Danny and Sam only spoke about Jack a few times after that day. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell her that Jack had come to visit him so he never got to tell her about the kiss either, which probably wasn't a bad thing under the circumstances. Sam was a bit down for what remained of the summer, but once it was time to really start thinking about getting packed up to head off to school she seemed to pick up a bit, like she could actually see that what happened with Jack wasn't the end of the world, and her life was really only just beginning, though as far as Danny could tell boys weren't factoring too highly into that life.

There was a horn beeping outside and Danny rushed out to see General Carter and Sam all packed up ready to drive to Colorado to the Academy.

He walked over to her and they pulled each other into a hug.

"I'm gonna miss you Danny," Sam whispered.

"Me too honey," he replied.

"Sam come on we have to get going," Jacob called.

They broke apart and Danny gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "I love you Sam." He breathed a heavy sigh and smiled as best he could feeling for all the world like he was losing his best friend forever. "You knock em dead at that stuffy old Academy," he said.

She smiled. "I love you too Danny, and I'll sure try."

"No trying Sam! Doing, remember? You're gonna show em something they've never seen before."

They shared one more quick hug and Sam jumped in the car, Danny watching all the way up street until the car went out of sight.

Danny tried to call Jack a few months later, just to let him know that he was okay and that Colonel Hammond was getting stationed to Germany to a command position, complete with a shiny new promotion to Brigadier General. But probably the main thing he wanted him to know was that he was staying behind and going to Stanford because they had such a great archaeology department, and as much as he loved George and was grateful for what he'd done for him these last years he'd decided to start using his real parents name again, so if Jack ever tried to get in touch with him he'd never find Danny Hammond, he'd have to look for Daniel Jackson. But it turned out he wasn't at the number he gave Danny anymore, which wasn't unusual in the military, but when he contacted the Air Force they said that they were not at liberty to give out any information on Major O'Neill and that for the foreseeable future he was not contactable.

Daniel replaced the receiver and just stood for a moment wondering what was going on with Jack and hoping that he was okay.

"Daniel, come on we're going to be late," his friend Sarah said pulling him away from the phone and his thoughts. He smiled at her letting her drag him along and thought for the first time himself that maybe there really was life after Jack O'Neill.

xxxxxxx

A/N

hope you enjoyed :-)