Author: Geonn

Email: neil_j_miser@yahoo.com

Category: Romance

Rating: PG13

Series: With "The Long Way Home," second in the Travel Series.

Disclaimer: Stargate and characters are the property of MGM, Gekko, etc. Mainly you need to know no one with the name of Geonn owns the deed to these people.

Archive: Yes.

Dedicated to: Again, purple_shoes and teryl_brat42. :D

Spoilers: None.

Summary: Janet’s got a plane to catch.

Janet Fraiser lifted her suitcase, gently laying it in the steel frame to make sure it fit as a carry-on. It was something her mother had always made her do when preparing to fly, it gave her something to do while waiting in line and it was just good sense to make sure she hadn’t over-packed.

The bag fit with room to spare, so she lifted it out and faced the front of the line again. She sighed and checked her watch; she’d again given herself far too much time and would have to wait over an hour at the gate before boarding even began. It was all right, though… she’d packed the new Patricia Cornwell book Sam had picked up for her at the library.

She smiled at the thought. Sam had been in the library, seen the book and thought of Janet. It made her feel warm inside, loved. She sighed. Sometimes Sam could be so thoughtful.

*

"Sometimes I am such an idiot," Sam said, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel as she watched the SUV pull out of the spot at a snail’s pace. She checked her watch and muttered an impatient, "Come on."

*

Janet placed her purse and carry-on beneath the seat next to her, checking her watch once more. She’d gotten through security without a problem, and now all she had to do was wait. Thumbing through the book to find her place, she settled back and started to read.

*

"You ass," Sam muttered. "You asshole piece of shit ass," she creatively spewed, tightening her grip on the steering wheel and trying her hardest not to lean out the window and scream at the family dragging fourteen bags down the center of the lane. Her entire body was shaking with pent-up anger at the oblivious family, who were apparently on their way to some vacation or another.

They’d done nothing wrong. Still… Sam wanted the happy Norman Rockwell clan dead more than she wanted to defeat the Goa’uld. She took a deep breath, forced herself to be calm, then leaned out her open window and bellowed, "Move to one side, please!"

*

"Fielding looks like an angry blue jay flapping across the autopsy suite and yanking open the enormous stainless-steel door of the cooler."

Fielding, a character in the book, had flapped across that autopsy suite seven times before Janet turned the page. She read a sentence on the new page, and then flipped back to see what had just happened. Finally, she gave up and closed the book on her thumb, straightening her back and looking around.

A few other passengers had also arrived, a mother and daughter on the end of the aisle, a young man wearing headphones and reading a novel, countless other faceless people that she glanced at and moved on.

She replaced her bookmark and slipped the novel into her purse. She scratched her nose and thought about what she could do. There was an Internet terminal a few feet away. She could buy a few minutes and email Cassandra to say hello. Or maybe she could email the medical convention, let them know she was on her way.

In the end, neither option appealed to her. The flight wouldn’t start boarding for at least another half hour, and she was in Group C to board. She craned her neck and then turned to the woman and her daughter seated nearby. "Excuse me," she said softly. The woman looked up. "Where did you get that salad?"

"Oh, it’s just down that way a bit," she said before checking her own watch. "You have more than enough time to get there and back, if you want."

Janet chewed her lip, finally deciding that relying on peanuts or pretzels to satisfy her on a four-hour flight was insane. She gathered her things and stood, heading away from the gate area.

*

Sam ran into the airport, scanning for any sign of where Janet’s gate was. She knew that the convention organizers had booked her on American Airlines, but where was their desk? She sighed and jogged to the right, craning her neck for any sign of where to go. Suddenly, she spotted the blue-and-white logo and made a break for it.

She caught the attention of someone behind the desk and asked, "Flight 1506, to New York…"

"Gate Four," the woman said brusquely.

Sam thanked her and hurried down the concourse.

*

Janet gazed at the choices, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She let a few people go ahead of her as she tried to figure out what she wanted. The salad selection was impressive, but she suddenly wasn’t sure if she wanted a salad. And if she did, what kind did she want? She stepped out of the restaurant and looked both ways. Other nearby options consisted of a Pizza Hut and a small bar.

She stepped back into the restaurant, discovering all the other patrons had disappeared. The kid behind the counter was eyeing her expectantly. She stepped forward, wringing her hands together. "Get me…," she scratched her ear. "I-I’d like…" she sighed and sagged forward. "Ice water."

*

Sam extended her arms to her sides, rolling her eyes and staring at the ceiling. "Is this really necessary? I mean, I’m not even flying…"

"Sorry, ma’am, but its procedure."

She groaned and let the woman pass the wand up and down her body. It made loud ‘whoop-whee-whoooo’ noises as it searched for the offending metal.

*

Janet dropped back into her seat with a sigh. The mother looked over and frowned slightly. "Could you not find it?"

"No, I found it," Janet said, stirring her ice with a straw. "I just couldn’t decide what I wanted. Or if I wanted anything." She turned and looked out the window. Their plane had arrived and the passengers were deplaning. It wouldn’t be long, hopefully, before they started boarding.

"You’re afraid of flying, aren’t you?"

Janet looked back at the mother, who was smiling knowingly. "No, not at all. I love to fly. It’s just… I don’t know, I can’t help but feel like I forgot something."

*

Sam paused in the bathroom and put on a little lipstick. She pressed her lips together, checking her watch. More than enough time before liftoff… what had she been so worried about? She stuck the lipstick back into her purse and turned, hurrying from the bathroom. She checked the gate numbers again, just to make sure she was going in the right direction, and started running again.

*

"Ladies and gentlemen, we’re ready to begin boarding for flight 1506 to Dallas with continuing service to New York. If you’ll check your boarding pass for your group, we’ll be calling you shortly. At the moment, if you are traveling with a child or have special needs, we’d like to ask you to come on up to the podium now, please."

Janet gathered her belongings and scooted to the edge of her seat.

"You have your ticket, right?" the mother asked.

"Yeah," Janet said, pulling it from the outer pouch of her purse and waving it. "God, this is going to bother me for the entire trip…"

"Mommy," the little girl said with a giggle, "That lady is gonna miss her plane!"

Janet and the mother both glanced up, but only Janet gasped at the sight of a tall, blonde woman running down the concourse. She frowned and rose to her feet. "Sam?" she said.

*

Sam’s heart soared when she spotted Janet standing up. She picked up the pace, meeting her lover half-way and grabbing her hands. "Sam!" the brunette said, laughing through the confused look on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"We… forgot something," Sam panted.

"Group A, you may begin boarding."

Janet looked over her shoulder. "Sam, I’m in Group C… what did I for--"

She was cut off by Sam cupping her face, holding her head still. A moment later, Sam leaned in and kissed Janet’s lips. The brunette made a quiet ‘ohm’ sound, her hands coming up and her fingers curling as she sagged against Sam’s body. Sam held her, Sam always caught her…

Her eyes closed as Sam’s hands slid forward, clutching her hair with one hand and letting the other rest on the brunette’s shoulder. Janet reached around Sam’s waist, grabbing one wrist with her hand and holding Sam tight. She felt Sam’s fingers, those beautiful slender fingers, curling the hair at the nape of her neck.

They parted, but Sam pecked Janet’s lips twice more before she let her go. She rested her head against Janet’s, vaguely aware of airline workers and the other passengers applauding them. She licked her lips and brushed Janet’s hair out of her face. "We forgot to kiss good-bye."

"That’s what I forgot," Janet whispered.

"It’s stupid, I know, but I was convinced that something would go wrong with the flight, that something would happen if I didn’t kiss you."

"So that was for luck?" Janet asked.

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "And this--" she said, leaning in and kissing Janet again. Janet lifted herself onto her toes, draping her arms over Sam’s shoulders, letting the other woman guide this kiss. When they broke, Sam finished, "That was I’ll see you when you get back."

"I love you," Janet said.

"Love you, too," Sam sighed.

"Did you run all the way down here?" Janet asked. "You must be exhausted…"

"I was until I saw you. You gave me breath again."

Someone waiting for the plane said, "Aw," and Sam glared at him.

"We’re in love, we’re allowed to be corny," she said.

Janet giggled and said, "I have to go."

"I’ll call you tonight."

"You better," Janet said, kissing Sam one more time. "Thank you for the luck."

"You’re welcome."

"Will you stay until the plane takes off?"

Sam nodded. "Sure, if you want."

"I want."

*

Sam watched as the plane was pushed back, craned her neck and followed the windows as it taxied. It moved out of sight behind another branch of the airport and then, a few minutes later, soared majestically upward. She moved her hand back and forth in a little wave, knowing there was no possible way Janet could see it. When the plane broke through a cloud and disappeared, Sam finally turned and walked away from the window. She didn’t wipe away her tears until she climbed back into her car.

*

Janet sat as far forward as her seatbelt would allow, trying to see the airport. She put her hand to the glass, blinking back her tears before settling back in her seat. Next to her, the mother lightly touched Janet’s wrist. "That was…"

"Sam," Janet said. "My… she’s…"

"Your girlfriend?"

Janet smiled. "Yeah," she said, thrilling at the thought of saying it so bluntly. "That was my girlfriend."

"And the kiss… that’s what you forgot?"

"Yeah… It’s a silly little tradition we have."

The mother smiled and laid her head back on the headrest. She shrugged and said, "I don’t know. It doesn’t seem so silly to me."

Janet tilted her head to the side, realizing how unprepared she had felt without the kiss. She turned, looking out the window and seeing only clouds. "Yeah," she agreed. "Me neither."