Daniel rounded the corner, "Sam? Are you in there Sam?" Daniel called from the outside of the locker room.

"Go away" she snapped.

"Nice try Sam, I'm coming in, cover up" Daniel barged in, "Ok I want to know the truth, what really happened?"

"I don't know what you mean Daniel" Sam sobbed, jerking her head towards the toilet door.

"What did he do this time then? All I'm hearing all over base is that you were seen running from his office in tears" Daniel crossed to her, "What happened?"

"We had a fight" Sam sobbed, "He was so angry Daniel" Sam let herself be pulled into his embrace, "There's someone in the toilets" she whispered.

"I figured" he replied, "Come on I'm going to take you for lunch" Daniel walked Sam to the door, opened it and let it slam shut. Shuffling silently into a shower cubicle Sam and Daniel waited.

A few moments later a nurse was seen scurrying from the locker room, "I told you someone was in here"

"Ok they've gone now, what really happened?"

"He's retiring" Sam sighed, "I couldn't talk him out of it"

"He can't, the base needs him too much" Daniel protested.

"That's what I said, then he said that the base has been run by a civilian before, only this time he'll be the civilian"

"Why is he doing this?" Daniel pondered aloud.

"He wants to marry me Daniel, we…umm…he needs to do it before someone figures out what we did" Sam blushed.

"You didn't" Daniel laughed, "Well that does make sense, but absolutely gross"

Daniel shuddered causing Sam to laugh, "You can't tell anyone, he wants to do it tomorrow, and in a few days return as the civilian leader"

"OK I won't tell anyone" Daniel sat back against the dry shower wall; "Come here" Daniel gave her a hug. "So he want's to marry the smartest girl on base? Maybe he thinks having you around will make him smarter" Daniel chuckled.

"Maybe, I love him though" Sam sighed resting against Daniel's chest, "I want him to do this so we can be together, but then I don't because he is such a great soldier"

"He will still be a great soldier Sam; he will always be a great soldier. Any man and woman on this base will still risk everything to save him, which has been proven time and time again. Just think of why he is doing this Sam. He wants to have you; he is willingly to do anything to have this; what you two have"

Daniel involuntarily sighed when Sam snuggled closer, "Why did you never go after me?" Sam asked.

"I spent a lot of the time grieving for Shar're" Daniel replied, "Besides, if I did, would we have what we have now?"

Sam shook her head, "I prefer what we have" she whispered, "You, Jack and Teal'c are the three most important men in my life now"

Daniel kissed the top of her head, "You will always be the most important, well after Sasha; maybe equal" Daniel had gotten himself confused, "You're important to me Sam, both you and Jack are. Jack and Teal'c are the best friends everyone wants but never gets. I got the soldier and the alien! To top it off I got the most beautiful, smartest woman as a best friend too; something I know even the archaeologists that doubted me would be envious of. I can get this close to a stunning woman, and not get burnt"

Daniel felt Sam's lips against his, "I love you Daniel, you're the only one here who gets me, scientifically and everything else" Sam blushed, "I'm lucky to have the people I have in my life"

Daniel felt an overwhelming sense of protection, "I'll always be there for you Sam, whether you and Jack last or Sasha and I do; I'll always be here for you" he returned her kiss, "The only woman in the world I can kiss and it not be seen as romantic"

Sam beamed up at him, "It's refreshing…hey Daniel?"

"Yea Sam"

"Can we stay here for a bit, I don't think I can take the sympathetic looks everyone will give me"

"Sure Sam" Daniel tightened his grip on her and they relaxed against the wall of the shower, "As long as no one turns on the shower"

"It's a broken cubicle" Sam giggled, "No chance"

A51A51A51A51

Sasha knocked on Jack's door, "Can I come in General?"

"Sure Jennings" Jack smiled at her, "What can I do for you?"

Sasha closed the door, "It's personal"

"Ah, shouldn't you talk to Sam about those things?"

"It's about Sam…and Daniel" Sasha sighed sitting in front of his desk.

"Ah, I should have known this would come, you've nothing to fear with Sam and Daniel" Jack smiled, "Those two are thicker than thieves and always have been. He is her best friend and visa versa"

"I thought you and Teal'c were his best friends"

"Well yea Danny Boy and I are close, but Sam and Daniel are closer, they share the same interests; know the same stuff, they are just generally closer. You honestly have nothing to fear" Jack chuckled, "Look those two are like twin siblings, nothing is closer then they are, not even Sam and I are as close as Sam and Daniel. They've never have romantic feelings for each other; sure they kiss; hug; sometimes they will share a bed, but that's all it is. They trust each other and I don't mean that 'I've got your back, you've got mine'. I mean the deep, 'I will save you from the pit of hell if I have to' trust."

"So I can never get as close to him as Sam is?" Sasha asked.

"I don't think so, don't get hurt or anything; I've never found it to be a problem, they don't flaunt it. It's something they do when they've got time to themselves" Jack smiled at Sasha. "It's like when Teal'c teaches me Keel'no'reem; it's just me and him, no one is closer to Teal'c then I am and that doesn't bother Sam and Daniel because they have each other. Do you understand?"

"I think so, I'm just worried of being jealous if I find them in a compromising situation" Sasha sighed.

"A compromising situation?" Jack laughed, "OK, this is how much you don't have to worry. We had a team night and Sam and Daniel ended up sleeping together; when Teal'c and I found them, they were curled up in each others arms in the shower. They were in their underwear and everything, but they were just sleeping" Jack laughed, "I've got pictures around here somewhere" he began shuffling through the draws, "Ah, here they are" Jack handed Sasha the pictures, "We call them the Sam and Daniel Files"

Sasha shuffled through the photos, there was the one Jack mentioned; another one on a couch somewhere; they were around the campfire. Sasha let out a sob when she saw one of them kissing.

Jack looked at her, "What's the matter?" Sasha held up the photo, "Oh that one, it looks worse then it actually was. I dared them to kiss while Teal'c took the photo, the next ones are just quick kisses"

And they were, the album showed Sasha just how close Sam and Daniel were; they posed for photos; they were kissing in some; hugging in others. In one they were surrounded by kids, "Sam's nieces and nephews" Jack smiled, "Cute kids".

There was a knock at the door, "General have you seen Colonel Carter? No one has seen her since she left the woman's locker room, Doctor Jackson was with her"

Jack smiled, "I know where she is, leave them" Jack replied. "Come on Jennings, you might need this, it'll help to see there's no threat"

"No threat sir?" Walter asked.

"Carter and Jackson" Jack replied.

"Oh no, nothing to fear there ma'am; Everyone thought they were going out a few years back, but it turned out that they we're just really close; it's been the same since" Walter smiled, "Completely platonic"

"Thank you Walter, I'll go get them" Jack walked out, "Jennings, you're with me"

Jack made his way to the women's change rooms and showers. Opening the door he let Sasha in first, "OK now which one was it?" Jack asked himself. Walking down the row of showers he stopped and grinned, "Sasha, found them"

Sasha came up beside Jack, he opened the cubicle door. There were Sam and Daniel asleep; Daniel's arms were around Sam as she had snuggled into him. "Get Teal'c tell him to bring his camera, quietly" Jack closed the door quietly and sat waiting for Sasha and Teal'c.

They didn't take as long as he thought they would, "I was told to bring the camera, is something wrong?" Teal'c asked.

"Nope" Jack opened the cubicle again; "Take a snapshot" Jack grinned.

Teal'c smiled, taking the photo, two for good measure. The three left the locker room, "That is why you have nothing to fear, Sam and Daniel steal time to talk, catch up and sleep" Jack told Sasha.

"I think I can handle that" Sasha began.

"You will be able to soon, it takes a bit of getting used to"

A/N: I'm ending that here for now…I liked exploring the Sam/Daniel side of things, I might explore that a bit more with another fic…maybe centred around them after Jack leaves…what do you think?

Fyre-Anjel