Author Notes: Written for the Our Stargate Valentine's Day Challenge

It hadn't occurred to Daniel at all. It was just another date on the calendar, another small square just like all of the others. The big black number 14 hadn't made him think twice. He might not have noticed at all, had it not been for the song dedications on the radio, or the overabundance of red roses adorning the streets and shop facades. Or the heart shaped iced cookies they were serving in the commissary. The trappings and overblown sentiments of Valentine's Day. All of which Daniel tried to avoid. With perhaps the exception on the cookies. He was only human after all.

Daniel had never been one for Valentine's Day. More than any other `holiday', it reeked of insincerity, of candy hearts that tasted sweet, but came with a bitter aftertaste. Not that he'd ever really shared the day with anyone. Romantic attachments were few and far between during his college days, by his own choice as much as anything. And when he was with Sarah...well, he couldn't even remember when they'd made dinner plans, let alone think about celebrating Valentine's Day with her. His parents had never really embraced the custom, either.

Honestly, he just always found his work far more enjoyable than paper hearts and an overabundance of the colour pink. Work he should have been concentrating on, not musing over the insignificance of the day. But his computer cast a soft glow over his desk, and the light was caught in the glass of a particular photograph. Daniel's attention was drawn the woman with the dark hair and shy smile.

*"Tell me a story, my Danyel".

Daniel stilled the pen in his hand, and looked up from his journal to look at his wife. She was dressed for bed in a light robe, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders and down her back. Sha'uri smiled coyly at him, enjoying the attention of his eyes.

It was their nightly ritual. He had told her, one night, about Ra and his place in Earth mythology, so she might better understand her people's history. Sha'uri had since demanded a tale every night, a bizarre twist on the Arabian Nights mythos. But Daniel always rescinded happily, and this night was no exception. Capping his pen and casting aside his journal, Daniel patted the space of the bed beside him. Sha'uri curled up beside him, her head resting on his chest, as he composed a tale for her.

"Long ago, humans looked very different. Every person had two heads, four legs and four arms". Daniel heard Sha'uri give a small giggle, and he smiled with her as he continued. "The great god Zeus looked down at the humans, and became angry that these lesser beings were so happy, so contented. They needed to be punished for their audacity. So he threw his powerful thunderbolts and lighting down to earth, splitting all of the humans in two. Now they all had one head, two arms, two legs, and were scattered across the land. The human race cried out in pain, because while they were still alive, they were no longer whole". His voice became soft, as he stroked one hand through her soft curls. "Now we are doomed to spend our entire lives, searching for the missing piece of ourselves...the other half of our soul".

Sha'uri sighed, snuggling deeper into his chest. "That makes sense" she said softly.

"What does?" he asked.

"The gods" she said, craning her neck to turn her face towards his. "They are jealous of everything we have together - of the love that we share. Because they can't compete with it". Sha'uri's fingers came up to brush his cheek lightly. "It was love, my Danyel, that made of us follow you. The love for our families, for our people was stronger than our beliefs, our devotion to Ra. It was the one part of us that he could not have. He could demand our worship, but could never have our love".

Daniel's fingers covered hers. "I think you're right" he said, captivated by the depth of her dark eyes.

"What we have, Danyel, they cannot touch" Sha'uri told him, raising herself up slightly so she could place a kiss to his lips. "What we have...they know nothing about".*

Daniel shook himself out of the memory, trying to ignore the taste of her on his lips. Memories presented themselves at the most inappropriate times - or perhaps, he considered - the most poignant. Daniel drew his attention back to what had started his train of thought in the first place. On his desk, amongst his various papers and mess, lay a single, perfect rose. Where, or who, it had come from was a mystery to Daniel, but he felt touched by the simple gesture.

"What'cha thinking?" Jack's distinctive voice cut through the room. Daniel turned to see his friend leaning against the doorway, smirking.

"Oh, uh..." Daniel fingered the rose petals. "Something Sha'uri once told me". Jack was silent, but then he most always was when Daniel spoke about his lost wife. "About the Goa'uld" he continued, "They hate us so much...because of our souls, our capacity to love".

"She was right" Jack said. "It's the one thing we have over the bastards". A heavy silence lay between them before Jack coughed and said more lightly; "You coming tonight?"

One of their celebratory barbeques. As Jack put it, the `we lived another week' party for the team. Daniel nodded. "Yeah".

"Good". Jack nodded towards the rose in Daniel's hand. "Heard Carter say once that yellow roses mean friendship".

Daniel looked at him quizzically. "You didn't-"

Jack raised one eyebrow. "Me? You know I'm not into that girly crap". He smiled again. "See you tonight, Daniel".

Daniel looked at the rose in his hand. The words he had spoken to his wife so long ago echoed in his mind. He wondered how many pieces his soul had been shattered into and if maybe - just maybe - he had found them all.

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