Unexpected Effect by Betty Bokor
Sam/Daniel. The ripple effect brought a few more consequences than first thought.
Spoilers: All seasons, including 9.
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

Unexpected Effect

Chapter 1

"Hey, Teal'c," Sam said as she stood in line at the cafeteria right behind her teammate.

"I believed you had left the base already," Teal'c said with surprise.

"Yeah, I know. I should have gone, but I wanted to finish my report before I left. I intend to enjoy our three days of stand-down without worrying about unfinished paperwork here. I also wanted to make sure that nobody came back. I hope the 'ripple effect' is finished."

"As do I."

They both walked toward a table at the end of the deserted room and sat down together.

"Did you get a chance to talk to any of the other Teal'cs?"

"Indeed."

"Wasn't it weird? I mean, it was very interesting to work with all the other Sams, but it was odd anyway."

"You had already been through that experience earlier."

"Yeah, that's true, but one 'other' you is not as strange as having more than a dozen. And I didn't get a chance to 'chat' with them. We were all concentrating in finding a solution to the problem." She sighed. "Did you find out anything interesting from your alternate guys?"

"I failed to see the point of engaging in conversation with myself." Sam couldn't avoid a smile at the seriousness of Teal'c's comment. "But DanielJackson told me that in the world of the first SG-1 that came through the gate, the Jaffa nation had been finally united under Bra'tac's leadership. I have been trying to convince him to accept such role among our brothers. He is one of the few jaffa who have always followed their principles. I probably would have never joined O'Neill if it had not been for the seed of rebellion against the Goa'uld that Bra'tac had planted in me during my training years."

"I've heard you talk about those times. I agree with you. I know I'm not as acquainted with him as you are, but I've been with him both during peace time and in battle, and I'd be honored to be under his leadership in either case."

"He would be a great leader for our people."

"Well, I hope he accepts and that the other jaffa agree with you about it."

"I will work for it as much as I work to unite our nation. Once we are one, we will be in a better position to help you face the Ori."

"You're right, Teal'c." Sam finished the sandwich she had been eating without too much enthusiasm and grabbed a spoon to start her dessert. She sighed again and ate a spoonful of jello.

"Is there anything bothering you, SamanthaCarter?"

"Not really. It's just that I would have liked to have a little more time with the last team that left."

"The one with Dr. Fraiser and Martouf."

"Yes. That one. I had a nice talk with Martouf. It brought up a lot of old feelings."

"Feelings for Martouf?"

"Yeah. You know, I've never been able to sort through that. I still don't know how much of those feelings are mine and how much belong to Jolinar. You see, I learned to accept my father with a Tok'ra inside, but the fact that he had someone else in him didn't actually affect me. He was still my dad and, as a matter of fact, having to share his body with Selmac softened his character in a positive way. He would have never reconciled with my brother without Selmac's influence."

"I see. But you don't feel the same way about Martouf and Lantash."

"No, I don't. I enjoyed being with Martouf, but I couldn't forget that Lantash was there. I tried to think of him as another person, but I always ended up remembering that he was a Goa'uld, a good one, but the same thing anyway."

"Nonetheless, you had feelings for both of them."

"Yes, and that's the problem. I'm pretty certain that the feelings for Lantash were all Jolinar's." She sighed one more time. "In any case, it doesn't really matter. They're both dead, and as Martouf said, it didn't even work in his reality."

"He told you as much?"

"Yeah. He said he left the Tok'ra and joined the Stargate Program to be near me. We even lived together for quite some time, but we ended up apart. He said I was with someone else now and Janet said I was on maternity leave." She sighed one more time.

"Have you considered the possibility of having your own children, Samantha?"

Sam was surprised by the appellative, but understood that these were personal matters and that Teal'c was asking as her friend. "I've been thinking a lot more about it lately. Since Pete, I mean. I decided he was not the right man, but I still wanted what he was offering."

"I see. Do you know who the right man is?"

"I thought I did for a while, but I'm lost now. I have no idea. I wish Janet or Martouf would have told me who it was in their reality. It looks like I got it right." Teal'c did not reply and Sam saw something in his expression that made her realize he knew. "You know! You know, Teal'c! Please, tell me, tell me who it is."

"Are you certain you wish me to tell you and that you do not want to try and find out who the right man is on your own?"

"Oh, please, Teal'c, I'm not going to run over to him and ask him to marry me."

"As you wish. In that reality you were DanielJackson's wife."

Sam almost spit out the piece of jello she had just ingested. "Daniel?" she said with a grin.

"You find it amusing, SamanthaCarter?"

The seriousness of Teal'c's tone sobered her up. "No, no, just unexpected. I guess that's why Janet looked at her Daniel before telling me about the maternity leave. For a while there I thought they had something going on."

"Did you expect it to be someone else?" Teal'c asked.

"No… Kind of. Maybe. I don't know. It took me by surprise."

"Were you thinking of General O'Neill?"

Sam stopped eating, put her spoon down and looked at her teammate. "Why would I think of him?"

"It would be a logical assumption."

"I don't think so."

"So, you did not think of him."

Sam hesitated and then relented. She almost whispered her next words. "Okay, I did. I thought it could have been him. It's happened before, you remember. I never thought of Daniel. I had other candidates in mind besides the general, but it never occurred to me it could be Daniel."

"I see. I believe you should refrain from informing DanielJackson of your assumptions."

"Why? He would not be offended. He would think it's funny." Sam went back to eating her dessert. Teal'c's look expressed clearly that he disagreed, but he said no more. He soon excused himself and left Sam alone.