Title: Memories
Author: Mac
Spoilers: Gatekeeper (Season 2)
Summary: It's the anniversary of the death of Daniel's parents.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Unfortunately, these characters and the concept don't belong to me.
Author's Note: This is my first fanfic!

Daniel Jackson sighed as he sat down in the commisary. He was exhausted. Not physically, but emotionally. This time of year was always hard on him and he knew he'd be up with the nightmares. Taking a sip of his coffee he surmised that it was going to be a long night.

It was two days since they'd been back from the Gamekeeper's virtual reality and the same question kept going through his mind.

'"What could you have done to save them?"'

Truth be told, Daniel had no idea what else he could have done. The emotions he felt right now were as strong as they were then. He felt his heart as it beat a little faster and his breath was coming in short gasps. He knew he was having a panic attack.

He stood up unsteadily, determined to find Janet Frasier. He was still freaking out when he felt arms around him, guiding him back to the chair. He could have sworn he was alone in the room.

A woman's voice kept telling him he was going to be all right and Daniel found himself believing it. He opened his eyes (he hadn't even realized they were closed) and saw the worried look of his friend.

"Sam?"

"Yeah, it's me. Are you all right?" He nodded, but focused on the cup of coffee in front of him. "I was just coming to get some caffeine myself. You seemed to be having some sort of panic attack."

He watched her pour some coffee, then sit across from him before he spoke up. "I was just... thinking."

"About P7J 989?"

"Oh yeah."

Sam mentally choked the Gamekeeper in her mind. How he could force anyone to relive the most tragic moments in their lives was unthinkable. That was one time she was happy to have been blended with Jolinar.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, sipping her coffee.

Daniel studied her face. He saw worry and concern in her eyes. It was rare for him to find someone so interested in what he was feeling. He felt like he could tell Sam anything. "Yeah, I do, Sam, but not in here."

She took his hand. "Let's go topside. It's warm out."

As they sat down, Sam looked over at Daniel. No doubt he was staring up at Abydos. "So..."

He smiled. "So... My parents. They were wonderful, Sam. They took me everywhere with them. I really believed all parents were like them. Always taking me to different countries, continents. It was amazing.

"Just before I turned 8, we went back to the States." Sam nodded slowly. She knew where this was going. "It was the greatest find of the century, Dad had told me. 'Danny, this was one heck of a discovery.'"

Daniel took a deep breath and continued. Sam took his hand and smiled at him. "Two days before my birthday we headed to the New York Museum. My parents were going to help set up the coverstone. I was running from the children's area to tell them of a discovery I had made."

Sam pulled his shaking form. He really didn't need to finish. She knew what happened because of the Gamekeeper. The chain holding the coverstone didn't hold and it fell, crushing Daniel's parents.

He skipped over the details she knew. "Someone grabbed me when I tried to run to them. I tried to help them. To save them, but they wouldn't let me go! Sam, they wouldn't let me say good-bye."

"Did they know how much I loved them?" Daniel asked in a quiet voice.

Sam's heart broke in a million pieces when she saw the expression on his face. She took his face in her hands, but his eyes wouldn't meet hers. "Look at me Daniel. Of course they knew! Parents always know even if their kids don't tell them!"

Daniel nodded. "You're right, Sam."

She watched as he removed his glasses and wiped his tears. "From now on I'm going to celebrate their lives on this day and thank them for giving me more than I could have imagined."

"What exactly did they give you, Daniel?" she asked. Even though she knew the answer, it would be good for him to vocalize it.

"Life and love, Sam."