Schroedinger's Legacy

TITLE: Schroedinger's Legacy
AUTHOR: Brian'na, email: thegreatpyramids@yahoo.com, website:Sam/Daniel-Colored Glasses
SETTING: season 1, post-Enigma
CATEGORY: Sam/Daniel friendship, hurt/comfort
SUMMARY: Sam's missing Schroedinger, and Daniel's there to help her through it.
DEDICATION: To all the friends -- human, canine & feline -- who have helped me through hard times.
DISCLAIMER: For entertainment purposes only. I am making absolutely no money from this. Nothing related to SG-1 belongs to me (except all those Danny clones in my mind).

Sam stood up from the dining table and cleared her dishes. Shaking her head, she poured the leftover milk she'd saved down the drain. She'd forgotten again.

It had been 2 weeks since she'd given her cat, Schroedinger, to Narim. Sam knew she'd done the right thing - Narim had lived his entire life without seeing an animal until he came to Earth, and was enchanted by all the different species. But it still hurt to come home to a home without Schroedinger.

She hadn't always been around, but then neither had her cat. He'd accepted the fact that she sometimes had more pressing matters to attend to than being with him, and Sam had accepted the same independence in him.

And yet somehow, they always found each other when they were needed. Like the time Sam had come back from Daniel's funeral - the funeral they'd held after being brainwashed into thinking he'd died offworld. She'd come home and barely managed to shut the door behind her before breaking down. As she had sat against the door, her chest wracked with sobs, she'd heard the softest of purrs. Schroedinger had, in an unusual outward display of affection, crawled onto her lap and nuzzled against her.

The door buzzer sounded, interrupting the bittersweet memories. Sam rinsed her hands quickly and went to open the door.

"Daniel...?"

"Ah, hi Sam." Daniel's hair was still damp from the rain shower that had just receded. "Is this a bad time?"

"No," Sam said, shaking her head. "No, no..come on in. Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah, everything's fine." Daniel replied quickly, still not making a move to come inside. "I, um, have something for you...I hope it's okay."

Daniel moved to the left and out of Sam's view for a moment. When he did finally step inside, he was holding a plastic carrier and looking at Sam in anticipation. Sam stepped forward and was about to ask him what was inside when a small "meow" made the question unnecessary.

"What.." Sam began in surprise, already moving to unhinge the door of the carrier.

"I hope it's not too soon," Daniel said hurriedly. "I know you've had Schroedinger for years, and.." He paused, running his hands through his hair.

Sam was holding the kitten in her arms, and it was purring loudly. "He's beautiful," she said appreciatively. "Where did he come from?"

"Oh, I got him at the humane society." Daniel replied, relaxing noticeably at Sam's delight. "I've, ah, actually had him at my place for a few days, just waiting..." He reached into the carrier and pulled out a ball and toy mouse. "He likes these."

The kitten perked up at the sound of the jingle ball and jumped out of Sam's arms onto the floor. Daniel rolled the ball along the floor and they both watched as the kitten raced after it. They both stood there in silence for a moment, smiling and watching the kitten race around the room.

"So, do you think you might like to keep him?" Daniel said hopefully.

Sam raised her eyebrows and grinned. "How can I not?!"

"Oh, I have his shot records here.." Daniel rifled through his pockets to no avail. "Er, I guess I left them on my counter. But he's had all his shots."

Sam nodded, then giggled as the kitten turned a somersault in the air, pouncing on his toy. Turning back to Daniel, she said carefully "Daniel, this is the most thoughtful gift I've ever gotten." She leaned forward and hugged him briefly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Sam," Daniel said, looking bashful. "I just, ah, I knew how hard it was for you to give up Schroedinger. And I know what it's like to come home to an empty apartment." He added softly.

Sam looked back at him and wondered just how attached Daniel had gotten to this kitten while he'd had it at his place.

"Speaking of home, I'd better get going." Daniel said, shaking his head.

"Are you sure you can't stay for a bit?" Sam stepped forward and picked up the kitten in her arms.

Daniel looked hesitant, and Sam could tell he wanted to. Perhaps he thought she was just being polite.

"I could put some coffee on."

Daniel reached out to pet the kitten and grinned sheepishly. "Well, maybe I could stay for a little while."

Sam smiled in reply and handed him the kitten as she went to turn on the coffeepot. It occurred to her that, like Schroedinger, Daniel always seemed to show up when she needed someone.

THE END