hey, what are friends for?” Sam smiled back and patted him gently on the shoulder.
Daniel smiled shyly and nodded before Sam embraced him in a hug.
***************************************************************
The clock on Sam’s VCR read 2100 hours.
“Wow, is that the time already?” Daniel suddenly intoned. “I guess I should head back to my office and finish that translation.” He moved to get off of the couch.
“Hey, you promised you’d leave that thing until tomorrow,” Sam retorted as she grabbed his arm.
“I did?” he asked.
“Come on, it’s time for ‘The X-Files,’” Sam grinned.
Daniel’s eyebrows shot up.
“That’s on now?”
“It is in here,” she answered.
Daniel’s brow knitted in confusion.
“We were still off world when the last episode aired, so I taped it,” she clarified.
“Oh,” Daniel nodded, realization appearing on his face.
Sam grinned as she popped a videotape into the VCR.
**************************************************************
“Damn, I can’t believe it was a repeat. I wasted a brand new blank tape for a repeat,” Sam said disappointedly.
“I don’t know. I like that episode,” Daniel said thoughtfully.
“Yeah, I guess it’s not a bad episode,” she shrugged. “Scully’s father looked awfully familiar.”
“Didn’t he?” Daniel suddenly remarked.
“Yeah. I can’t put my finger on it, but he looks like someone I know very well …”
“He looks like someone I know very well, too. Now I wonder why that is …?” Daniel continued with his brow furrowed in thought.
Sam shrugged.
“Damned if I know.”
Daniel nodded.
“Still is odd, though,” he mused.
Sam looked at him, and a huge grin spread across her face.
“What?” Daniel asked as he managed a slight grin.
“I was just thinking. We have practically the whole base to ourselves. No one is around, except for a few airmen on security detail. When was the last time you wanted to do something fun?”
“What are you suggesting, Sam?” Daniel asked amusedly, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, well, nothing in particular, I suppose,” she said innocently as she made her way to the other side of the room and picked up a pair of roller blades.
“What are you going to do with those?” Daniel asked naively.
Sam grinned.
“Have you ever roller-bladed, Daniel?”
Daniel felt his cheeks grow hot.
“Ah … no, I-I haven’t,” he stammered.
“Oh, come on!” Sam exclaimed, surprised. “Never?”
“I never really had time to do anything fun,” he said regrettably.
Sam looked at him pitifully.
“I’ll teach you, then,” she smiled. “There’s really nothing to it. Have you ever gone ice-skating?”
“Uh … a few times, I think, back when I was in college,” he nodded.
“This isn’t much different,” she said, reassuringly.
“One small problem: where are you going to get an extra pair of skates?” Daniel asked her as he furrowed his brow in confusion.
“Problem solved,” she replied. “Colonel O’Neill has a pair.”
“Jack?” Daniel asked, almost incredulously.
“Yeah, he has a pair in his office, leaning up against his closet. You never saw them?”
Daniel shook his head. He looked at Sam amusedly.
“Jack roller-blades??” he snickered.
Sam shrugged.
“I’ll go get them,” she said as she made her way out of the room.
Five minutes later, she returned with Jack’s roller blades in tow.
“Here, try them on,” she told Daniel as she set them in front of him.
Daniel slipped the skates on, surprised that they seemed to fit pretty well. Sam laced her skates up and took Daniel’s arm.
“Okay, let’s go,” she coaxed him as they made their way toward the corridor.
*******************************************************************
Daniel held on to Sam for support as they slowly made their way down the corridor.
“See? It’s not that different from ice-skating,” she told him.
“No, it doesn’t seem to be. I haven’t been ice-skating in almost ten years, though,” he answered.
Sam smiled.
“Okay, once more down this corridor and then you can try it without holding on to me,” she said.
“I think I’d rather hold on to you,” he said a bit fearfully.
“Don’t worry, you’ll have it down in no time,” she reassured him.
*******************************************************************
Half an hour later, Daniel and Sam were skating down the corridors of the SGC at a pretty good clip. Daniel seemed to have gained confidence and was no longer holding on to Sam.
“See, didn’t I tell you you’d have it down in no time?” she exclaimed.
“I honestly didn’t think it would be that easy to pick up,” Daniel remarked once they slowed to a stop near the commissary.
“It’s not, Daniel. You’re just a quick learner,” Sam smiled.
Daniel shrugged innocently and lowered his head. He flinched somewhat as Sam touched his arm. He looked back up at her and saw that she was grinning impishly at him.
“I’ll race ya,” she said before turning around and racing down the corridor past him.
Daniel grinned as he set off to pursue her. He almost didn’t want to admit it, but he was having a lot of fun. Sam had picked up his spirits, and he felt he owed her for that.
In due time, he caught up to Sam, and actually managed to pass her. A look of surprise appeared on Sam’s face as she saw Daniel passing her. She was glad that he seemed to be having fun, and she hastened to catch up to him.
“I won!!” Daniel yelled triumphantly as he stopped right in front of Sam’s office. Sam smiled and shook her head as she noticed the huge grin plastered on Daniel’s face. Yes, she had done her job, and he was enjoying himself.
“Hey, you wouldn’t have done it without me,” she teased. “Who taught you how to roller-blade in the first place?”
“Ah, I guess you’re right. So, it’s not a true victory, then?” he asked, giving her a sad puppy-dog face.
Sam shook her head and giggled.
“No, but you started off stumbling and having to hold on to me every step of the way. A half hour later and you were racing me down the corridor. I have to give you some credit for that,” she winked.
“Gee, thanks,” Daniel chuckled.
Sam patted him on the shoulder and smiled.
Suddenly, he uttered a little yawn and put his hand to his mouth. Sam looked down at her watch and her jaw nearly dropped.
“Oh my God, it’s almost 2300 hours,” she remarked.
Daniel’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“
Daniel’s eyes widened.
“I don’t know about you, but I think I’m going to turn in,” he finally said.
Sam nodded.
“Yeah, I’m starting to get tired. I think I’ll kick back and do a little reading,” she said.
“Sounds like a plan,” Daniel smiled faintly. “I might work on that translation a bit before I head back to my quarters.”
Sam looked at him sternly.
“Promise me you won’t work too hard,” she said seriously.
“Only if you won’t,” he replied, his eyes twinkling. He knew that she had a few unfinished projects, and had a penchant for working well into the night.
“Okay,” she sighed.
Daniel smiled and nodded as he picked up his boots, which were lying up against the wall next to Sam’s door.
“Well, guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” he said awkwardly before turning to head in the direction of his office.
Sam nodded. “’Night, Daniel.”
Daniel turned back to look at her.
“Goodnight, Sam,” he said softly.
Sam smiled and headed back into her office. She shut the door behind her and removed her skates before settling back on her couch with the latest issue of Astrophysics and Space Science.
Fifteen minutes went by, and Sam noticed that the temperature in the room started to drop a bit. Her brow knitted as she searched the room for something to cover herself with. She grabbed her coat, put it on over her BDU jacket, and settled back down to read. She hoped it wouldn’t get much colder as the night wore on …