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Title: Call Me Sam

Excerpt:

He's screaming for me, I can hear him, it's too late, he's gone, he's calling my name. "Jack! Sam! Teal'c!" Fire too hot, we're too late. "Jack! Sam! Teal'c!" Way too hot to handle. This is all too much. He was just beginning to think he could trust me and... he's gone. He called me Sam.

You used to call me Sam.

"How sure were you, really?" Captain. Call me Sam. Doctor. Call me Sam. I can confide in you. "How sure were you, really?" You aren't military; you won't tell anyone. I disobeyed a direct order. "How sure were you, really?" I can't explain. I just knew.

You used to call me Sam.

What's wrong with Colonel O'Neill? I missed him. "I just don't think he was expecting to go home again." Oh right... of course--how do you know? Oh. "He just didn't expect to go home again." And I've been missing him like a lovesick schoolgirl and he knows. "I just don't think he was expecting to go home again." He knew. And the Colonel calls me Carter, but he called me Sam.

You used to call me Sam.

What did you see? "It's not really important." He won't tell me. What did he do to me in his daylong sleep? "It's not really important." Or what did I do to him? What did I say? What went wrong between us, if it was about us? What is there in Daniel's mind that he won't tell me about?

Title: Home

Excerpt:

After missions, it was common for SG1 to meet for drinks at someone’s home – at other times, bars were all right, but when they wanted to decompress, privacy was essential. But, then again, if a waitress overheard them discussing wormholes and aliens and interplanetary wars, she’d probably just think they’d started drinking long before they came to see her.

This time, both Teal’c and Jack opted out, leaving only Sam and Daniel craving alcohol. At Daniel’s apartment, they cracked open a bottle of vodka. The conversation inevitably turned to the touchstone, and to the second Gate. “You don’t really think it’s gone for good, do you?” Daniel asked, staring at the bottom of his empty glass.

“We saw it welded shut. Our people are guarding it. No one can use it.”

“Right. It’s safe, just like last time.”

“This is different.”

“How is it different, Sam?” Daniel poured another glass of vodka and drank deeply. His voice was cynical. “Once again, we’re trusting the good intentions of the US government to keep the galaxy safe.”

Sam raised her glass and looked at Daniel through it. “Don’t we do that every day?”

Title: Ghosts of Christmas, Past and Present

Excerpt:

Soft snowflakes fell all over Colorado Springs. The streets were mostly quiet – at this time on Christmas Eve, most people were indoors, at home, celebrating the holiday with loved ones. Most people were getting ready for bed, kissing spouses and children good night, dreaming of the gifts and camaraderie that would come with the morning.

Daniel Jackson, as usual, was not most people.

He drove aimlessly through residential streets, listening to the DJs on talk radio announce pretend Santa sightings on satellite. Windows glowed warmly in the houses he passed; if he turned his head, he could see a lighted Christmas tree here, a woman hanging stockings on a mantle there. In one yard, a mini-snowman stood guard, making Daniel smile. Obviously, a child had been awaiting this first snowfall. Across the street from the snowman, a man sat on his front porch, smoking a cigarette. Daniel began to feel a kinship with him – there, here was another person in this godforsaken city who had no one – but, then, as Daniel’s car passed, a woman emerged from the house and patted the man on the shoulder.

Title: I Do... Remember You

Excerpt:

"Sam."

Major Samantha Carter raised her head at the sound of her name. Daniel stood in her doorway, watching her, wondering why he felt almost nervous as her eyes locked on his. "I, uh, I'm sorry," he said quickly, flashing her a lightning fast grin. "I knocked, but, um, you didn't answer."

Sam pushed away from her work table, setting down a small screw driver and rising from her seat. "No. I'm sorry, Daniel. I didn't even hear you." She shrugged one shoulder and lifted both hands in a helpless gesture. "You know how it is."

He did know how it was. Very much so. It was the reason he was here, as a matter of fact, because he knew and because she was the only other person who also knew. "Is it a bad time?" he asked quietly. "I can come back... later."

"Of course it's not a bad time," she replied hurriedly, moving around the table. "Come on in."

He stepped inside, pausing to close the door behind him. There was an awkward moment of silence as he looked around, realizing he was at a loss for words now that he was actually in the room. Maybe he wasn't such a hot linguist after all!

"Daniel?" Sam prompted softly.

He looked over at her. She stood just a few feet away, watching him expectantly. "I remember you, Sam. I do.

Title: Paperwork

Excerpt:

Their heads are very close together. In fact, the picture of their bodies draped over the desk, enmeshing between them a scrambled collection of maps, star charts, and reports, suggests a scientist's version of Twister.

Watching Daniel at a briefing, team teaching with Carter, is reminder that he has lost more than one life to the Stargate. Scholar, lover...he doesn't get much chance to be either, here. It is good to see him inspired and enthusiastic; Carter's smile is infectious as they light upon some obscure fact or spin fantastic theories.

But it's just paperwork, after all.

Isn't it?

Title: Speed Junkie

Excerpt:

Dr. Daniel Jackson walked down the long, gray corridor, deep in thought. A passing airman, seeing his expression, quickly side-stepped the notoriously oblivious scientist. It was never a good idea to get in Dr. Jackson's way when he was clearly, yet again, pondering the mysteries of the universe.

Daniel was only vaguely aware of the young man who so easily dodged him. He nodded distractedly by way of a greeting and continued on his way, still lost in his musings.

She was late.

It really wasn't a big deal. It wasn't, he reflected ruefully, even a little deal. He knew there wasn't anything to worry about, and yet, a small part of him couldn't help always worrying when Sam Carter wasn't where she said she'd be at whatever time she'd specified. Probably, she was just running behind. Probably, she was already elbows deep into her study of the latest technological boon to fall into their hands.

And when Sam had a new technology to study, well it was just about impossible to tear her away, even for something as important as her evening meal. She was like the proverbial "kid in a candy store." She was like... like....

She was just like him. He grinned to himself, acknowledging that simple truth. How many times had she come and pried him from his office and then practically dragged him to the mess hall just to make sure he ate at least one meal in a twenty-four hour period? And now he was going to return the favor.

Title: Strength (unsure of title)

Excerpt:

Everyone has seen him, it seems. Everyone but me. They all look at me with sympathy. Or distain, for accepting he's gone.

He's not, though. And I know that. I see him, in my dreams. In my memories. In our love, every day. The coffee I still buy that was...is... his favorite.

He knows my strength. My understanding.

I am stronger for having known him. I am stronger for having loved him. I am stronger for loving him still.

I know when he comes home, it will be to me. I will give him back some of that strength.