Disclaimer: Don't own them, and never did.

A/N Eighth and last in 'The Relationship Series.' This story is a kind of epilogue to the entire series.

For Daniel

by Linda Bindner

She never expected that he would see it... the small photo album that she had hidden under her bed near the back wall at her house. Daniel had 'ascended to a higher plane of being,' had, in effect, died before his time, no matter what plane he had flown to. He certainly left before either she or Jack were able to admit to him the depth of their private relationship. Though knowing about it would have made Daniel very happy...

It all started after Daniel left.. died... ascended... whatever. As Sam had often spoken to Daniel like a brother, and felt as if she had lost a brother and close friend, she decided to keep some kind of memorial for him, even though she also thought he would never see it. So, she maintained a photo album detailing hers and Jack's clandestine, furtive relationship, starting at their wedding, and moving on from there. The honeymoon (all two days of it) in Las Vegas were captured by the instamatic camera that Jack still had stuffed in the back of a drawer, and hurriedly packed when he and Sam had taken their Christmas trip to New York City, the one just prior to their wedding.

The following year was as detailed as the wedding had been. There were shots of Jack alone doing odd jobs around his house, Sam alone, also doing odd jobs around Jack's house. And there was the one of Jack and Sam together taken by a total stranger at Niagara Falls during their week-long first anniversary trip.

Soon after that, Daniel returned... or deascended... or whatever... But Sam chose not to show the photo album to him just yet. It wasn't until years later, when she knew Daniel so well that she could predict how he would react to almost any situation (he still surprised her, however, every now and then) that she chose to come clean and admit everything after talking it over first... and second... and third times with Jack over a period of the six months leading up to Jack's retirement from the Air Force. Only when nothing adverse could come of Daniel's finding out about their married life did Sam entrust him with the truth. Teal'c already knew the truth as to the depths of Jack and Sam's feelings for each other, thanks to the Tok'ra woman, Anise, and her infamous Za'tarc detector (which, according to Jack couldn't detect a fly on the wall, let alone a person who was being manipulated by any Goa'uld). She finally showed the album to Daniel one rainy Saturday afternoon in her bedroom.

The blinds were drawn, the curtains were drawn, and the front and back doors of the house were locked, just in case. Sam placed the album in the hands of a very confused-looking Daniel Jackson, then sat beside him at the end of her bed as he perused the pictures held inside the album. The 'For Daniel' square that she had made to begin the testament to hers and Jack's marriage was included at the beginning of the album. It was followed by the picture of Jack in his best (and only) suit, holding hands with Sam and grinning at the camera. The short-sleeved, white, sundress and accampanying bolero blazer she had chosen to bring along 'just in case' showed up in stark contrast to his black suit as he stood behind her, their hands clasped very noticably for the camera.

Jack and Sam grew progressively older as the pictures of them were taken over the span of many years. There were a few of Teal'c here and there, and one of Daniel himself, standing in his office at the SGC, surrounded by books and artifacts that threatened to topple off his desk at just the shove of a hand. But the majority were of Jack and Sam, mementos of their lives, and of their marriage, a marriage that no one else could even know about until Jack's retirement papers were processed and he was gone from the Air Force. There was a replica of his official release paper included on the last page of the fifty-page album.

Sam quietly narrated for Daniel the events leading up to and around each of the photos. He said nothing, only grunted his surprise twice, once at the 'For Daniel' marker, and once at the picture snapped at what was obviously Jack and Sam's wedding.

From now on, Sam said to him, Jack and I can display our pictures much more openly, and we intend to. But I wanted to show this to you first.


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