Firsts

Author: Geonn

Rating: R

Pairings: Sam/Janet, established relationship

Category: Romance

Disclaimer: These folks don't belong to me. I stole them from MGM's toybox without asking their mommies for permission. I promise to return them more or less unscathed. Also not belonging to me are any song titles, song lyrics, movie titles or snippets from any movie I may use herein. I apologize to all who do own these works and assure them I made no money off of this venture.

Sequel to: "Thirty Days,"

Spoilers: Singularity, The First Commandment, Tin Man

Summary: Sam and Janet explore their newfound relationship while trying to raise Cassandra.

Chapter One

There was something magical about it; reaching this point in our relationship.

It was our two week anniversary, fourteen short days since I had asked Sam into my bed. Fourteen days since Sam first slept beside me, a post-coital grin on her face as she drifted into unconsciousness. We had moved past the constant sex part of our burgeoning relationship and could actually express affection without tearing at each other like hormonal teenagers.

The night it happened, I was sitting in bed reading my novel when she came in from work. I was wearing my silk pajama top, the too-long pants tucked away in the closet somewhere. She smiled at me as she walked to the closet, already unbuttoning her jeans as she asked, "How was your day?"

"Fine," I replied, holding my place in the book with my index finger. I looked up as she slipped out of her t-shirt, down to her bra and panties. I shivered, still captivated by the sight of her body, even though she was still partially clothed. "You'll be glad to know that Cassandra is presently enrolled in Ms. Newberry's seventh grade class."

Sam half-turned, kicking her panties towards the hamper. "Seventh?" She did the mental calculations, then went back to stripping. She unhooked her bra and said, "We were supposed to go to a new world tomorrow, scope out the people and whatnot, but a couple locals spotted the MALP and tried to establish diplomatic relations with it. So, Hammond decided to send in SG-9 for the talking."

I grinned. "So, SG-9 is talking, SG-8 is medical... what is SG-1's specialty?"

Sam turned and winked. "Kicking ass and taking names, sweet thing."

And then, the magic event happened. She reached into her dresser drawer and removed a pair of striped boxer shorts. Nonchalantly, she slid the cotton up her legs, then turned and removed a t-shirt. This particular shirt bore the face of Mr. Rogers. Straightening her hair, she walked to the bed and climbed in on her side, scooting along the mattress until we were touching. Stifling a yawn, she looked at my book and asked what I was reading. I told her the basic plot, but couldn't get past the thought that we were no longer an 'all-sex, all-the-time' couple. We were a couple that was comfortable getting into pajamas, laying in bed and talking about our days. I felt something warm in my chest and marked my place in the book with a receipt. I turned to her, cupping her face and tenderly kissing her lips.

"Wow," she whispered when we parted. "What was that for?"

I shook my head slowly. "It's too silly to explain. Just... suffice to say it's a good thing."

She leaned forward and kissed me, flattening her palm on my stomach. As we kissed, I felt her nibbling on my lower lip and I turned my head, freeing myself from her bite and reciprocating on her mouth. We nibbled and licked and tasted for a minute or so, then allowed ourselves to recline on the mattress. Sam hooked one leg over mine, the warm sock on her foot rubbing against my thigh as she kissed my neck. I placed my hand under her arm, holding her in place as she lavished my throat with attention. Without speaking, we mutually decided on a stopping point and separated. I kissed her lips once more and reached over to turn out the bedside lamp.

I felt Sam recline against the soft sheets (pale blue, of course) and decided to stay awake, allowing my eyes to grow accustomed to the darkness. When I could make out the vague shape of my rolltop desk and closet door, I looked down at the beautiful blonde curled up beside me. I never went long in any relationship before I watched my lover sleep; the way they displayed their bodies, how their lips would move, the motion beneath their eyelids... I had one lover who muttered Italian in her sleep, which was odd since she had never been outside America and had never bothered to learn a second language.

For someone who spent the majority of her time fighting, Samantha Carter slept the sleep of the just. Eventually, my eyes adjusted to the light filtering in from outside enough that I could make out the captain's features. Her thin lips were slightly parted, her tongue occasionally sweeping across them to keep them from drying out. The tip of her tongue would barely appear, sweep from one end to the other, and then vanish once more into her mouth. The retreat caused her now-wet lips to close once again, but after a moment they slipped open with a barely-audible pop.

My heart swelled as I watched this ritual; only a person who had slept with Sam knew of this little mannerism. And now, I knew it. Her hair hung loosely across her forehead, spreading above her perfect features like a platinum waterfall. I followed the 'stream' from the part over her left temple down her face, following tributaries that led to one finely sculpted cheekbone until finally I found the final destination: an ocean of hair that covered most of the pillow next to me.

She sniffed, but her position caused the sound to be more of a snort. I stifled a giggle.

A wrinkle formed between my lover's eyebrows, then her lips quivered. She was in the middle of a dream already. Her right hand was laying palm up between our bodies and I saw the index and pinkie fingers twitch as if trying to hold onto something. Sam closed her mouth and swallowed, the shoulder pressing into the mattress sliding towards the pillow. Suddenly, the wrinkle faded, the hand stopped twitching, and her shoulder returned to it's original position. Her tongue flitted against her lips and she sleepily moaned, "Jan't..."

I gasped, eyes widening. I had listened to my lovers whisper endearments, sure. Heard them discuss inane things like shopping lists, heard them chuckle at an unheard joke. I had eavesdropped on them while they whispered sweet nothings to phantom mistresses who had no names. But I had never, ever heard a lover call to me in their sleep. When I touched my face, I wasn't too surprised to find wetness on my cheeks.

I lowered my head, pressing my lips to her face. She lifted her head towards the caress of my mouth and I held our contact for a second before sliding my rear end down the sheets. When I was laying down once more, I turned onto my side and pressed my head to Sam's bosom. Still fast asleep, one of Sam's arms instinctually wrapped around my waist and drew me closer. My head found her shoulder in the darkness and I closed my eyes, wondering what I said while unconscious. Maybe one day, I'd ask Sam to tell me.

---

The next morning, I woke at six-thirty and extracted myself from Sam's limbs. I lightly touched her face and pulled my robe from the closet. As I pulled it on, I looked at the bed and saw that the slumbering captain was no longer slumbering. Her eyes were half-open, locked on me. I grinned and said, "Morning, Sam."

"Hi," she whispered, arranging the blankets around herself. "You gotta work?"

I shook my head, wondering if I should mention what she said last night. "School starts at eight. I wanted to make Cassie breakfast and drive her to her first day at school." Sam yawned and I struggled to keep myself from doing the same. I failed. "Stop that," I admonished her, walking back to the bed and sitting on the edge. "How 'bout you? You have to work?"

She shook her head, her blonde hair hanging loose around her face as she sat up. I looked at her over my shoulder as she knelt behind me, rubbing my shoulders softly. I leaned into her hands and quietly moaned, "Ooh, maybe Cass should learn to take the bus..." Sam squeezed my shoulders, gently kneading my tired flesh. Her hands brought my muscles to life, causing blood to flow freely through my veins. Within minutes, I was wide awake. As she massaged my lower back, she found the pulse in my throat and attached herself to it, tenderly tasting the throb of my heart. I smiled and reached up, wrapping my arm around her head and burying my hand in her hair. "You like my neck, don't you?"

The blonde replied without releasing me. "You have - kiss - a very delectable - kiss - neck." I craned my neck to the side and allowed her to explore freely. Her tongue traced from my earlobe, down along my jawline and then back to the point where my shoulders met my neck. It wasn't until she stopped that I noticed her hands were busy pulling my robe open.

I laughed and playfully swatted her hands away. "Stop that, now... Cassandra can't be late for her first day."

Sam sighed and turned my head, kissing me softly before she finally allowed me to stand. She pulled herself out of bed and said, "I'm gonna take a quick shower... unless you wanted... Actually, Cassie should get the first shower."

I giggled, tying my robe before opening the bedroom door. "Do you always think this clearly first thing in the morning?"

"Yes," she nodded. A few seconds later, she changed her mind to, "No. Well, not really. Sometimes."

I shook my head and went into the hallway, running a hand through my hair as I weaved a crooked line to my - our - daughter's room. I knocked lightly, opening the door and peeking in. Cassie was curled under her blankets in the fetal position, her thumb precariously close to her mouth. I padded into the room, moving silently on the carpet, and sat on the edge of the bed. I brushed the hair out of her face with the back of my hand and whispered, "Cassandra? Are you awake, sweetheart?"

Cassandra said something that sounded like "Mrrphher-uhmpher."

I smiled. "Cassandra. You have to wake up, honey. You have to go to school."

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and focused on me. She yawned, opening her mouth wider than I thought possible, then rolled onto her back. "I had a dream," she explained to me. "About Hanka... and my friends."

Sorrow washed over me. "Oh? Are you okay, honey?"

She nodded slowly, then said, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just miss them."

"You're homesick," I explained. "It's perfectly normal to miss things that you've left behind. It happens all the time on Earth." I brushed her hair lightly as I talked, unconsciously using my fingers to straighten knots she had accumulated overnight.

"Do you ever get homesick?"

I sighed, "Oh, all the time. I used to live on this wonderful farm in a place called Oklahoma." My lips turned upward in a sly smile. "Remember, Oklahoma is one of the forty-eight states."

Cassie yawned. "No, Oklahoma is one of the fifty states." She sat up and adjusted her pajamas. "I'm too smart for you, Mom." She smiled triumphantly.

I returned the smile and hugged her. "Okay, go jump in the shower. I'll have breakfast ready when you come downstairs." She climbed out of bed and lurched to the door. I followed her and, as she went into the bathroom, called out a reminder, "And wash behind your ears. Use lots of soap." She muttered a reply and closed the door. She had called me mom and I hadn't swelled with pride. Was that a good sign or bad?

Sam came out of the bedroom as I told Cassandra to wash behind her ears, smiling and tucking her t-shirt into the waistband of her jeans. "Janet Fraiser, super-Mom." She brushed my arm and said, "Go get dressed. I'll start breakfast for you."

I eyed her warily. "*You* will start breakfast?"

The captain rolled her eyes. "I'm not a *total* klutz. Besides, I only said I'd *start* it. You'll finish it."

I nodded and said, "Yeah, okay, just don't mess up my gorgeous kitchen." I pecked her lips before going into my bedroom, already shedding the robe.

---

After a quick shower, I dressed in a pair of jeans, a loose sweater and sneakers. I loved the feeling of being dressed in comfortable clothes; the uniforms got tiresome after a while. After combing the wet mess I called my hair, I fastened it with a clip and decided I looked good enough to drive a teenager to school. Make-up could wait. I headed downstairs, amazed that I could already smell the warm, cinnamon scent of muffins mixing with a delightful sausage aroma.

I trotted down the stairs, the fact that I had neglected putting on a bra becoming blantantly apparent as my breasts swayed beneath the material. The sounds coming from upstairs told me Cassandra was still messing with the school supplies Sam and I had shopped for the other day. I had never realized how hard it was to find school supplies in the middle of November... Thank God for Staples. I slipped into the kitchen in time to see Sam placing the finishing touches on a third plate of breakfast. An apple cinnamon roll stood to the side of a massive quantity of scrambled eggs, two strips of bacon and a small pile of hashed browns. Two sausage links completed the picture on each plate. My stomach grumbled and I looked at my lover. "Wonderful spread," I complimented, adding a wink. "Did you tip the delivery boy?"

Sam looked shocked. "Delivery boy? Janet, I have spent two weeks learning to cook, taking secret lessons, picking up whatever little hint I can get from the cook in the mess hall and you have the audacity to insinuate that I *ordered* this from some anonymous restaurant?"

Casually, my eyebrow raised suspiciously, I walked to the trash can and plucked out the styrofoam container bearing the mascot of Moe's Diner on the front. The captain blushed from her nervous smile to the roots of her hair. "Oh," she chuckled. "I probably should have used the outside bin for those."

I laughed and walked over to her, sliding my arms around her waist. I flattened my palms against her rear end and pulled her to me, lightly kissing the tip of her chin. "I appreciate the effort. Breakfast is breakfast."

Sam returned my kiss, letting her lips linger on my eyebrow as her hands traced paths over my shoulder blades. I wanted to stay like this forever, but a door closing upstairs caused us to separate. Cassie was still unaware of our new... sleeping arrangements. It was something Sam and I both knew we'd have to deal with eventually, but neither of us was too eager to explain to the girl that she would soon have yet another secret to keep.

I was at the fridge when Cassie entered the kitchen, taking her seat as Sam placed the plate in front of her. I delivered a glass of orange juice for Cassie and a tall glass of milk for myself. Sam had a cup of coffee. Cassie ate her eggs hungrily, spent a little time savoring her hash browns, nibbled on her bacon and then began to slowly pick at her bacon strips. I swallowed a mouthful of eggs and asked, "Is everything all right, sweety?"

She nodded, but I didn't exactly believe her. I reached across the table and laid my hand on top of hers. "Honey? Are you nervous about going to school?"

"A little," she admitted. "I'm not really sure I'll like it."

Sam chuckled. "Well, no kid *likes* school..."

I glared at her and said, "Cass, school is just like when Sam and I go to work... You have assignments, you have schedules to keep, but most of all, you get a whole lot of friends to hang out with. You know, kids your own age that have the same interests as you. Maybe you'll even find someone who likes Harry Potter as much as you do, or maybe someone could introduce you to a band you really like."

Her eyes brightened and she said, "Jack bought me a CD by a band called Barenaked Ladies. They're so cool!"

My face blanched and I turned to Sam. She gave me a small nod that either conveyed that the band was okay or that she would talk to Jack. Either way, the music situation was covered. "Um... that's good, sweety." I checked my watch and said, "Gee, we should probably get going, huh? Almost time for your education to continue."

As we stood, Cassie picked her bookbag up off the ground and slung it over her shoulder. "Will Ernest and Catherine be there?"

I glanced at Sam, then said, "No, hon. They were just making sure you knew enough to start school. Kind of a... a everything-you-need-to-know for school on Earth."

"Oh," she said. "I guess I'm ready then."

I squeezed her shoulder, telling her to go wait in the car and I'd be out in a minute. Once she disappeared into the living room, Sam was out of her chair and we were once again embracing. I kissed her softly and asked, "Will you be home when I get back?"

She shrugged. "Dunno. I have to go to the base sometime today... what did you have in mind?"

I slid my hand under the waistband of her pants, sliding my fingers over her ass. "I was thinking we could take advantage of having the house all to ourselves." I kissed the hollow of her throat. "I remember you telling me once you had very vocal orgasms..."

Her head was rolled back, her eyes closed. "I, uh... I've been holding back. Cassie's just down the hall, you know."

I pulled her head down and explored her mouth with my tongue. When we separated, I said, "I wanna hear you scream, Samantha Carter."

She shivered in my arms and she whispered, "You know, I've been watching your breasts swing under that shirt. It was driving me so damn crazy all through breakfast."

I kissed her nose and winked. "My breasts swing when they're out of this shirt, too. Will you be waiting for me?"

"Upstairs. In the bed." We kissed again and I reluctantly pulled myself away from her body. I turned back as I left the kitchen, seeing that she was licking her lips and watching my ass as I walked away. I smiled and shook my hips as I walked. I chuckled and proceeded to the driveway where Cassandra was waiting for me.

---

The ride to the school was relatively quiet. I promised her that she would make many new friends, but maybe not on the first day. I told her about lunch and gave her enough money to buy the hot meal the school offered. The weather had called for a chill, so Cassie was wearing a thick jacket and had gloves and a hat in her bookbag if she needed them later. I hadn't heard anything about snow in the forecast, but the dark clouds on the horizon didn't make me feel altogether safe. I parked in a temporary space outside of the cafeteria, climbing out and offering my hand to Cassie.

Expecting to be outside for only a minute, I had neglected a jacket. Now, I wished I had grabbed my trenchcoat or at least Sam's leather jacket. Hell, at this point I would've settled for a bra. I could feel my nipples hardening beneath my sweater and prayed it wouldn't be evident once we were inside.

I held the door for my daughter, escorting her to Ms. Newberry's class as promised. She again took my hand as we headed down the halls and I looked for other students. The hallways were vacant. A quick glance at my watch informed me that it was 7:50. Where were all the kids? I squeezed Cassandra's hand and quickened my pace.

The door to Ms. Newberry's classroom was recessed into an alcove right behind the glass-enclosed library. I peeked through the thin glass window in the door and knocked lightly. Sure enough, twenty-five to thirty kids sat in their desks, watching the attractive blonde woman perched on the corner of her desk. The blonde - Ms. Newberry - turned at my knock and motioned for me to enter.

Recalling my formative years, I suddenly realized how uncool it would be for Cassandra to arrive with mommy in tow. I held the door open for her, allowing her to enter. By the time she was inside, Ms. Newberry had approached. "Hi, I'm Sharon Newberry. Could we talk for a minute?"

Reluctantly, I nodded. Sharon Newberry turned to Cassie and lowered herself so they were eye-to-eye. "I assume you're Cassandra?" A shy nod. "Well, I'm Ms. Newberry. Why don't you go have a seat in that row over there while I talk to your mom for a second. Okay?"

Cassie looked to me and I nodded. As she moved towards the indicated desk, I took the opportunity to scout the environment for her. The two desks in front and one to the side were all occupied by other girls; hopefully she would be spared the typical pre-teenager boy crap. Sharon exited the classroom and closed the door behind herself. She was a slight woman, one of the few people in this world that I was on even ground with, her golden blonde hair tied in a ponytail that ran to the center of her back. I wondered how many students harbored crushes on this particular teacher. I pushed aside all thoughts of how great she looked and apologized, "I'm sorry she's late; I thought classes started at eight, so I put my whole schedule together and I--"

She held up a hand and interrupted me. "It's okay, Miss Fraiser..."

"Dr. Fraiser, actually." I didn't know why I felt the need to correct her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know," she said, placing one hand on her chest. "I should have informed you of our little scheduling hell when you enrolled Cassandra. You see, a few years ago the PTA voted to begin school at 7:45 on Friday to allow the students to leave fifteen minutes early for the weekend. The high school isn't very far from here and the seniors like to drag race along this road. This gives our students time to cross the street or get to their buses without worrying about speed-drunk idiots. It started out as just Friday, but we've gotten accustomed to starting classes at 7:45 every day. Old habits die hard, you know." She smiled sweetly. "The handbooks still haven't been reprinted, so I won't mark Cassandra as tardy, but you might wanna check her in at the office."

"I'll be sure to do that," I said. "Thank you for being so understanding."

She leaned against the door and said, "I understand you're raising Cassie by yourself..." I wondered how she knew and she smiled shyly, apparently reading my mind when she said, "The secretary's a friend of mine. Sometimes there's nothing better to do than gossip. So... you're raising her alone?"

"Not exactly. I, uh... have a very good friend who is helping me out."

Sharon straightened slightly and I thought I saw a flicker of disappointment on her face. "Oh. Well, if you ever need anything... or if your friend is out of town, I like to go out of my way to help struggling parents." She blushed slightly. "Or, in your case, parents who seem to have everything together. My number is in the information packet we'll be sending home with Cassie today. That is, my number here at the school and... at home."

I was ashamed it took me so long to realize the obvious. Cassandra's teacher was flirting with me! "Um... okay, sure. But I don't foresee any problems with her in the future. I really have a... a stellar group of friends. They're really out of this world." Especially Teal'c. I looked down at my shoes to hide my smile, then looked back up at her. "If there's nothing else...?"

"Oh!" She glanced over her shoulder as if remembering she had a job to do. "Right. You're probably on your way to something pressing, I suppose..."

The only pressing I planned to do was against a beautiful, horny blonde woman waiting at home. I smiled and nodded quickly.

Sharon sighed, then brushed a phantom hair out of her eyes. "Don't forget to, uh... sign Cassie in. Have a nice day, Ms... Dr. Fraiser."

I nodded and then said, "Janet would be fine." I think I saw her swallow before she turned and went back into the classroom. I peered past the teacher's delicate shoulder and saw Cassandra sitting shyly in her seat. The three girls surrounding her were all turned in their seats, questioning the 'new meat.' I was about to feel sorry for her when my daughter laughed and said, "No, Toronto!" One of the other girls said, "I love Toronto! My daddy said he's gonna take us there when--"

The door closed, cutting off the rest of the conversation. I smiled and headed to the office to check my daughter in. As I walked the quiet, pristine halls, I thought about Ms. Newberry's blatant flirtation with me. Had I imagined it? I had seen her when signing Cassandra in a few days ago, but she hadn't seemed... I mean, I can usually tell when someone is... I shook my head. There was little mistaking what had just happened; a beautiful, available woman had flirted with me and I hadn't done a thing in return.

As I stepped into the office, I had to hide a smile as I was once again reminded that I had it bad for Samantha Carter.

The extremely helpful secretary pointed out the late sheet and I signed my name, then Cassandra's. The secretary explained that this would be an 'excused tardy,' which would keep it from going against her in the long-run. Apparently, after a certain number of unexcused tardies, the student was placed in detention after school. I thanked her for clearing up the ritual and bid her farewell.

Back in my car, I practically tore out of the parking lot in anticipation for what awaited me at home. I licked my lips, suddenly wishing I lived closer to the school. The tape in my stereo was playing a quiet song by Frank Sinatra and I turned it up, hoping that he could take my mind off my condition.

"Those fingers in my hair," Ol' Blue Eyes crooned. "That sly 'come hither' stare... that look that lures me there, it's witchcraft!"

I turned the stereo off. Damn... damn, damn, damn.

By the time I pulled into the driveway, my body was humming like an orchestra of kazoo players. I burst into the house, locking the door behind myself as I rushed for the hallway. Taking the stairs two at a time, I shed my sweater and undid my belt, my fingers working at the catch of my jeans as I burst into the bedroom. I stopped, out of breath and unbelievably aroused as I examined my lover.

She was sprawled on the mattress, her lips parted and her hair covering her face. She was nude, a magazine laying open in front of her. Her pose would've been incredible erotic... if she hadn't been asleep. I approached the bed, slowly letting the denim of my pants slide down my legs. As Sam slept, I slid onto the mattress and pressed my lips to hers. After a moment of contact, she opened her eyes and smiled. "Janet."

I grinned. "I hate to wake you up, but I'd *really* hate to do this to you in your sleep."

She pushed the magazine away. I heard it fall to the floor in a cascade of pages. One of her arms slid along my waist while the other cupped my head. She turned me, pulling my small form across her own and affixing her lips to mine. When we separated, she said, "Baby, you can wake me up anytime." We kissed softly, exploring each other thoroughly before she allowed me to arrange myself comfortably on the mattress.

Then, we got down to business.

Chapter Two

"My God, but you have beautiful toes."

Sam snickered and looked down her body at me. "Everything we just did and the body part you wanna talk about is my foot?"

We were lying next to each other in a sixty-nine position on the maelstrom of sheets and blankets on my bed, our nude bodies wrapped in a sheet that did little to conceal our bodies. I was breathing heavily, my head near the foot of the bed. I rolled onto my stomach and lightly kissed the arch of Sam's foot. She wiggled her toes and I smiled, lightly tracing lines along her heel with my fingernails. "I can't help it," I said. "You just have such cute little toes."

She found my calves with her hands and lightly massaged the muscles there as she sat up. "You have cute everything." She rolled onto her stomach as well and crawled down the length of my body, letting her breasts skim the surface of my body before she began nuzzling my neck. I raised up into her caress and turned my face, accepting her lips as she began to kiss me passionately. Her hands found my breasts and she rolled me onto my back once more.

I gently placed my hands on her shoulders and pushed her up, away from my mouth. "Hold on, sweety," I whispered, glancing at the clock. "It's five to noon... you have to be at the mountain by one, right?"

She collapsed on top of me, resting her head on my shoulder. "God... I hate stopping this for *that*." Groaning, she rolled onto her side and wrapped me in her powerful arms, crushing me against her chest. I could barely breath, but I didn't care. I brushed several strands of golden hair out of her half-closed eyes and scanned her face before whispering, "I love the way you look after sex."

Her fingernails scraped a gentle trail from the crack of my ass to the base of my skull. I arched against her, my voice turning into a purr as she stroked my spine. She kissed my exposed neck and promised, "Only a select few get to see it." She tilted her head back so she could clearly look at me. Her free hand cupped my face and she said, "And I don't think anyone else will be seeing it for a long time." She kissed me softly, her arms tightening around me and subsequently deepening our kiss.

I bit her lip playfully and, when she pulled back, I said, "You wanna call General Hammond and tell him this is why you're not coming in? Cause if you don't, I will."

The captain grumbled and released me, rolling onto her back and spreading her arms on the mattress. She sighed. "I hate leaving you."

"We would've had to stop for lunch anyway. I've already worked off breakfast." I brushed my hair out of my face and scooted to the edge of the bed, finding my slippers and putting them on. Sam dismounted the bed on the other side, going to the closet to find something suitable to wear to the base. I don't know why she bothered; whatever she wore turned into a black t-shirt and green pants as soon as she set foot in the lockers.

As she dressed, I pulled a robe on and said, "I'll see what we have for lunch downstairs. You can eat before you go."

Downstairs, I was dismayed to discover that all we had was leftover cereal. I poured a bowl of Golden Grahams for Sam, adding milk and sugar as she entered the dining room. I presented the bowl with an over-done curtsey. Affecting a British accent, I said, "Lunch is served, madame."

Sam moved to the counter, taking the bowl and said, "Mmm, a beautiful woman who cooks. My fantasy come to life."

I smiled and said, "Glad you approve."

We walked to the dining room table together and took our seats, Sam eating while I watched. After a few bites, she casually asked, "What're you doing this weekend?"

"This weekend?" I shrugged. "Dunno. I may be on-call. I promised Warner that I'd take the overnight shift on Sunday since SG-4 is due back at about two, Monday morning. Why?"

She took a bite of her cereal, thoughtfully chewing before she answered, "I had something planned... D'ya think we can convince the guys to watch Cassie this weekend for us? I'll be sure to have you back by Sunday."

"What did you have planned?"

"A surprise," Sam said, winking at me.

I leaned forward, propping my wrists on the edge and holding my face in my hands. "A sur-*prise*? What is it?"

"Janet, Janet, Janet," she admonished. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I *told* you my itinerary."

I recalled some of my ex-husband's so-called surprises before convincing myself that Samantha Carter would never consider some of the bone-headed things that he had tried to pull off. "Well, should I be getting anything prepared? I have some outfits that I could get out of storage and packed while I'm off-duty."

She placed her hand on top of mine. "All you need, sweetness, is that blue teddy in your underwear drawer. On Friday, I'll tell you what you need to pack. I have the rest of the weekend lined up."

Her hand squeezed mine and I smiled. "How'd you know about that teddy?"

The captain smiled wickedly. "Just pack it. I'll try to be sure I'm home by seven on Friday. We'll take Cassandra to dinner, drop her off at Daniel's and then... your surprise awaits." She leaned forward and kissed me, nibbling on my lower lip before reluctantly pushing me away. "God, Janet," she whispered. "Eat garlic, stop brushing your teeth, buy neon-orange lipstick... just help me fight this addiction to your kisses."

I chuckled and kissed her cheek, brushing away any non-existant traces of lipstick before I realized I hadn't put any make-up on today. "Go to work, Sam. You'll be so busy you won't remember me at all today."

"Oh, I doubt that," she smiled, winking before she hurried out of the kitchen. She was already pushing it if she wanted to get to work by one. I listened for the front door slamming and, a few seconds later, heard the revving of her motorcycle's engine in the driveway. I chewed on my fingernail for a moment, then walked to the living room to see what kind of drivel constituted daytime TV these days.

---

Before starting on the dishes, I had changed into jeans and one of my ex-husband's shirts. I had preferred wearing his things even when we were married, the extra room making me feel like I was naked. It was a welcome change after endless days stuffed into uncomfortable uniforms and high heels. I was in the middle of washing the dishes from breakfast and lunch when the phone rang in the living room. I rushed across the floor, picking up the receiver with soapy hands and managing a quick, "Hello?"

The polite, vaguely-robotic female voice on the other end of the call chirped, "Hello. Am I speaking to a--" I assumed she was checking her computer or files, "--Ms. Samantha Carter?"

I frowned. "Um... um, no, this is Janet Fraiser, her room mate." What else could I call myself? "Could I help you?"

There was a pause as if the question had stumped Little Miss Mouse. "I'm not sure. This is Cindy at the Boulderado." The what? I wanted to ask. I allowed her to continue uninterrupted. "We had a little problem with Ms. Carter's credit card number. You see, our computers were down when she called and there's some confusion about whether a number is a four or a nine. Do you happen to know her number?"

Sam's wallet was sitting on the coffee table; she never trusted lockers after an incident at the local gym. I chewed my lip and wondered if I should give Sam's number to a complete stranger over the phone. "What is this in reference to?" I asked.

"Oh, Ms. Carter reserved a deluxe room for this weekend. We have to confirm her credit card before we're allowed to reserve the room in her name."

I blinked. A room in a hotel? "Um... where are you located?"

"We're located in beautiful downtown Boulder, Colorado, just one block away from the Pearl Street Pedestrian Mall, right in the heart of the shopping and dining district..." I seemed to have triggered her tourism button.

"Actually, Cindy," I interrupted, grateful I had remembered her name, "I'm a bit apprehensive about giving her number over the phone. I could get in contact with her and tell her that there's a problem. She could contact you then, if she wishes."

"Oh, I understand," Cindy said. "Do you have a pen to write down our number?" I grabbed a pen and jotted the hotel number down on my palm. "Have a wonderful day, ma'am." There was a click as the call was disconnected.

I was in a quandry. I had discovered Sam's little plan: She was planning a weekend away in Boulder, but the room reservation - and all of her plans - would fall through if I didn't tell her to call in her credit card number. Of course, I could call Cindy back and give the number out myself. The room would be set and Sam would never have to find out her secret was ruined. Unless, of course, Sam's surprise had nothing to do with Boulder and this was just some elaborate scam.

Finally, I realized I was being stupid. Cindy had asked for Sam, not for me. Anyone looking numbers up in the phone book would have been confronted with the slightly anonymous "Fraiser, J." I picked up the phone and dialed the number I had inked on my hand. After dialing the number twice and failing to get an answer both times, I realized the irony that I was misreading a four as a nine. I assume Cindy would have gotten a good laugh out of that if I had bothered to tell her.

---

After the incident that morning, I made certain I was outside of Cassandra's school at 2:30. I spent a few minutes fiddling with the buttons on my radio, then finally climbed out and made my way to the same doors I had used before. I blinked at the transformation that had taken place during the day. What I had seen as the cafeteria had transformed into a basketball court for a gym class. Six boys rushed past me on the hardwood floor in pursuit of a bouncing orange ball. The gym teacher was pacing on the sidelines with a fury to surpass Bobby Knight. I watched him blow into his whistle several times, then scream at one of the kids to 'keep himself open.'

The coach seemed to be keeping the boys occupied near the sidelines, so I hurried across the floor in the hopes that I wouldn't get sideswiped by a ball or, heaven forbid, six gangly boys who would love the opportunity to collide with a full-grown woman. I made it to the hallway unscathed and breathed a sigh of relief, wondering how Sam managed to rush through Jaffa defenses if I couldn't handle a group of uncoordinated teenagers. I straightened my shirt (I had changed to a cream-colored blouse to look presentable, but tried to convince myself it wasn't to impress Cassie's teacher) and continued down the hall. The clock on the wall told me it was 2:41. School was almost out for the day, so I quickened my pace.

I stepped into the alcove that contained Sharon Newberry's classroom and peeked in the window. I wanted to see how Cassandra looked in the midst of all these strangers. My heart quickened slightly when I saw her desk was empty. I tried to calm myself, trying to find comfort in the thought that class was almost over and that students sometimes moved around during the final minutes to talk to friends. Or maybe she was just in the bathroom. The bell rang a shrill tone and I stepped aside, leaning against the glass wall of the library as the students in Ms. Newberry's class filed out. I looked at them all. None were Cassandra.

I peeked around the doorframe and saw the teacher sitting behind her desk, a young girl asking a question about photosynthesis. I waited at the door as the question was explained and the girl closed her book, heading to her desk to gather her things. I cleared my throat causing Sharon to look in my direction. Her face brightened slightly and she stood, adjusting her skirt as she approached me. "Hello, Janet. I assume everything is taken care of?"

Uh-oh. "Taken care of?" My palms felt sweaty.

Sharon's face went pale. "Oh, my God. No one called you?"

Everything stopped making sense at that moment.

---

Samantha Carter's fingers flew across the keyboard, instantly changing the programmed heading of her newest toy. She turned in her seat, fixing her gaze on the computer screen a few feet away from her position. The sandy horizon pictured on the screen was tilted at a forty-five degree angle, continuing to turn horizontally as it began to receive her latest instructions. She suppressed a laugh as she turned back to her keyboard, typing in another heading. That done, she rolled to the monitor and watched as the UAV rose into the sky a full fifty feet before it turned and dive-bombed the dunes of the desert planet. It corrected at the last second, the propeller blades on it's nose kicking up dirt and momentarily obscuring the camera.

"I assume this is more than just... flying a toy airplane?"

She smiled, recognizing the voice immediately. General Hammond bent at the waist, watching the small mechanical plane soar over the sand dunes. As she typed in the last bit of directional information, she turned to face him. "Actually, Sir, at this point that's basically all it is. I tested the UAV's capabilities on the Tollan homeworld, but I was curious as the the accuracy. So, I sent another UAV unit to Abydos and I'm comparing these reading to the ones initially reported by the MALP. So far, so good, Sir. I think I can safely say we have another method of obtaining atmospherical information from worlds we visit in the future."

A smile teased the older Texan's lips and he nodded. "Good work, Major." He glanced at the active Stargate, then said, "How long has that thing been open?"

"Uh," she glanced at her watch. "About ten minutes, Sir." She winced as she said it, knowing what was coming next.

He nodded, then said, "Why don't you close it down? We may have people trying to get home."

With a quiet "Yes, Sir," she did as he asked. She ordered the UAV to land near the Stargate and sent the signal to disconnect the wormhole. They would retrieve the airplane later, when they had the time to spare. Before she relinquished her chair to it's normal occupant, she jotted down a few notes about improvements to the unit that had come to her during the trial. That done, she stood and headed for the elevators. She had a little time and, granting she wasn't interrupted, could get the schematics drawn up before she left for the night.

Left for the night. The words still tasted funny on her tongue... not too long ago, she had been practically obsessed with her work, not surprised when she looked at the clock to discover she had gone twenty-four hours without eating. But now... she had a family waiting. She smiled and held the clipboard in front of herself as she boarded the elevator. A family. The thought caused a warm glow to radiate from beneath her chest. It was a feeling she'd never gotten with any boyfriend and hadn't *really* felt even after accepting Jonas' proposal.

The elevator stopped and she stepped out, allowing all thoughts of Janet and Cassandra to fade as she walked towards her lab. She remembered her first day at Stargate Command and the words Hammond had spoken to her: 'This lab is basically open to everyone on the base, but feel free to use it.' From that day forward, the small room had become Sam's lab to everyone who knew about it. No ifs, ands or buts.

She dropped her clipboard on the table and turned on her computer, just beginning to get comfortable when the telephone rang. The captain supressed a sigh and stood, walking to the wall-mounted phone. She wondered for the millionth time why they didn't have phones on their *desks* where it could do some good and plucked the receiver off it's rest. "Captain Carter," she said.

"Captain," came an anonymous airman's voice, "We have an incoming call for you from Myers Junior High. Please hold for connection." There was a pause, then a double-click, then the familiar sound of a phone ringing. The phone was answered immediately and Sam heard the calm, soothing voice of a woman she assumed to be the school secretary.

"Captain Carter? You were on the emergency call list for Cassandra Fraiser. There's... been an incident."

The captain's heart plummeted to the soles of her boots.

---

My brain ached. I could feel the pressure pounding against my temples, the evidence of a headache that had been building while I had been unconscious. I forced my eyes open and tried to focus on my surroundings. I failed. All I could make out was the fuzzy outline of a blonde head as a soft hand gripped mine. I moaned, trying to clear my mind. "Sam?" I groaned, trying to sit up.

"No, it's Sharon Newberry... Cassandra's teacher." She smoothed my hair out of my face, letting her cool fingers linger on my forehead. "Are you okay? You took a nasty fall. I think you knocked yourself cold."

Everything came rushing back to me in that instant. I opened my eyes wide, blinking as I tried to search the office. "Cass. Where-where is Cassandra?"

Sharon held me down, her hands firm on my shoulders. "She's fine, fine... It's not important."

I moved her hands and sat up, swinging my legs over the edge of the couch I'd been spread out on. I held my head, trying to stop the pounding. "What happened? You-you said there was something--"

Sharon took advantage of the vacancy next to me and lowered herself to the cushions, sitting a little too close for comfort. I tried to ignore the warmth I felt as her thigh brushed against mine. "It's nothing," she assured me. "She ate a little too much at lunch and got sick during gym class. She's totally fine, she was resting in the nurse's office, but we sent her to wait in the library." She placed her hand on my arm. "I just want to be sure you're okay."

"We'd all like to be sure of that."

The new, male voice shocked me and I looked around the room again. I had failed to notice we weren't alone. The couch on which I sat was placed against the back wall of a spacious office, next to a door that was closed at the moment. Directly ahead of me was a beautiful oak desk, which was topped with a laptop computer and stacks of colored papers. The wall behind the desk was decorated with various degrees, most of which I assumed were for teaching, and the seal of the United States Navy. The seal wasn't surprising, considering the man who was perched on the edge of the desk. I had met Principal Alan Kline once before, when I was enrolling Cassandra.

Principal Kline was an imposing man who kept his hair short, a by-product of his time in the service, I assumed. The color of his hair was unusually orange, reminiscent of pumpkins or leaves in the fall. His face was shaped like a spade, his eyes fixed in a permanent squint that was currently focused on me. His body looked as if it had once rivaled Teal'c in the muscle department, but it had softened after years behind a desk. When he spoke, his voice was clear and loud, like that of a drill sergeant well-trained in making disorderly trainees stay in line. "Are you sure you're not suffering any ill effects from the incident?"

My reply was cut off my the door slamming open. Samantha Carter burst into the office, her eyes scanning Principal Kline, Sharon Newberry and finally me. The secretary entered a few seconds later, apparently thinking Sam was a security threat. I stood and said, "Sam," moving to my lover's side. She wrapped me in her arms and the secretary decided she was no longer concerned. Kline waved to her and she disappeared, closing the door behind herself. I stepped back from Sam, fighting tears. The captain was still wearing her blue jumpsuit, but all identifying insignia - most notably the SG-1 tag on her shoulder and the SGC mark on the other - had been stripped away. She ran a hand through her mussed hair and looked to Principal Kline. "I was told there was an incident?"

Kline smiled, his lips moving together in an amused pinch. "Cassandra was a bit ill, but it was your friend that gave us the biggest scare." I noticed how he said 'friend.' For some reason, it made me like the man a bit less. "She had a small episode in Ms. Newberry's class."

"I'm afraid I'm the one to blame for that," Sharon said. She was looking intently at my hand, which was currently wrapped tightly within Sam's. "I broke the news about Cassandra's illness rather... bluntly. I assumed she knew."

Sam was looking at Sharon again. "What kind of illness? Is Cassie okay?"

Kline stood. "She's fine." He repeated the information he had given me, then said, "If everything is in order, I'd like to put an end to this meeting." He checked his watch. "The janitors get a little antsy if I'm here too long after school ends." He moved away from his desk and walked to the door, holding it open for us. He gave a slight nod and said, "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Samantha. And you, Ms. Fraiser--"

Sharon suddenly said, "Doctor." We all turned to look at her and she nervously tugged her ear. "She's... a doctor."

Kline let his gaze linger on his employee for a moment, then turned back to me. "Pleasure meeting you, Dr. Fraiser. Cassie is in the library and I assume you can find your own way out?"

I nodded and Sam let me lean on her as we left the office. Behind us, I could hear Mr. Kline asking Sharon if she could 'stay behind for just a moment.' I gripped Sam's hand tightly and whispered, "Thank you for coming for me."

She rubbed my shoulder and asked, "Are you sure you're okay? It's not like you to--"

"I know," I snapped, immediately regretting the sharpness of my tone. I touched my fingers to the bridge of my nose and shook my head slowly. "I'm... can we talk about it later?"

"Yes, of course sweety." She raised our joined hands and kissed my knuckles. "I hate thinking you were hurt." I pressed against her side, leaning my head on her shoulder. She rubbed my shoulder and promised, "Let's go get Cassandra and get home... then, I'll show you the meaning of the word 'pampering.' Sound good?"

"Sounds heavenly... just heavenly."

The library's heavy glass doors squeaked as we pulled them open and we passed through a large frame that I assume scanned for stolen books hidden away in backpacks. I eyed the contraption, wondering how bad the school systems were getting that even the libraries needed scanners. Of course, if the students were stealing books, would that be good or bad? I decided to push this thought aside and scanned the library. Dozens of shelves lined the walls, branching into rows that created a labryinth through the room. I wondered how we would ever find Cassie in this maze.

Sam spotted a woman behind a desk, busily running her scanner over several bar codes as she prepared to close up for the day. She looked up as we approached and smiled, indicating the far side of the library. "Cassie?" she asked. I nodded and she elaborated, "She's on the other side of those shelves. Working on homework, I think."

We followed the woman's direction, slipping into the maze of shelves and following the dark corridors they formed until we exited in a large open area populated by long, wooden tables. Cassandra was seated at the farthest one, a short redheaded girl sitting across from her. Cassie was busy filling in answers on a worksheet, occasionally glancing at her textbook to make sure the answer was right. The girl she was with was thumbing through her World History book. I cleared my throat, causing both girls to look in our direction.

Cassandra was on her feet, running to me in the blink of an eye. She wrapped her arms around my waist, inadvertantly pulling me away from Sam. The other girl just stood nervously, gathering her things. Cassie smiled and stepped back. "Are you okay, Mom? Ms. Newberry said you passed out."

"I'm fine," I promised. "Who's your friend?" I indicated the redheaded girl.

"That's Rebecca," Cassie explained. "She knew I had to stay after school and wanted to keep me company."

I smiled. "Well, that's very kind of you, Rebecca. Do you need a ride home?"

She shook her head and said, "My mom is the librarian. She wanted to make sure Cassie had a way home before she left."

I rubbed Cassie's back and said, "Well, I'd like to thank you for keeping my daughter company. That was very kind of you. Cass, why don't you go get your stuff, huh?"

Cassie walked back to the table, eagerly shoving her worksheet and books back into her bookbag. She said goodbye to Rebecca and promised to bring 'the tape' tomorrow. Rebecca said she was glad Cassie felt better and promised to save a seat for her at lunch. With that, Rebecca disappeared into the maze of shelves in search of her mother. Cassandra returned to me and I took her hand. "Rebecca seems nice," I noted.

"Yeah, she's pretty nice. I sat with her at lunch today." Her head lowered and she admitted, "I ate too much."

"That's okay," I assured her. "Just go easy tomorrow, okay? You don't have to spend *all* the money I give you." I glanced back at Sam, noticing she was following us with her hands buried in her pockets. I mouthed, 'What's wrong?' receiving only a shrug in response. I reached back with my free hand and took hers, squeezing it softly and pulling her to my side. We exited the library hand-in-hand-in-hand, me in the middle. Halfway to the car, Sam nudged me and squeezed my hand. I returned the squeeze. Me and my women. I couldn't have been happier in that moment.

Little did I know that sometimes, happiness can only grow.

Chapter Three

Cassandra deposited her dishes in the sink and began running the water over them. Sam approached from behind, helping the girl with the dishwashing liquid and squirting some into the basin. As the water level rose, they talked about the girl's first day at school and her new friend Rebecca. The basic conclusion was that Cassie liked school, but wasn't too thrilled about spending most of every day there. Sam assured her it was for the best and then challenged the girl to a deathmatch on the new videogame system they had received from Jack O'Neill.

Sam dismissed the girl to set up the video game, promising she would follow shortly. Alone again, Sam let her mind wander to the incident at the school. She wondered about her new lover's health, worried about what had actually caused the normally composed Dr. Fraiser to lose it like that. The dishes were clean long before Sam had an answer, so she abandoned the thought and joyfully moved to the living room to join Cassandra in a battle for the fate of some obscure alien planet. 'Art imitates life,' she thought as she picked up the controller to play the part of the video game's heroine.

---

It was dark when I finally woke up. I could hear soft music playing on the CD player next to my bed and wondered for a moment when I had turned it on. Before putting me to bed, Sam had stripped me of my clothes (just wanting to make sure I could sleep comfortably, of course), so the cool sheets were heaven against my bare skin as I stretched beneath them. The nap had rejuvenated me, taken the stress from the incident at school and banished it to the back of my mind. I stretched my arms over the head, enjoying the soft music that I assumed Sam had picked for me. It was extremely relaxing and, if I didn't get up soon, it was going to lull me back to sleep.

Moving slowly, savoring every brush of silk sheets against my skin, I scooted into a sitting position and began groping for the lamp. Before I found the pull, I heard a voice to my right whisper, "Leave it off... just for a bit."

I gasped, turning to face the speaker in the darkness. All of the curtains were opened, casting a little bit of light from outside into my bedroom. I could make out Sam's shape, but it would take a minute or so to see her features. I slid lower and reached out for her hand. She met me halfway and let our hands drop to the mattress. I whispered, "Hi," my voice thick with the gravel of sleep. I cleared my throat, resting my head once more on my pillow. "What time 'sit?"

"Ten," she said. "A little past, actually."

I grinned in the darkness. "Were you watching me sleep?"

"You looked so beautiful. I came in to wake you up for dinner and... I couldn't bear to disturb you." She anticipated my next question and said, "I put Cassandra to bed at nine, then came in here. I love watching you sleep."

Her thumb was rubbing the outside of my hand. I wondered if she was naked or if she had changed clothes. When I had gone to sleep, she was still wearing her blue jumpsuit. I rolled onto my side, resting my hand on her hip and sliding it up. I had my answer; Samantha Carter was as naked as I was. "I watched you sleep last night. You're beautiful, too."

My eyes were getting used to the darkness now. I could see her smile, the dim light flickering across her teeth as she turned away from me. "I wanna talk to you, Janet. About... about today."

Uh-oh. "I don't... want to talk about it. I was just a little tired and I..."

"I've seen you work twenty-four hour shifts without batting an eyelash, Janet." Her tone was hard, but comforting. I bit my lip and buried my face in the pillow. "I talked to Ms. Newberry on the phone earlier; she was calling to make sure you and Cass were both okay. She told me that you passed out the second she mentioned something was wrong with Cassandra. What happened?"

I sat up again, reaching for and pulling the cord to turn on my bedside lamp. Sam blinked in the sudden onslaught of light, then sat up and pulled me closer. I ran my fingers through her hair and allowed myself to think about the actual cause of my fainting spell. I didn't want to admit it to her, barely wanted to tell *myself* this was the reason. I sniffled and said, "It makes me sound so selfish."

Sam was silent, allowing me to explain without interruption.

"When I f-first met you, I knew that there was something special about you. I wanted to tell you every day how I felt, but I just couldn't force myself to tell you. So every time you went through that damned Stargate, I was afraid that it would be the mission you didn't come back from. That you would die before I had a chance to tell you how I really felt. And... now that I've told you, I'm afraid that every mission will be your last and I'll have to say good-bye to you. I'm constantly afraid that I'll be left alone. It's like a waiting game; waiting for the bombshell.

"And then, there's Cassie. God, she was-was so small... and frail... and I just love her so much that I constantly wonder if I missed something during all of our exams. I'm worried that Nirrti did something to her that we haven't caught yet and the big trap is on it's way. So I'm waiting for *that* bombshell to explode, too. All of this... anticipation has been boiling up inside of me and when Ms. Newberry told me something had happened... I thought 'This it is. The big one,' and I allowed all of that-that dread and anxiety to pour out of my body. It was too overwhelming and... I passed out." During the story, I had started crying. My eyes were red, my nose running like a faucet. When I finally stopped talking, I felt the sobs rising in my throat.

Sam grabbed for me, wrapping her arms around my waist and holding me tight. She didn't try to tell me that I was worrying for nothing. She didn't try to tell me that nothing bad would happen. She just held me. She let me cry on her shoulder, let me get all of my tears out before she started brushing my hair out of my face. I clung to her body like it was a life preserver; I felt like my bed had become an ocean and I had rocks tied to my feet. I sobbed like a child, clinging to my lover's bare shoulders.

My body was shaking when the tears finally dried. I sniffled a few times, sitting up and brushing at my eyes. Sam handed me a t-shirt and allowed me to blot my face with it. That done, I turned out the lamp and reclined against her, my arms draped loosely over her midsection. I listened to the steady rhythm of her breathing as I tried to drift off to sleep. Finally, I heard her whisper, "I'm sorry."

I sat up, searching for her eyes in the darkness. I couldn't find them by sight alone, so I raised one hand and skimmed my fingers over her features. I cupped her cheek in my hand and asked, "Sorry? For what?"

"I'm sorry I worry you, Janet." She kissed my palm and said, "I'm sorry for taking stupid risks." She nibbled on the pad of my thumb. "I'll quit, sweetheart. If you want me to. If it'll make you feel better that I'm safe, I'll tell General Hammond I just want a desk job. Work on UAVs and MALPs. I'll do it."

I kissed the hollow of her throat and said, "You do that, Samantha Carter, and you might as well hand Apophis an iris code. There's no way you'll quit." I found her lips and kissed her. "But thank you for offering. Thank you."

We lay together quietly for a while, until our light touches became slightly more urgent. We began to massage each other, exploring the contours we were more than happy to reacquaint ourselves with. I rolled on top of her, our bodies moving in the gentle, now-familiar rhythm of making love. As we moved together, our hands linked. I felt my fingers wrapping around hers and she squeezed my hand lovingly. We clutched each other as we climaxed mere seconds apart, our bodies falling still once more.

Afterward, I curled myself in her arms and kissed the upper swell of her right breast. "I love you, Sam," I whispered, resting my head on her chest. I could tell she was moving her jaw, but no words came out. She didn't reply. I laid my hand on her stomach and traced the circle of her navel with my fingertip. In the past, lovers had failed to respond to my affirmation of love, but it had seldom been a large problem. Now, it was a gigantic problem. I knew Sam loved me, but she had yet to say the words.

Forcing myself to move on, I kissed her breast again and said, "Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, darling," she whispered. I could've sworn I heard tears in her voice. I pulled myself closer to her body and closed my eyes. There had to be a reason she didn't reciprocate. I felt her hand in my hair, toying with the long strands. I fell asleep with her fingers in my hair, the soft light from the window washing over me, and the quiet sounds of the CD she had started playing in my ear. If she had just said she loved me, the moment would have been perfection.

---

The next morning came and went without mention of my unrequited expression of love. I dressed for work and Sam, unfortunately, was also slated for duty. Most of Cassandra's built-in babysitters comprised SG-1, which meant that none of them were available. As Sam and Cassie ate breakfast, I headed across the street in my uniform and stood on my neighbor's porch. Reluctantly, I rang the doorbell. Our initial meeting with the woman had seemed tense, mostly due to Sam's immediate dislike of the woman. She had assumed Sam and I were lovers and had merely inquired which agency we used to adopt Cassie. It was a harmless enough mistake, but I could feel the hatred seeping out of Sam's body.

Abigail Tierney answered the door dressed in a sensible business suit, her head tilted to one side as she fixed an earring in place. She smiled when she saw me, then said, "Hi, uh... Dr. Fraiser, right?"

"Right," I said, fidgeting with my jacket. "We've hit a bit of a snafu... you see, Sam and I are both on duty until about nine tonight and we were wondering if there were any local babysitters who might be willing to watch Cassandra until we show up. Any local, cheap babysitters."

Abigail smiled and smoothed her skirt, slipping her feet into a pair of high heels. "Gosh, ah... the only girl I know of is Bethany, but she's busy this afternoon. But David, that's my husband, he manages to get out of the office by three-thirty every day and keeps an eye on our kids. I'm sure he wouldn't mind another."

"Are you sure? I mean, I'd hate to put anybody out--"

"No trouble whatsoever." She was already retrieving a cell phone from her briefcase and dialing a number. After a few seconds, she said, "Hey, David? The woman across the street was wondering if you'd mind keeping on eye on her daughter this afternoon. Yes, the Air Force woman." She rolled her eyes. "Her name is Dr. Fraiser, David."

I mouthed, "Janet."

She smiled. "Janet Fraiser. Her daughter's name... uh--" I mouthed that, too. "Cassandra. Yeah. She goes to school with Emily, so you should be able to pick them up at the same time... Okay. They'll be gone until about nine, so... yes, David. Okay. Love you, too. Okay. Bye." She hung up and smiled. "Hope Cassandra likes chicken. David's picking up a bucket of the colonel's finest on the way home." She paused and looked at my uniform, then said, "Hey, you didn't know Colonel Sanders, did you?"

I smirked. "A little before my time."

Abigail laughed and stepped out of the house, closing the door behind herself. "Just a tad, huh?" I followed her to the garage, expressing my thanks to her and inquiring what I could do to repay her. She rebuffed my offer of payment, then turned and said, "Actually... there *is* something I'd like. I'd like to have dinner with you and Cassandra. Feel free to bring a date or whatever. I'm one of those weirdos who actually likes getting to know her neighbors. Besides, it's the least you could do. I'm taking your brat all night on short notice." She winked, taking the sting out of her barb, and checked her watch.

"I... will be sure to make plans. I'm one of those weirdos, too." The garage door slowly began to rise and I stepped back, looking inside and seeing a little girl about Cassandra's age. It was she who had pushed the button to activate the door. I said good-bye to Abigail, promised again that I'd fit dinner into my schedule sometime in the near future and headed across the street to inform Cassie of her playdate. I had managed to sidestep the babysitting land mine, but had stepped directly onto another. Should I show up with no one on my arm or should I reveal my sexual orientation to my neighbors? Doing the former, Sam would no doubt feel left out. But with the latter, I ran the risk of alienating my neighbors and risked them giving the Air Force a friendly little phone call.

So many problems. I decided to put the dinner plans on the back burner and get in an appropriate mindset for work.

---

"Sam." It was a quiet plea. Hopefully enough to get the message across. It wasn't.

"S-sa-aam..." Not so quiet. Muffled, though, and still ineffective.

"SAM!"

I snapped her name, punctuating the statement with a gentle backwards shove. Sam's lips were finally separated from mine and we both took a well-needed breath of air. I cleared my throat and smiled, moving my hand from her shoulder to gently squeeze her breast. "I would love to spend all day like this, but we can only go to a certain point before... we're unable to stop." I winked. "Wouldn't want you all hot and bothered when you go through the Stargate, now would we?"

She smiled and adjusted herself on my lap, scooting her hips closer to my stomach. She was straddling my hips, her boots hanging down on either side of my chair. The door was closed, locked, and the window blinds were all closed. Unfortunately, though, there were only a certain number of things we could do before it got out of hand. Sam had almost crossed that line. I kissed her just below her ear. She sighed and said, "When I get home?"

"I'm all yours, baby. Tonight, right?"

She nodded. "It's a simple survey. MALP picked up some kind of large power source near the Stargate. Hammond is hoping we can find something useful... maybe a generator to cut down on the cost of keeping this place up and running." She kissed my jawline, skimming her lips from my chin to my ear. "It's a cake walk."

I pulled away, raising my lips to her ear and nibbling playfully on the lobe. "Don't get many of those."

Quietly, she pulled herself up and away from my lips. "You're right," she whispered. "Can't cross that line."

I reclined in my chair and said, "Have a good mission, babe." She headed for the door, adding a swing to her hips that I'm certain was just for my benefit. She unlocked and pulled the door open. A moment before she disappeared from sight, I called in a quiet but carrying voice, "I love you, Sam." Her hand froze on the doorknob. Time seemed to have frozen. Finally, she let the door close completely without returning the words I longed to hear. I leaned forward, propping my head in my hands.

Why didn't she want to say it? She showed me every time we were together. She let me know in her eyes... I loved her, she loved me. It was right out there, sitting next to our hearts on our sleeves. Would it be that horrible to actually admit how she felt in words? I decided I was being silly and pushed all thoughts of those three little words out of my mind. I had other things to do at the moment. I gathered my things and stood, making sure my blouse and skirt were presentable before I left the office.

Dr. Warner had everything under control in the infirmary, so I told him I'd be in the control room if I was needed. He agreed to hold down the fort and I walked quickly to the elevators. The short ride was enough for me to convince myself I was being foolish about the 'I love you' thing. Sam would see I had come to wish her farewell, then everything would be copacetic between us again. I shouldn't be forcing the issue this soon; we were two tiny weeks into our courtship, she'd never had a female lover before and everything was a bit scary at the moment. At the end of my rationalization, I didn't blame her for not returning the declaration.

The control room was buzzing with activity, as it always was before a jump. I stood beside General Hammond, burying my hands in the pockets of my lab jacket. "Everything all right, Doctor?"

"Fine, Sir." I said. "Just wanted to see SG-1 off." I forced a smile and looked into the Gate Room, seeing Daniel, Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c milling about by the ramp. As Chevron Five was locking, the doors opened and Sam moved quickly to join them. She glanced at the Control Room, eyes brightening slightly when she spotted me. I saw a flicker of a smile on her lips, but it quickly vanished. The Stargate roared to life seconds later and SG-1 was once again on a journey across the cosmos. Jack O'Neill glanced up as well, offering me his trademark smirk. I offered a polite wave.

Sam walked up the ramp, cradling her gun to her chest. Just before stepping through the event horizon, she paused and watched the ripples a few inches from her face. She seemed almost mesmerized by it. Then, she stepped through and was gone. My heart quickened as soon as she was out of sight. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones. I felt my heartrate quicken and wondered if my uneasiness had gone unnoticed.

I forced myself to ignore my intuition and turned to Hammond. "I'll be in the Infirmary... if anyone needs me."

He nodded slightly and I walked away, praying no one would need me.

---

"Dear God..."

I had never wanted to be so accurate in my intuition. I raced across the room, slamming my hand against the security button that caused klaxons all over the base to ignite. SG-1 - or whatever they were - still stood behind me, pretending to be as frightened and shocked as I was. I picked up the phone, grateful I didn't drop the receiver in my haste, and spoke in crisp, clear tones to the man on the other end. "Alert! Security to the infirmary!"

Daniel Jackson turned, shocked. "Security? Dr. Fraiser, it *is* us."

I glanced at Sam, then realized it was easier to be impartial while looking at Daniel. "Just... don't come any closer." I concentrated on Colonel O'Neill and Daniel, keeping my eyes away from the one that resembled Sam. I knew one look into those soulful blue eyes would make me crumble. I stood firm as Hammond entered, thankfully taking over for me. I doubt I would've been able to order Sam to the holding cells. When the lookalike and her team filed past, I pointedly looked away, telling myself that this was *not* my Sam... not the woman I had held and cried with. Not the Sam I loved.

Once they were gone, General Hammond turned to me and softly inquired as to X-Rays. I told him that I had already ordered them and they would be done within an hour. He congratulated me, telling me I had 'done well' and walked off, his vocal pat on the back doing nothing to ease my mind. That white blood... God... was that inside of Sam, too?

She's not Sam, I told myself. She. Is. Not. Sam.

The phrase became my mantra as I started going through the motions to prepare the X-Rays. The orderlies rushed off at my command. I was the CMO. I was in charge. I gave the orders, and I could give hell if my orders weren't followed to the letter. I was the head honcho. I ruled the infirmary and I was unshakeable. But all I wanted to do was curl into a ball in the corner and cry. Sam was missing, replaced by some robotic creature.

The bombshell had dropped.

---

The cursor blinked at the top of the screen, mocking me. How could I possibly begin? How could I...

I angrily turned off the computer, standing up and kicking my chair against the wall. This was impossible. It couldn't be happening. A dream. This was a dream.

Nightmare.

Every time I closed my eyes, I could see that damned scalpel cutting through Colonel O'Neill's forearm. I couldn't stop thinking about those mechanical parts inside of him. They were no longer human. Some... bastard on some alien world had replaced them with robotic duplicates. I had tried to remain calm and professional while diagnosing them. Had managed to fake calm when calling security on my lover and her teammates. Thank God I had an office to cry in.

I paced nervously, trying to come up with something - anything - to explain what had happened on P3X-989. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to look at the past few hours from a detached standpoint. SG-1 had been examined before they were able to give a mission briefing, so we had no idea what had transpired during the three hours they were away. All we really knew was that some 'son of a bitch,' as Colonel O'Neill had called him, had done something. But what? They seemed to know everything about the real SG-1, right down to the names of General Hammond's nieces. The colonel had known when General Hammond's wife had died and *I* didn't even know that.

There was a quiet knock on the door and a nurse entered. "Dr. Fraiser? The..." She searched for the right word and finally said, "The robotic Captain Carter has been prepped for an X-Ray."

I cleared my throat and thanked her, pausing to check my reflection before heading out to interact with other people. Two airmen were standing inside of the room that held the X-Ray machine. Sam was sitting on the bed, wearing a hospital gown and looking positively delicious. I forced myself to not think of her as my lover and entered the room. "Hello, Captain Carter," I said, keeping my voice neutral. "Please lay down on the bed and we'll have this done in a minute."

"Janet..." she whispered. Her hand brushed mine as I passed and I shivered involuntarily. "Can we talk? Alone?"

I glanced at the airmen, noticing that they were watching every move I made. "No," I said firmly. I wanted to call her something, but I couldn't think of anything that would apply to this... poseur. So instead, I called her nothing. "We cannot talk, alone or otherwise. Please, lay on the bed and this will all be over soon."

She blinked and whispered, "Janet. Please..."

"You will refer to me as Dr. Fraiser," I asserted, hoping the tears in my eyes weren't as visible as they felt. "Lay on the table or I will be forced to have the airmen move you." She reluctantly lowered her back to the bed and I began to process of photographing her insides. Robotic, just like Colonel O'Neill and Daniel had been. I sighed and rested my head on the cool machinery, then turned to the airmen. "Take her back to the cell and bring Teal'c. You may want a few more airmen to help you with him."

They nodded, helping Sam off the bed and leading her to a changing room. When she emerged, she was again wearing the unusual skin-tight black outfit, her sad blue eyes aimed downward. I forced myself not to be emotionally drained by this... robot and prepared the machine for Teal'c's exam.

---

The two men on either side held Sam Carter in a vice-like grip, their fingers hurting her apparently synthetic flesh. She didn't try to struggle, didn't fight them for her freedom. She had been sapped of energy by her encounter with Janet Fraiser. 'She thinks you're a robot,' she told herself. 'She probably thinks it's a Goa'uld trap. I don't blame her for being so cold.' The captain forced herself to push all thoughts of Janet aside and focus on the problem at hand: mainly, getting back into her real body so she and Janet could make up for their respective coldness.

She was deposited in the cells and Teal'c was led away. Colonel O'Neill and Daniel were sitting at the table in the center of the room, talking about some boring subject or another. She walked past them, climbing onto the top bunk and curling into a tight ball. As her teammates argued quietly, she cried into her pillow.

Chapter Four

The Stargate stood open, awaiting the return of SG-1. I could feel my pulse racing as I watched the shimmering blue surface a few yards ahead, hoping and praying that the team arrived safe this time. This was *not* going to be the mission that I lost Sam on. It couldn't be. I was about to ask out loud if there was a problem when the event horizon wavered and the flagship team stepped through. All four started down the ramp and the wormhole shut down. I was out of the control room and past the guards before anyone had a chance to stop me. General Hammond was right on my heels.

O'Neill was looking at the guns aimed in his general direction, eyebrow cocked. "General... I assume that the... Robo-Team caused some problems while we were away?"

"Assume?" Hammond asked. "So, they weren't really you?"

Sam shook her head. "No, Sir. Harlan - the man who created the robot duplicates - simply copied us. He needed help to keep his world from falling down around his ears so... I guess we were just likely candidates."

I stepped forward, pretending to pick Sam at random and checked her pulse. Strong and steady. When I released her hand, I allowed my fingers to drift over her palm in a quiet statement of relief. "She has a pulse, General. So far, so good."

He nodded, then said, "Report to the infirmary for X-Rays and blood tests. Meet me in the briefing room as soon as it's done."

Colonel O'Neill agreed and held his arms out. "Lead the way, doc. We're your guinea pigs to poke, prod and probe."

I winked at him and said, "I thought you liked the probe, Colonel."

He graced me with his trademark smirk and brushed past me, already heading to the infirmary. When I had first arrived, it had taken chloroform and three airmen to get him to the infirmary for an exam. Now, I had convinced him that the sooner he did it, the sooner it was done and the longer until the next one. It was a kind of fuzzy logic, but it had worked. I playfully tugged on the sleeve of Sam's jacket and led her from the Gate Room.

---

"Blood p-pressure is normal. I... uh, I think reaction time is within acceptable limits." I licked my lips. "G-good muscle tone." Sam gripped the side of the bed as my fingers manuevered below her hospital gown. With my free hand, I smoothed the gown over her left breast and flattened my palm against her chest. I closed my eyes and reported, "Heart rate... seems elevated." I gasped as my hand was suddenly warm and wet. I looked up at her and said, "Patient seems to have concluded physical examination without warning."

Sam smiled, pushing herself up into a sitting position. "Sorry, sweetheart... when do I get to examine you?"

I pulled her forward, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. I licked her top lip when we separated and said, "Tonight. I promise." I withdrew my hand, pausing to lick it clean. I was glad I had opted not to wear a rubber glove for this exam. Sam slipped off the bed, pulling her gown over her head and finding her underwear. She was sweating, so I picked up a towel and rubbed down her back as she slipped her panties on. She sighed, tossing her hair out of her eyes. I squeezed her shoulder, then kissed her neck. "You had me worried," I whispered. "I thought... maybe--"

She turned and cupped my face. "I'm fine, Janet. I never *wasn't* fine. I'm sorry I scared you again."

I looked into her eyes and saw an immeasurable sadness there. "Don't worry about me, Sam. I'll be fine." I kissed the tip of her nose and said, "Now finish getting dressed before Warner comes asking what's taking so long." During the routine exams, I had 'come up with' the brilliant idea to do a sort of spot check; a total exam of one member of the team at random to make sure that Harlan hadn't pulled a fast one on us. I almost kissed Teal'c on his mouth when he suggested that 'perhaps a female would be more comfortable with the invasive exam.' Sam, of course, had readily agreed.

While Sam was fastening her trousers, I left the exam room carrying the clipboard of legitimate information I had obtained during my 'exam.' I filled out several blank spots, then slid the clipboard into the appropriate slot to be filed later. Across the infirmary, I saw Dr. Warner assisting Ferreti with a leg splint. Sam exited the room, following my line of sight and smiling. "Ferreti," she said. "Who's here more, him or Daniel?"

"It's a toss-up," I said, sliding my hand from her shoulder to her elbow. "What're you getting for dinner tonight?"

"Oh." She looked at her watch. It was eight-thirty. The Tierney's were only supposed to watch Cassie for another half-hour. "Actually, uh... I need to get something worked out here. Would you mind getting something?"

I shrugged. "No problem. What're you in the mood for?"

She looked at the wall, as if I had posted a menu from every restaurant in town there. Finally, she said, "Something Italian, maybe. It doesn't matter. I won't be home until late, I think." She pecked my cheek and said, "You want me to wake you when I get home?"

My hands found her hips and I pulled her into a curtained area. Once out of Warner's sight, I kissed her long and deep. "I won't be sleeping when you get home," I promised, nuzzing her cheek. "Tonight, I'm yours. Remember."

"How could I forget," she sighed, sliding her hands from the small of my back to cup the roundness of my ass. "I'll try to hurry, but I don't really know how long I'll be. I'll see you later, sweety." I smiled, licking my lips as I separated from her, watching her leave the infirmary.

Now that Sam was out of sight, I slipped back into my complete professional mode. I walked around the curtain towards Warner and his patient. "Ferreti," I snapped. "If you want Nurse Alvarez's phone number, just ask. Don't keep hurting yourself." I winked at him as I checked his chart, putting my mind off of Sam Carter.

---

I stood under the burning porch light of Abigail Tierney's house, wanting desperately to get out of my high heels. I had parked in my own driveway, putting up the garage door before heading across the street to retrieve my daughter. The doorbell chime was muffled to my ears, but I could hear activity inside of someone scurrying to respond. Finally, a lock turned and a tall, handsome man I recognized as Abigail's husband appeared. I'd seen him only once before, but he was unmistakable. He stood well over six foot, his light blonde hair receding slightly. He smiled slowly at me, as if trying to figure out where he knew me from. Turns out, he was just trying to remember my name. "Ah... Janice?"

"Janet," I corrected with a smile. "Close enough. Um... I'll take Cassie off your hands now."

David leaned on the door and said, "Actually, I don't think that would be in her best interest." I frowned, wondering if he was some kind of nut. His smile spread so slowly, I almost missed it's appearance. "She's too busy to go home right now." He motioned over his shoulder. "Emily got this new game - Jurassic Space Monster Karate Blood Fest or something like that. They've been playing it for hours. In fact, Em has a rollout bed in her room if you think Cassie would like to spend the night."

I raised my eyebrows, then said, "Um... well... sure. If it's okay with her." I hope I appeared more casual than I felt. The thought spending a night with Samantha Carter in an empty house was almost too much to bear.

David called Cassandra and she bounced around the corner with a giant grin on her face. The grin brightened when she saw me and she rushed to greet me, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Mom! I missed you so much! But Emily is soooo cool! Thanks for letting her Dad watch me today!"

Smoothing her hair, I said, "Well, Mr. Tierney has offered to let you spend the night. But if you missed me *that* much, maybe we should turn him down."

Cassandra gasped and stepped back. "Really? Oh, Mom, you're the coolest! Can I stay?"

I laughed and told her it was fine with me, so she turned and raced back to the living room to tell her friend the good news. I was about to thank David for granting me a reprieve when headlights cut across the lawn and illuminated David's blue jeans. I turned, watching as Abigail gathered her things and left her car in the driveway, wearily approaching the front door. David put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Hurry home, my love. My wife is too tired to suspect anything."

Abigail looked up and said, "Hey, if she sleeps with you, she's doin' your laundry too."

I pulled away from his hand and said, "In that case, it's over."

Abigail laughed and kissed her husband hello, slipping into the house. When she was out of sight, David said, "You can come get her any time tomorrow morning. Abby and I usually wake up around five, so someone'll be up to get the door no matter what." I thanked him once more, wishing him a good night before heading back across the street. A whole night. Just me and Sam. Imagine the possibilities...

---

"Who?!" I asked, not believing what I had just heard.

Sam bent her head down to accept her treat, but I wouldn't allow her what she wanted until she explained what she just said. She sighed and leaned back. "Dudley Moore," she said. "The man is... a comic genius. Try not to laugh at any of his movies." The seemingly innocent question had been 'who is your favorite actor.' I had said Bruce Willis, then she had sprung Dudley Moore out of nowhere.

I twirled the spoon between my index finger and thumb. "I have tried. Successfully."

Sam grabbed my wrist and angled the spoon towards herself. She swallowed the cup of the spoon and inhaled the vanilla ice cream there before leaning back. A speck of hot fudge remained on the left side of her lip, but I didn't alert her to it's presence; it was kind of cute, actually. "I don't believe that. Have you ever seen, ah... 'Unfaithfully Yours'? The movie where he's a conductor in an orchestra?"

I shrugged. "Aren't all his movies the same?"

"No!" she asserted. She scooted forward, cradling the blankets to her chest. "Okay, in the movie, he goes away for a concert and tells his friend to keep an eye on his young, beautiful wife..."

I listened to her explain the premise of the movie, but couldn't help but be distracted by my surroundings. We were sitting on my bed, the candles on the headboard and bookshelf our only source of illumination. We were both still nude following our lovemaking, the sweat on our bodies glistening in the flickering candlelight. I was laying on my side, my legs tangled in the sheet. Sam was sitting cross-legged in front of me, my blanket bundled and held in her lap. Between us was a tub of ice cream coated with hot fudge. I held the lone spoon, occasionally feeding some of the cold concoction to my lover.

"So, anyway, it ends with him drunk, stumbling around trying to kill her with... with a spoon or something," Sam said, laughing at the very thought. Her breasts were shaking with every chuckle, giving me quite a show from my perspective. "And it's just... hilarious. I mean, he's wearing the mask, she has no idea what's going on and..." She looked at me. "And you don't really care about any of this, do you?"

I grinned and sat up, pulling her face close to mine. My tongue lashed out, stroking her lip and gathering the spot of fudge she had missed. Licking my lips and then kissing her softly, I said, "Why don't we rent it sometime?"

Sam smiled, our faces still inches apart. "I just told you the whole movie... and you hate Dudley Moore."

"Well," I said, sliding closer to her. "If *you* like him, he can't be all bad. Maybe I just saw it on a bad day or something." I kissed her cheek. "I'd like to be able to enjoy movies with you."

"What if you watch the movie and you still hate it?"

"Then we have to break up and you can move in with some other crazy Dudley Moore lover." I grinned and let my hand drop into her lap. Sam watched the spoon as I placed the cold bottom against the smooth skin of her inner thigh, painting opaque lines of vanilla ice cream from her knee to her upper thigh. As casually as possible, I asked, "Say, Captain Carter, what time do you have to be at the base tomorrow?"

"Oooooh," she groaned, feeling the ice cream beginning to slide coldly down her thigh. "Ooo-ooh-nine-hundred..."

I lowered my head, flattening my tongue against her thigh and gathering all of the ice cream I had just smeared. Lapping at her upper thigh like a hungry kitten, I said between laps, "You... better get some... sleep then, I would... think."

As I moved to raise my head, I felt her fingers in my hair and her raspy voice proclaim, "Don't stop."

That was enough for me. I gently spread her legs and placed my cold tongue against her warm skin. She gasped, arching her back and lifting her ass off the mattress. She was mine.

---

Several hours later, and only a few hours before Cassandra had to leave for school, I finally allowed Sam to sleep. I traced lazy patterns on her stomach, playing with the fine hairs that led to her pubic area as I considered our relationship. Did she see me as just a casual sex partner? Could *that* be why she hadn't said she loved me yet? My fingers traced a line from the apex of her legs, around her belly button, then mapped the path between her breasts. When I reached her face, I cupped her cheek in my hand and turned her face to mine. She was so beautiful, her eyelids fluttering as she dreamed, her lips slightly parted.

I brushed my thumb over her bottom lip, then leaned down and kissed her. This woke her from her slumber and her eyes turned on me. The brilliant cerulean hue was obscured by the curtain of sleep. "Janet?" she asked.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Go back to sleep."

She scooted closer to me and I brushed her hair out of her face, cradling her to my breast as she tried to reclaim her slumber. Before she passed out, I asked, "Sam? Are we still on for this weekend?"

I thought I felt her shiver when she replied, "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Janet."

As she slept, I scanned the bedroom. Our sheets and blanket were on the floor, out of reach by hand. The candles had all burned themselves out. The tub of ice cream, foolishly left in place when we began again, had toppled to the floor and was now probably staining the carpet. My mouth felt sticky from all the vanilla I had eaten that night. I rested my head on the pillow, absently stroking Sam's hair as she slept.

---

I spent the rest of the week in anticipation of Friday. When it finally rolled around, I felt like a kid who had finally reached her birthday. The entire day was wasted flipping from one insipid TV show to another until I finally gave up and started cleaning the house. Sam refused to let me pack for myself, so I had nothing trip-related to do. When she bounced in the door at 6:30, I was busy running a moist washcloth over the kitchen counter. I glanced over my shoulder at her and smiled broadly, tossing the rag into the sink. "Hey! I didn't hear your bike pull up. You ready for dinner?"

"Definitely," she said, stepping closer. "Are you ready for your surprise trip?"

She slouched, allowing me to press my forehead to hers. "Absolutely."

"Good," she said. "Cassandra?"

I motioned with my chin at the front of the house. "Eating over at the Tierneys tonight." After a quick discussion and an explanation of the weekend plans (without revealing that Sam and I would be sharing a hotel room), Abigail had practically begged me to let her watch Cassandra. The girls had both been thrilled and I finally relented. It would be easier than dropping her off and picking her up at the colonel's (plus I doubted she'd pick up as many bad habits from the Tierneys). I stepped back, displaying my outfit. I was wearing an unbuttoned green vest over a plain white t-shirt and some light brown slacks. "Is this nice enough for where we're going to eat?"

She looked me up and down, then turned me around and playfully squeezed my ass. "Nice enough," she chuckled. "You about ready to go?"

"I've been ready all day. C'mon." We linked arms and headed for the garage.

---

Dinner was sublime. Shrimp Alfredo from Primo's, a delicious restaurant Sam and I had discovered a together a few months earlier. We'd eaten our first meal as friends there, so it had sort of become our place. The waiter - a nice kid with a lisp named Nathaniel - knew us by name. We always tried not to laugh when he greeted his favorite customers: Janet and Tham. We usually failed. I looked down at my plate in resignation, eyeing the remaining portion of noodles. "I don't think I can finish it... but it looks so good," I complained.

"Want a Puppy Plate?" she asked.

I snickered at the colloquialism. When I first heard her use it, I had immediately corrected her. She continued to use it and now, I found the whole thing unbearably cute. "Sure, Sam. Get me a Puppy Plate."

Nathaniel answered her raised index finger and approached quickly, clasping his hands behind his back. "Yeth, ladieth? How may I thervith you?"

Sam smirked at me, then asked, "May we have a Puppy Plate, please?"

Nathaniel frowned, then looked at me. I smiled, feeling sorry for him, and explained, "A to-go box."

He smiled at her, then winked and said, "Of courth. Right away, mith." He plucked my plate of the table and disappeared into the kitchen.

Sam leaned forward, covering her face with both hands. "God... maybe we should give him a tip tonight: Take speech classes." She shook her head and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be laughing at him. I've been in that boat bef--" She stopped speaking so quickly, I wondered if maybe someone had hit her mute button.

I looked up at her, raising my eyebrow slowly. "You've what?"

She blushed, realizing she had given herself away. "Ah..." She looked around, as if expecting someone to rush in and rescue her from the embarrassment of what she was about to say. "When... I was in the third grade, I had this very proper teacher named Mrs. Richards. I--" She pursed her lips and spun her glass, making a pattern of water rings on the tabletop. "You know, I've never told anyone this story."

I grinned. "Then I feel that much more special. Go on..."

"Okay," she rolled her eyes. "I couldn't say my R's. I pronounced my name Samantha Cahtoe."

I tried to cover my laugh with my hands. I failed. "I'm sorry," I apologized, shaking my head. "You took speech therapy classes?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded. "For three years."

"Three years?! For R?"

She blushed again. I was starting to find the image of a flustered Captain Carter very attractive. "Yes. I couldn't get my lips around the damn consonant. I even asked Dad to change our last name to Smith. But finally, I did get to it in the sixth grade. Are you happy?" Her smile was now forced; I could tell she felt she had changed herself in my eyes.

I tapped the table and said, "I couldn't tie my shoes until I was twelve." She looked up, locking eyes with me. I nodded, "Pre-tied laces. Sandals... I wish we had the luxury of velcro back then, but if we did I probably would never have learned to tie the damn things. You name it, I tried it. I just couldn't figure out that damned over-under-around-the-tree formation that my Mom and Dad tried to teach me. Walking down the halls, all those kids would step on my shoelaces and make me stumble or I would step on them myself and fall flat on my face. One day, I just locked myself in my room and worked with the damned things until they were tied." I smiled. "Twelve years old."

My lover's smile was no longer forced. She reached across the table and took my hand in a showing of thanks as Nathaniel returned. I thanked him and we left a hefty tip, scooting out of our booth and heading towards the door.

---

We left Colorado Springs just after nine PM. The ride to Boulder would take us two hours, making us arrive at eleven. Not wanting to give away how much I actually knew about this 'surprise,' I turned to Sam and asked, "How long will we be driving for this little... surprise?"

She smiled, glancing in the rear view mirror. "About two hours. We should arrive just after eleven." She reached down with one hand and adjusted the controls, turning the heater down to what I thought was sub-zero. The one major difference between us was our choices in temperature. There were times that she slept on top of the covers in the nude while I was quaking under three blankets. I had never understood her comfort in the cold... I was about to complain about the chill when Sam reached into the backseat, fumbled for a minute, then retrieved a small, handstitched quilt. She handed it to me and asked, "You cold?"

I took the quilt from her, then leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

She brushed my leg with her hand before I pulled the quilt over myself. She pushed a cassette into the player and turned the volume knob. Seconds later, the soft tones of George Strait filled the car. I smiled and reached down the crack between my seat and the door, looking for and wrapping my fingers around the recline lever. "I'm gonna sleep for a while, 'kay?"

"All right, honey," she said.

I pulled the lever and my seat tilted back into the backseat of Sam's car as George Strait sang a song about baby blue eyes. I stared at the ceiling for a while, lip synching along with the country singer, then looked at my own 'baby blue.' As the song ended, I was about to close my eyes and catch some sleep when she released the wheel with one hand, digging into the pocket of her leather jacket for a moment before retrieving a small white box. It was wrapped in paper the color of pearl, with a crimson ribbon tied lovingly around it. She tapped the box against the wheel for a moment before returning it to the pocket of her coat.

My mind began racing, listing possible contents of the small package. Sam reached over, resting her hand on my thigh as if making sure I was still there. She rubbed slowly, not applying enough pressure to wake me had I been asleep. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to slowly pass out from the steady rhythm of the road mixed with the soothing music coming from the radio.

"Baby Blue was the color of her eyes," George Strait sang. "Baby blue, like the Colorado skies. Like a breath of spring, she came and left, and I still don't know why. So here's to you and whoever holds my Baby Blue tonight."

I grinned in the darkness. I was going to be holding her tonight. I had my baby blue and all was right with the world.

Chapter Five

I woke on my own, realizing that Sam's hand was still resting on my thigh. It warmed me to think that we had been in constant contact during our trip. I reached down, raising my seat as I fought off a yawn. I peered out the window, seeing the beauty and splendor of the Rocky Mountain foothills. Okay, okay... the silhouettes of the beauty and splendor. I could see them in all their glory when the sun finally rose in the morning. I smiled and said, "Boulder."

Sam nodded. "You like it?"

I placed my hand over hers and said, "I love it. Thank you, sweetheart."

"Boulder," she promised, "is just the icing on the cake. You have got some more big surprises coming."

Giggling, I said, "Why do I feel like a contestant on 'Let's Make a Deal'?"

"Trust me, honey. You won't have to give anything back this weekend. This is all about you." She stroked my thigh with her fingers, turning to face me and offering a sly wink. "Starting with a night in a hotel room."

I felt my heart jump and grinned. "Good thing I slept on the way up here."

---

While Sam checked in, I wandered towards a sitting area and dropped into a grossly comfortable chair. If the beds were anything like this chair, Sam was going to be a very frustrated chickadee... I rested my head on the back of the chair, pulling my legs up and underneath myself in one fluid motion. I intended to only rest my eyes, but soon felt Sam's lips on my cheek. "Sweetheart," she whispered. "Wakey, wakey."

My eyes blinked open and I rubbed my face, looking around. "Are we checked in?"

She dangled a key and said, "We sure are. C'mon, let's get you upstairs and into bed."

I accepted her outstretched hand and allowed her to pull me to my feet. I leaned heavily against her, draping my arm over her shoulder as we walked to the elevator. She carried the small bag that contained our pajamas; the hotel offered free parking and she had left the luggage in the trunk for the morning. Both of us were too tired - and too proud to admit we were too tired - to lug all the bags upstairs.

The elevator music was playing an instrumental version of "Something" by the Beatles. I pressed my body to Sam's, wondering what would happen if I tried to ignore my exhaustion and make love to Sam before passing out. I grinned, admitting that it would probably mean I'd fall asleep in the middle of it despite my best efforts and wake up in the morning in an extremely odd position. Sam nuzzled my hair and whispered something I couldn't make out.

I propped myself up against the wall outside of our room while Sam fumbled with the key. I yawned, covering my mouth as I watched a young couple exit a room further down the hall. He was wearing a robe, she was wearing a dress that she had apparently just thrown on. She giggled and kissed the man, then did something to him under his robe. He turned and saw us, blushing a bright red before politely shoving his lover away. She spotted us and chastened herself. They kissed before she started down the hall, leaving him to disappear into his room. The woman was forced to pass our room on the way to the elevator and murmured a polite "Evening" as she brushed by us.

The door finally swung open and Sam pulled me in, kicking the door shut with her heel once I was safely inside. I turned, finding her in the darkness and kissing her passionately. Sam was pressed against the door, her hand dropping the suitcase and wrapping around my waist. She physically lifted my feet off the floor, causing me to cling to her, and carried me deeper into the room. As she sat me down, I kissed her eyes, her cheeks, her chin and finally locked once more on her mouth. Our lips and tongues dueled in the darkness, our hands busily exploring through clothing. I pressed my lips to Sam's nose and whispered, "Sam, I want to do this... desperately... but I don't think--"

"I know," she replied, stepped back and taking hold of my hands. "I'm tired, too. And I didn't even get a nap on the way up," she chuckled. She moved away from me, turning on the overhead lights before turning back to me. She was slipping out of her leather jacket, revealing her light blue blouse. I wet my lips and approached her as she whispered, "Come here."

I pressed her against the wall and she looked down into my eyes, the difference in our height once again becoming an issue. Sam copied my lip-licking motion, her lips glistening in the soft light of the hotel room. "I need to get dressed for bed," she whispered. "My pajamas are in the bag." She had dropped the bag near the door, within arm's reach. Slowly and hopefully as seductive as possible, I slid down my lover's body, my lips inches from the cloth of her blouse. I kissed her stomach through the shirt, reaching out and pulling the zip on our bag.

On top of the other clothing, I found Sam's silk pajamas laying dead center. I fingered the folded material, smiling. She knew these were my favorite. I picked up the shirt (which was long enough to keep her covered) and slithered up her body once more. I draped the shirt over my shoulder and began working on the buttons of Sam's blouse. Her breathing was shallow as my fingers carefully slid buttons through thin button holes, slowly exposing the goosebumps on her upper chest. I resisted the urge to unhook her bra until her entire shirt was undone. I slipped the shirttail out of her pants, brushing the shirt lightly off her shoulders.

She was wearing a lacy peach-colored brassiere that I had never seen before. Her nipples were pressing against the undergarment, straining the tight material. Carefully, I pressed my lips to the soft flesh just above the lacy edge of her lingerie. She gasped as I passed my tongue over the gooseflesh. I raised my head, meeting her eyes and asking, "Do you want your bra on under your jammies?"

Her reply was a simple negative shake of her head.

I unhooked the bra, slipping the straps from her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. She rested her arms on my shoulders, allowing me to drink in the sight of her bare chest once more. I cupped her right breast, then began to bend my knees. I knelt before her, pressing my face to the warmth of her stomach, fluttering my tongue in her belly button before I found the snap of her jeans. I looked up at her to find she was watching me closely, our gazes locking across the expanse of her body. Her fingers wound through my hair as I lowered her zipper and tugged the tight denim down. The material pooled around her feet and she quickly stepped out of them, momentarily getting her shoes caught in the folds. I chuckled and assisted her in freeing her feet, pulling the sneakers off and hurling them across the room.

That done, Sam stood before me in socks and panties. I stood and pulled the pajama top off my shoulder, holding it out and carefully slipping each of her arms into the short sleeves. I tugged the front closed, buttoning only two middle buttons to allow her to be decent while showing off what she had to offer. I smiled and kissed her. "Ready for bed, sweetheart?"

"You have to dress and undress patients for overnight stays in the infirmary, right?"

I smiled. "The incoherent ones, yes."

She sighed. "Are you that good with all of them?"

"Only the beautiful, sexy, brilliant, blonde-haired, blue-eyed astrophysicists," I promised.

She slid my vest off, finding the hem of my tshirt and also pulling it away from my flesh. In under three seconds, I was completely bare from the waist up. Sam cupped my breasts and kissed me softly. "What kind of pajamas would you like to wear tonight, Doctor?"

Winking, I lowered my voice and pressed my lips to hers before replying, "You know me, baby... never afraid to sleep in the nude."

I laughed out loud when Sam threw me onto the bed and began tearing at the button of my pants.

---

"Janet?"

"Mmm."

"Janet, are you awake?"

I opened my eyes, allowing myself to finally admit that I was, indeed, still in search of slumber. "Yeah," I whispered. "What's wrong, honey?"

"Nothing," Sam whispered. "I just can't sleep."

I felt her hand tracing lazy circles on the small of my back. She was curled up next to me; I was well aware of the heat of her bare thigh against mine, as well as the presence of her sock pressed against the sole of my foot. I felt surrounded by her, but more importantly, I felt protected. I scooted across the mattress, moving closer until I felt the weight of her breasts against my back. I rolled over, our faces close together and our lips practically touching as we spoke. I asked, "Why can't you sleep?"

She shrugged, the details of her face barely visible in the darkness. She didn't answer me for a long time; if it wasn't for the light glistening in her eyes, I would've thought she had fallen asleep. Finally, she said, "I'm just thinking."

"About?"

"This weekend... if it was a mistake."

I frowned, freeing my arm from the blanket and resting it on her shoulder. "A mistake? Why would you think that? I love everything so far," I assured her. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow and I'm certain I'll be sorry to leave." I closed the few centimeters between our lips and kissed her, my tongue dancing across hers. "I'm with you, for two days, no interruptions. No Stargate emergencies, no Cassandra to barge in... just me and you. I'm in heaven right now, Sam... whether I can sleep or not." She smiled at that. "What would ever make you think something this wonderful could be a mistake?"

She kissed me softly, flattening her palm to my cheek. "I--" My heart quickened. For a moment, I thought she may finally be ready to admit her love for me. Instead, she said, "I'll talk about it tomorrow. Good-night, honey."

My lips formed a steady line and I brushed her hair out of her face. My eyes had been open long enough that I could make out her features. There was a tear running down her cheek. "What's hurting you?" I asked quietly.

Again, she simply replied, "I'll tell you tomorrow, Janet. I just want to be with you right now." She kissed me again and then muttered, "Good-night."

We fell asleep in each other's arms, clinging to each other for support. I just wish I knew what I was supporting her against.

---

I grumbled against the pillow as the first rays of sunshine slashed violently across my face. I rolled over, away from the window, and pressed tightly against Sam's sleeping form. I felt her arm lazily drape across my body, but she didn't stir. I pulled all the incoherent first-morning-thoughts together and managed to determine my situation: I was in a hotel bed with Samantha Carter on the first morning of our mini-vacation. I was nude save for my panties; she was wearing panties and a pajama shirt with a pair of socks.

Relenting to the sunlight permeating the room, I opened my eyes and blinked in search of a clock. The hotel-provided alarm revealed it was a little past eleven. I groaned and let my face fall once more against the pillow. Sam murmured slightly, then asked, "Janet?"

Her hair had apparently tried to escape her head during the night; the strands were sticking up in a million directions, obscuring her eyes. I brushed the golden strands aside and kissed her forehead. "Good morning, sweety."

She stretched, her joints popping quietly as she reached for the ceiling. Taking advantage of this little morning ritual, I danced my fingers along the underside of her left arm. She jerked and her body collapsed in on itself, her knees tucking in to her chest and her arms tightening around them. I didn't cease my tickle attack, just climbed on top of her and continued. Soon, I had her pajama top open and tickles had turned to caresses. Sam's fingers moved along the warm skin of my thighs, moving towards the cotton of my panties. We stayed like that for a while, simply touching each other, until Sam smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I'm awake."

I leaned down, flattening myself over her as we kissed good-morning. I pulled back slightly, resting my head on her shoulder. Her hands lightly massaged my lower back. "So," I asked. "What's on the itinerary for today?"

"Nothing scheduled until seven tonight," she promised. "We can spend all day in bed, if you want."

I smiled and looked at the nightstand. "That'll be great... but how about I order some breakfast from room service first?" She agreed and I reluctantly climbed off of her. I perched myself on the edge of the mattress while she retreated into the bathroom. Before closing the door, she slid the unbuttoned shirt off and dropped it on the floor. I smiled at her bare back and picked up the phone, eyeing the room service menu.

After one and a half rings, the front desk picked up. The young woman I spoke to was extremely polite and told me that they had, unfortunately, stopped serving breakfast at ten-thirty. I told her that was fine and took a moment to scan the lunch menu before settling on a salad for myself and a ham and turkey sandwich for Sam. The girl told me it would be a few minutes and told me the price. I thanked her and hung up, moving to the jeans Sam had so eagerly removed last night. The change from the Italian restaurant the night before was more than enough to cover the room service bill.

That done, I decided to dress in order to be decent enough to get the food. Of course, if I answered the door as-is, I could probably hold off on the tip... I knelt next to the suitcase Sam and brought in with us and searched for something acceptable to wear. All I could find was a pair of pajamas I had opted not to wear the night before and some toiletries. I picked up the shampoo bottle, toothpaste and brush and carried them to the bathroom door. The shower was running, so knocking would be futile. I turned the knob and quietly entered, setting the supplies on the sink where Sam would see them. I was almost to the door when I heard Sam's voice in the shower stall:

"Janet... these words have never been easy for me to say, but I think-- No... Janet, these past few weeks have been wonderful and I wouldn't change them for-- God." I turned, eyeing her bare back as she practiced an obviously important speech. Her hair was plastered to her head and she was searching for a handtowel that had fallen somewhere near her feet. "I... I would never want you to think that I'm... that I--" She grunted angrily at herself and I quickly slipped out of the bathroom.

It took all of my strength to force myself not to cry. Was Sam planning to break up with me? Is that what this trip was all about? My mind was racing, filled with images from the past few weeks. Sam's reluctance to return my 'I love you' were the most prominent example that things may be on a downhill curve. I walked to the bed without consciously moving, lowering myself to the mattress and staring at the bare wall across from me. I swept my top lip with my tongue, then felt the pressure building against the dams in my eyes.

When Sam exited the shower, smiling and humming no less, she froze at the image she was confronted with. She rushed to my side, kneeling in front of me and cupping my face in her hands. "Janet? Baby, what is it? Are you hurt? What happened?"

I sobbed, reaching out and running my fingers through her hair. Between sobs, I managed to squeak out. "Are... are you going to break up with me?"

Sam's eyes widened, her jaw dropping. I couldn't tell if the shock was from the bluntness of the question or the fact that I had found her out. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close, allowing me to cry into her freshly shampooed hair. "Janet, what... what would *ever* make you think that I wanted to break up with you?" She clung to me, her powerful hands pressing my body to hers. I whimpered as she continued, "I can't imagine... Why would you think that?"

I sat up, facing her with tears in my eyes. "I went into the bathroom," I admited. "I heard you-you talking about something that was hard for you to say... About these past few weeks being wonderful. What-what were you talking about if not breaking up?"

"Janet," she said, her voice nearly inaudible in the room. She reached up, lightly touching my neck where my pulse was throbbing. I felt her fingertips slid up, touching my jawline and she repeated, "Janet." I sniffled, a fresh tear dropping down my cheek and alighting on her index finger. She ignored it. Moving slowly, she straightened and pulled slightly away from me, our eyes level. She slid her hand around to cup the back of my head, pulling me to her and parting her lips. Our mouths melted together in a frenzied kiss, our tongues eagerly jousting one another. When we finally separated - for oxygen and nothing else - Sam panted, "There is something I need to tell you, but I can't tell you now. I've been planning on telling you tonight." She brushed my bottom lip with the pad of her thumb, watching as I blinked back another tear. "It's nothing bad, I-- just need to wait."

I nodded, then said, "You're not breaking up with me?"

She laughed and said, "No, honey. I don't see single-woman-dom on my horizon." She raised an eyebrow and said, "When is room service comi--" Her answer arrived before she could finish asking; a knock on the door stopped her from finishing her query. She stood, carefully wrapping my nude body in the blanket before calling, "Coming!" She was still wrapped in a towel, but she found a robe and pulled it on before answering the door. I had left the money on the desk, so she snatched it up and allowed the young waiter in.

He rolled a cart into the room, placing it near the bed, then accepted his money from Sam. I could tell he had looked at the obviously nude woman on the bed and the practically nude woman answering the door and put two and two together. He smiled as he left, no doubt heading downstairs to the kitchen to reveal who had reserved Room 4-B. I walked to the cart and picked up Sam's wrapped deli sandwich, carrying it to her. She accepted the food, then accepted my tongue as we kissed. Her hand lingered on my shoulder, caressing it through the blanket I was still wrapped in.

She looked up at me, nipping playfully at my bottom lip when we pulled apart. "This sandwich," she asked, holding it up. "Will it hold for another half-hour?"

The blanket and robe collided in mid-air as we shed them, rushing towards the bed. Sam kissed away my tears before she did anything else to my body... her tongue gathering the salty residue of my sadness and banishing it. The simplicity of her gesture almost made me cry once again.

---

Jack O'Neill slapped angrily at his bare calf, examining the carcass of the mosquito before flicking it towards the still waters. "This," he grumbled, "is a helluva vacation, Daniel." He reclined again, propping his feet up and tilting his baseball cap so that the sun didn't get into his eyes.

"I thought you loved fishing," the archaeologist countered. His pole was jerking slightly as he attempted to reel in a fighting fish.

The colonel sighed. "I do love fishing! I hate catching fish," he motioned at the fishing pole that was trying to escape Daniel's grasp. "I get enough of a struggle out of trying to get you to follow orders." He scanned the waters. "I love lakes with no fish in them to bother me. It gives me a feeling of doing something without actually having to follow-through on anything."

Daniel apologized, shaking his head. There was no pleasing the man. The silence they had been enjoying was suddenly shattered by a loud chirping coming from Daniel's tackle box. The two men exchanged glances; Jack had been thoroughly pissed when he found the cell phone, but now seemed to welcome the distraction. He moved to the bag and pulled it open, searching for the phone and answering the call. "O'Neill," he said, sitting on his haunches as he spoke.

"Colonel, thank God," came a quick, female voice. Jack recognized it as Abigail Tierney, the woman watching Cassandra that weekend. He had met the woman a few hours earlier, dropping off Cassie's dog at the house. He stood and tapped