The Ends Against The Middle

Title: The Ends Against The Middle

Author: Geonn

Rating: PG13

Pairings: Sam/Janet

Category: Missing Scene AU

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.

Spoilers: "Rite of Passage"

Archive: Yes, just let me know where it'll be.

Summary: Cassie speaks the truth...

Sam walked into the room, a magnetic chess set in her hand. "Hey, kiddo," she said, trying to be cheerful in the face of the crisis they were in the middle of. She climbed onto the bed next to Cassandra and flipped open the set, gathering the pieces. "It's Saturday."

"So?" Cassie quietly asked.

"So... every other Saturday, at least when I'm on Earth... we play chess. And since I'm on Earth, and it's Saturday..."

Cassandra watched her set up the pieces, then said, "I know what's happening to me."

"Oh, okay ... What?" Sam tried to appear nonchalant, but the changes affecting Cassandra scared her to death.

"I'm changing... into something... and there nothing you can do to stop it."

Sam raised her eyebrows. "Hmm. You know how your mom and I feel when someone issues a challenge like that."

Cassandra looked at Sam with tired eyes. "Dr. Frasier isn't my real mother. She died when Nirrti poisoned my village."

The Major finally let her fatigue show. "I know that," she said softly, putting her hand atop Cassie's. "Janet knows that, too. And... and, please. Don't call her Doctor Fraiser."

"Why?"

"Because she loves you, and she deserves better."

Cassie scoffed and looked off to the side. "How do you think she feels when you do it?"

"What?"

Cassie snapped her head back around. "She loves you, too. How do you think she feels when you call her Dr. Fraiser instead of Janet?" She crossed her arms over her chest and softly added, "I don't want to play chess."

Suddenly, Sam didn't want to play either.

---

Janet was in her lab, head on the desk and apparently asleep. Sam paused, watching the shoulders of her friend's white lab coat rise and fall with her breath. She bit her lip, thinking about what Cassandra had said. 'She loves you, too.' Sam quietly entered the lab and knelt next to the petite doctor, lightly touching her back. Janet jumped, suddenly awake and searching her surroundings. "Hey," Sam said, standing behind her friend and rubbing her shoulders. "It's okay. You just fell asleep. It's understandable under the circumstances."

"Understandable," Janet said, rubbing her eyes. "My daughter is dying and I'm taking a cat nap."

"You deserve it. How long have you been up?" She shook her head. "Never mind. You need to take a break. Put this aside, look at it with fresh eyes in the morning. It'll do you a world of good."

"Sam, I don't need--"

Sam pressed her finger against Janet's mouth and said, "This is Samantha Carter telling you that you're working too hard. That ought to be enough to make *anyone* slow down."

Janet smiled and removed Sam's hand, holding it in her own. Sam was suddenly aware of the tenderness Janet always exhibited around her... the soft touches, the slightly lighter tone of voice... the look in her eyes when the doctor was looking at her. "I'll get some rest."

"Good," Sam said softly. "Good night, Janet."

"Night, Sam. Thanks."

---

Even after Cassandra recovered, Janet stayed in the infirmary longer than necessary. Her shifts started overlapping Dr. Warner's by several hours every day. She was still working herself to exhaustion every night. Sam stopped by and played chess on Saturday, making sure she dropped into Janet's office before leaving. "Hey," she said, knocking lightly on the door. She still heard Cassie's voice in her mind. 'She loves you, too.'

"Hey, Sam," Janet said, barely looking up.

"I want to do something for you," Sam said without preamble, sitting across from Janet. That got the doctor's attention. "Dinner... or, or a movie. To celebrate Cassie's recovery."

Janet nodded. "Oh. I see. Well, I know I said she'd be released today, but... I want to keep her another day or two. Just to be safe and to do some follow-ups. She'll be free by--"

"No," Sam interrupted. "I... just you and me."

Janet straightened slightly. "Oh. I see. Uh... okay. Sure. Sounds like fun."

Sam smiled. "See you at seven. That's... when your shift ends, right?"

"Right," Janet nodded, returning the smile. "See you then."

---

Janet wandered into the infirmary a few minutes later, looking for a misplaced file. She crossed in front of Cassie's bed and pinched the teenager's toes through the blanket. "Hey, kid," Janet said. "How's it going?"

"Good..." Cassie said unconvincingly. "Mom? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can," Janet said, tucking the found file under one arm. "Anything. What is it?"

She toyed with her blanket, then said, "I... know something I shouldn't. Remember when I was feverish? And-and I was saying all kinds of weird things?"

"Yeah," Janet nodded.

"Well... Sam was trying to comfort me. And she told me a secret. And it's a good secret and... and I feel like I should tell you. Do you think it would be all right?"

Janet sighed. "It was told to you in confidence, honey. Could someone be hurt by me not knowing?"

"*You* could be hurt by not knowing," Cassie said. She sighed, "Sam has feelings for you."

Unsure whether to smile or gasp in shock, Janet decided on a disbelieving grin. "What?"

"She has feelings for you. She told me. I... just thought... you should know."

'Oh, my God,' Janet thought. 'The date! It's a *DATE*-date!' Janet patted Cassie arm. "That's okay, honey. I... thanks for telling me. I think it would be best if we kept this to ourselves though, okay?"

Cassandra nodded.

---

"The movie was great," Janet said, not really looking at Sam. She hadn't really watched the movie either. She had found herself far too distracted by the woman next to her. She cleared her throat and began searching in her purse for her house keys. "Tonight was just what I needed. Thank you, Sam."

"It was a great night," Sam agreed, holding her jacket in front of her.

Janet grabbed a handful of Kleenex from her purse and shoved them into a coat pocket. "I know the damn keys are here somewhere." She tugged something else out and her purse fell open, dropping all of it's contents onto the front porch. "Damn!" Janet hissed, watching her make-up tumble. She knelt and began gathering up what she could.

Sam knelt as well, picking up the photos that had made the fall and were at risk from the wind. She paused and turned one over, looking closely at it. It was a photo of SG-1, which had been taken at a celebration in the Gate Room. The focus of the picture was clearly Sam. She looked up at Janet and saw the doctor was blushing deep red, tears glistening in her eyes. Sam gathered up the rest of the photos, then stuck them in Janet's purse. She put one hand on Janet's and said, "Janet?" The doctor looked up, eyes threatening to overflow. "I had a wonderful time on our date tonight."

Janet stifled a gasp and looked down at her shaking hands. "I--I--" She shook her head.

Sam leaned in, resting her palm on Janet's cheek. Janet looked up when Sam was halfway to her face. She gasped, parting her lips and widening her eyes. Sam closed the remaining distance between them, softly overtaking Janet's lips with her own. The doctor whimpered and looked down, trying to see the joining of their faces. Failing, she closed her eyes and let herself feel Sam's flickering tongue enter her mouth.

The doctor tasted good, Sam decided, tilting her head to get at the other side of her friend's mouth. After a long moment, they broke apart. Janet licked her lips, then looked at Sam. They both caught their breath, assessed the situation. They decided to break the silence at the same moment: "Cassie told me how you feel."

They stared at each other in shock, then started laughing.

---

Cassie woke the next morning to see the two women she considered to be her parents standing over her bed. She smiled shyly, brushed her hair out of her face and said, "So? How'd my evil plan work?"

Sam's frown broke first, Janet's following soon after. "Little sneak," Sam whispered, kissing the girl on the forehead. "We're giving it a shot."

"Really?!"

"Really," Janet said, taking Cassie's hand. She looked at Sam and took a deep breath. "Who knows? Sam and I might become your official parents after all."

Cassie could only smile at them.

Her mothers. Her family.