Confessions by Betty Bokor
Sam/Daniel. Daniel and Vala are overheard as they talk about something very private.
Spoilers: All seasons, including 10.
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.

Confessions

Chapter 12

"But you've also seen the worse of me, Sam. Since this started I've done things that I didn't believe myself capable of, that give me nightmares almost every night…"

"We've been at war, Daniel. The nightmares would be much worse if you hadn't done those things."

He looked frustrated for a second and then he changed his expression. "So, you really want to try this? Do you want to see if we're not too ruined by this life we've lead to try something new?"

"New? You and I? You see us as something new? We already know so much about each other, we don't even have to keep this secret we have to hide from the rest of the world-"

"It's very new to me to think that I won't be alone every night, every time I turn my key in that lock… If you think of how old I am, my time with Sha're is but a minute… I've been alone all my life..." He suddenly felt that it was not such a good idea to be talking about Sha're at that time. "I've spent far more time with you than I ever did with her." He looked at her. "But I still don't know if I'd know how to be happy; I'm so used to just being fine… or not dead at least," he smiled.

Sam smiled, too, and stretched her arm to touch his hand. "I know what you mean, Daniel, but, yes, I want to try. I want it to work out so much, that I'm not afraid at all. I just feel a little self-conscious talking so honestly about feelings and- I'm just not used to talking about these things."

"We wouldn't have gotten here without talking."

"I know. I'm glad. So, what now?" She asked feeling suddenly jittery. "Is it me or do you also feel like when you were in high school and you had a crush on one of your classmates?"

"I was already in college by that time, but, yes, I remember feeling this way when I was 16; I had a crush on a very attractive professor, even though she was a lot older than me," he smiled. "She looked a lot like you, now that I think about it."

She jokingly threw a napkin in his direction. "Hey, I'm younger than you. I'm not even forty yet."

He smiled widely. "I was just thinking of how beautiful she was, not how old."

"Oh…"

They both laughed, trying to release the tension.

"I do think I'm too old for this."

"For what?" she teased.

"Dating, first kisses and all that."

"Dating? I wouldn't think we need that at this point," Sam said.

"Okay," he agreed, still not very enthusiastic.

"And, technically, it wouldn't really be a first kiss; we went far beyond that the last time." The memories of that Friday night made her feel a bit embarrassed. She stood and put the cups in the sink.

"Yeah, true. Then, my den was not the best place for that," he tried, feeling awkward, too. He got up and cleaned the table.

"Maybe we should try something more comfortable next time. Upstairs?"

"Sounds good." He immediately realized the implications of her words. "You mean now?"

She turned and looked at him. "Don't you think we've waited long enough?" She tentatively grabbed his hand and started walking towards the stairs.

He did not stop her and she felt more at ease.

"Would you like me to get into something more… mood-inducing maybe?"

"No, don't think so. You don't need anything special to induce…"

"What about getting out of this?" she tried as they started going up.

"That I can help you with; no problem at all."

"Good; the temperature has suddenly risen around here."

"Yeah, very high, I'd say. I'll need help myself."

"That's what friends are for." She stopped, turned to face him and pulled his sweater over his head, then kissed him softly.

Daniel grabbed her by the waist and in a swift movement picked her up in his arms without breaking the kiss.

"Aren't you thankful of all the training we've given you at the SGC?" Sam joked as they continued their way up. "Because I certainly am."

"For a man over forty, as you pointed out, I'm doing pretty well, so, yes, I'm thankful. And you haven't seen anything yet," he smiled.

They got to the top of the stairs and Daniel walked towards Sam's bedroom. Before he could open the door, Sam tightened her embrace.

"What?"

"Tell me you have faith that this… we, that we'll work out, not only tonight, because of that we can be pretty certain, but for the long run."

"I do I do have faith, Sam. If you had asked me this morning, I don't know what I would have said, but, now, I'm sure. Do you know what I've been thinking since we left the kitchen?"

"I have a pretty good idea," she said with a smile.

"No. I don't think so. I've been trying to find the best way to ask you this, but there'll never be a better time. Would you marry me, Sam?"

She was so close to his face; she could hear his breathing halting, waiting for an answer. "Could I say Yeah, sure, you betcha, without breaking the magic?"

He laughed and kissed her very passionately. "That's the perfect answer," he said a few moments later.

"Have you thought that, in all those alternate realities we discovered, every time I ended up with Jack I had never had the chance at being with you?"

He was surprised by the question, still standing by her bedroom door, holding her, but he took a second and thought about it. "You're right. You didn't know me in any of them. And in the one where you married MacKay; I had never come back." He smiled at the strange thought that had crossed her mind. "I know of one reality where we were married and we were having a baby," he added as he finally pushed the door open and got into the room with her. He carefully sat on the edge of the bed, holding her on his legs.

"You do? Which one?"

"Do you remember when we had the ripple effect?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Remember the team with Janet and Martouf?"

"Yeah."

"Their world."

"How do you know?"

"I asked about you and Janet told me."

"I asked her, too. She just said I was on maternity leave… and then she looked at you!"

Daniel smiled broadly.

She embraced him once more. "Have you thought about having children? Because, if you have, we should hurry up. I'm not forty, but I'm not twenty either."

He softly slid his hand on her back under the sweater and made her shiver. "I can start any minute," he lowered his head and kissed her neck. "Whenever you want."

"They say there's no better time than the present… Go ahead; I'm all for it," she added as she pushed him backwards on the bed.

"Your wish is my command, ma'am," he smiled as he rolled to a more comfortable position.

She smiled back at him and grabbed his head to kiss him. "I have plenty of ideas, sir; this will be a job for life."