Secrets & Lies

Author: Geonn

Email: neil_j_miser@yahoo.com

Rating: NC17

Pairings: Sam/Janet, other pairings

Category: Romance, Drama, Angst

Disclaimer: Not mine. None of it. I even borrowed th letters that make up the words.

Spoilers: Rite of Passage

Series: The Ampersand Series

What Came Before: Life & Death, Search & Rescue, Forgive & Forget, Hide & Seek, Light & Dark, Now & Then, True & False, Cookies & Cream, Love & War, Flesh & Blood, Hours & Minutes, Wine & Roses, Naughty & Nice, Smoke & Mirrors, Bed & Breakfast, Friends & Lovers

Notes: I know I promised to be nice to the ladies and I really wanted to.

Summary: While Sam is on a mission, Janet faces troubles with Cassandra... and receives an offer that could destroy their lives.

Chapter One

Cassandra kissed both of her parents good-night at around ten-thirty, going up the stairs and slipping under her blankets. The pale light filtering in through her window cast a blue glow on her ceiling. She passed the time quietly humming her favorite songs, scanning the posters on her wall as her eyes became accustomed to the darkness. She wiggled her toes under the comforter and tossed and turned until, finally, she heard the beeps of her mother activating the security system. She lay still, waiting for the signal that her parents were in bed. A few seconds later, she heard light footsteps on the stairs and quiet whispering between her two mothers. They went into Janet's bedroom and closed the door behind them.

She threw the blankets off and sat at her desk, sitting in the darkness as she picked up the phone and quickly dialed a number she knew by heart. The phone rang only once before a man picked up. "Hello?" he said, sounding half-asleep.

"Sorry," she whispered. "Wrong number." She hung up, then turned off the ringer of her own phone. She watched and waited then, finally, the call indicator lights came on. She picked up and whispered, "Hello?"

There was quiet giggling on the other end. "You're so smart, Cassie," the girl said.

Cassandra smiled, proud of herself. They had devised the plan earlier in the day; Kristen would listen for the phone to ring. When it did, she would count to twenty and then call Cassandra's number. The youngest member of the Fraiser family dropped into the small space between her chair and her bed and cradled the phone to her ear. "Did Ms. Page call your parents?"

"No," Kristen said. "It's a bummer that you have to take the rap for it. How'd you find out?"

Cassie then related the phone number she had found on the hallway table with her teacher's phone number written on it. "But the number wasn't for the school," she explained. "If she wants Mom to call her at home, I must be in deep trouble."

Kristen sighed. "It's not fair. Everyone *wanted* to do it. You just did what everyone wanted."

"I know. Look, I'll just fess up tomorrow. They won't know that I know about Ms. Page calling, so I'll get bonus points for being honest with them."

There was silence, followed by a gentle click, then Kristen said, "You're a lot braver than I am."

Cassandra smiled. "Someone once told me I was very brave."

"You must be brave," came a new voice. "Because I thought we told you no phone calls after eleven."

Cassie's eyes widened. "MOM!" There was a click as Kristen hung up. "Uh... I'm hanging up right now. Going to bed."

"Good. Don't make me regret giving you your own phone, Cassie." There was a pause, then the brunette said, "I love you, kiddo."

"Love you too, Mom. Love Sam."

Janet said, "Now. Sleep! School tomorrow." She hung up, followed a few seconds later by Cassandra. The teenager turned off her lamp and climbed back into bed, cradling her pillow as she dozed off.

---

"Well, if it isn't the Midnight Caller," Janet said, smiling as Cassie came into the kitchen.

"Sorry, Mom," Cassandra yawned, pulling a chair away from the table and taking a seat. "I promise, it won't happen again." She picked up the glass of milk Janet had set out for her and took a sip. "Where's Sam?"

Janet served some eggs onto a plate, adding four strips of bacon and then handing it to Cassie before she answered, "Sam has a mission today. She's upstairs taking a shower and getting ready." Cassie nodded, dipping her bacon into the milk and taking a bite. Janet winced. "Eww. Honey, that is *so* disgusting."

Cassandra just shrugged and did it again, causing Janet to turn away. As Cassie finished her first strip of bacon, she rubbed her hands on her pajama bottoms and said, "I have to tell you something."

Back turned, Janet said, "Go ahead. And don't rub your dirty hands on your pj's. We have napkins for a reason."

Cassie stared at her mother's back, again wondering if some sort of alien device enabled the brunette to see everything around her. She sighed. "I want to wait until Sam gets here, though."

"Wait no longer," came a cheerful voice from the doorway. Sam kissed the top of Cassie's head, then walked to Janet and kissed her good morning. "What do you wanna tell us, honey?"

The girl sighed, toying with her toast. "Look... if I tell you, will you go easy on me? I mean, I could've let the teacher tell you what happened...."

"Uh-oh," Janet said, sombering a bit. "What happened?" She walked to the table and sat down, Sam following suit and sitting across from the teenager.

Cassie sighed. "Okay. There's this new girl at school named Olga. She's a Russian exchange student and she doesn't speak very much English. She doesn't have many friends and... well, a lot of kids pick on her."

Janet was trying to remain calm. "Cassie, please do not tell me what I think you're going to tell me."

"No! No, Mom, honest! See, there's this other girl named Maura who's a real jerk. She decided to start calling Olga by a... a different name; Ogre. A lot of the other kids have started and I got sick of it."

Janet rested her head on her hand. "What did you do?"

"I ran into Maura in the parking lot and said if she didn't stop, I would make her stop. She just laughed at me, so I called her by another name. Maur-on." Sam suppressed a chuckle, but Janet apparently didn't notice. "So... she said something about how my... how you guys were... she just said some bad things. So I punched her. A lot."

"How.... a lot?" Janet asked, afraid of the answer.

Cassandra winced. "I broke her nose. She's got two black eyes and her lip is swollen."

Both women straightened, eyes wide. Janet gasped, "My God!"

"Way to go!" Sam laughed.

Janet turned and glared at her lover. "Excuse me?"

Sam smiled. "I said 'way to go'! Cassie's sticking up for what she believes in! She's defending other kids... I'm proud of you, Cass!"

Janet stood. "Well, *I'm* not! Fighting is not the answer. Cassandra, consider yourself grounded for two weeks; no phone, no TV, no soccer."

Cassandra stood. "What?! I already have after-school detention!"

Sam stepped closer to Janet. "She has suspension, Janet," she pleaded. "Maybe we let her go with a warning?"

"She broke a girl's nose, Sam! What if her parents decide to press charges? What if, God forbid, we have to go to court and admit to our relationship? God, this isn't just a schoolyard fight; it could mean the end of our careers!"

The blonde glanced at Cassie. "Honey, why don't you--"

"Wait for the bus, got it." The girl turned and fled the kitchen.

Janet called after her, "We're still talking punishment after school, missy!"

Silence dominated the kitchen after the teenager's hasty retreat. Janet had her arms crossed over her breasts and was glaring at Sam. The blonde finally laughed and held her hands out in defeat. "What!"

"You honestly believe that was the right thing to do?"

Laughing, Sam nodded. "Well... yeah! Next time that... that Maur-on girl thinks about picking on someone, she'll have a little reminder right between her eyes." She tapped the bridge of her nose, then sighed. "I wish I could've been there..." She exhibited a few shadow-boxing moves, then turned to face Janet. When she saw the brunette wasn't smiling, she straightened and said, "C'mon. It was a fight. Kids get in fights, even teenagers."

Janet said, "I don't want her solving her problems with her fists. It might make her too..."

Sam shook her head. "Too militant? Are you... afraid that Cassandra will become like me?"

"That's not what I meant. I would love for Cassie to grow up just like you. But... there are some things I could do without."

Sam could hardly believe her ears. "For example?"

"Fighting. You answer everything with fighting. God, Sam! Like *this*! We could be having a discussion about how to punish her for this, but you had to turn it into a fight."

"ME?! This fight is my fault? Well, I'm sorry, but I don't think she *should* be punished. She was standing up for someone. That should be rewarded. God knows there aren't enough samaritans in the world." She stood and headed for the door.

Janet followed. "When was the last time you sat down and talked through a problem rather than punch your way out?"

Sam laughed. "Gee, next time I run into Apophis, I'll just have a heart-to-heart and make him see my side."

"Apophis is dead," Janet muttered.

"That wasn't my point," Sam snapped, pulling on her leather jacket. She looked up at Janet and abruptly said, "I'll be back in three weeks."

Janet paled. "What?!"

Sam froze. She had wanted to drop this bombshell lightly, but in the heat of the moment had let her tongue slip. She paused. "SG-1 is going on a long-term archaeological excavation with SG-9. The main dig site is over 35 kilometers from the Stargate, so we have to be gone for three weeks. I'm sorry, sweetheart, I just... couldn't bring myself to tell you."

Janet sat down on the couch. "Three weeks? God, Sam... three weeks."

Sam knelt next to her lover. "We'll deal with Cassandra when we get back."

"Sam," Janet sighed. "We can't wait a month to punish her. I'll think of something to do."

"You'll make the decision without me?" Sam asked, feeling betrayed.

Slightly hurt, Janet said, "I don't have much choice, do I? This can't wait three weeks."

Sam started to make an argument, but instead turned to the door. She adjusted her jacket, forcing herself not to cry. She brushed her hand across her cheek and turned, heading for the entryway. "I'll see you in three weeks. We'll... talk about this then."

Janet stood as Sam opened the door and called out, "I love you!" They'd been in this situation before and she wasn't about to let Sam think there was nothing worth coming home to.

Sam paused in the doorway and turned, eyes wet with tears. "I love you, too. See you in twenty-one days." She closed the door. Once the blonde had left, Janet collapsed on the couch and began crying.

---

The infirmary was abuzz with activity that day; it was almost enough to keep her mind off her problems with Sam. She berated a young lieutenant at length for bruising her calf and screamed at Mark Burdett for coming in with yet another sprained tendon. She was setting a broken bone in a sergeant's arm when Dr. Roth called out, "Dr. Fraiser! Phone for you!"

"Take a message," she called over her shoulder.

The other woman ducked back into the office and returned a few minutes later with a small 'While You Were Out' slip. She handed it to Janet and said, "It's Cassandra's school. The teacher wants to set up a meeting with you."

Janet rolled her eyes and sent her patient away with a disgusted sigh. "Uh... okay. Did she say when?"

"She said around four."

"Okay. All right, uh, you take over here for a second." She went to the office and dialed the number on the slip. When the secretary answered, Janet introduced herself and said, "I'm calling about a meeting I'm supposed to have with my daughter's teacher. It's a, uh..." she checked her paper and said, "Ms. Page. Could you tell her that four o'clock would be okay for me? Okay, thank you. Again, my name is Janet Fraiser," she reiterated, spelling the last name. "Thank you." She hung up and reclined in her chair.

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she thought 'Page, Page... where have I heard that name before?' She disregarded the sense of familiarity, telling herself she had just seen the name on a grade report or something.

---

Chester A. Arthur High School was a modest red brick building surrounded on three sides by a parking lot. The remaining property was taken up by a football field and two large stands that towered over the actual school building. Janet parked in one of the few empty spaces and made her way to the front door. She checked her watch, surprised that she was actually early to her appointment. She had been caught at the last minute by an influx of food poisoning from the mess. Apparently, last Friday's chowder was *not* fresh enough to freeze and reheat on Monday.

She was still in her uniform, her high heels clacking on the hard tile of the hallway. She immediately flashed back to her own school days; old Mrs. Peterson's English class, the frantic dashes to make it to homeroom before the bell, giggling at boys she liked but never had the nerve to approach...

The building seemed deserted to her; school ended at 3:30 and detention was probably still in session. A rotund student with thick glasses and greasy red hair came around the corner, guitar case hanging from one shoulder. He peered with contempt at the Air Force uniform Janet wore, then said, "You recruitin'?"

"Uh... not today. I'm actually looking for a... a Ms. Page's classroom."

The kid nodded in the direction he had come. "It's back there next to the library. But they'd rather you check in at the office instead of just going to the class."

She sighed. "And the office is...?"

The kid groaned like he was late for something immensely important. He pointed. "See that big wooden door at the end of the hall? Says 'Office' over it? You can't go wrong there, babe."

She glared after him. His suede jacket had the word OTIS written across the back in masking tape. She sighed, wondering why she had ever gone through a musician phase in high school, then headed to the office.

The secretary was a chirpy, happy lady with a musical voice, her black hair perfectly coiffed and her eyes marked by laugh lines. She stood and extended a hand. "Ooh, you must be Janet Fraiser, Cassandra's mom! Oh, we just love your daughter," she gushed, eagerly pumping Janet's hand. "If you'll excuse me for just one tiny second, I'll page Ms. Page and tell her you are here." She giggled, "Page Ms. Page." She moved around her desk and slipped out of the office.

Janet sat in the now empty room, resting her purse on her thighs. She suddenly felt guilty... condemned for some awful crime such as chewing gun or speaking out of turn. She was ready to confess by the time a door at the back of the office opened and a kindly-looking white-haired gentleman exited. He was wearing a pink shirt with a flamboyant purple tie, his gaze locked on the paper he held. He finally looked up and saw Janet, then searched for his secretary. "Ah... Oh. Um, is Susan..."

"She... she went to find Ms. Page for me."

He looked immensely relieved. "Oh! So you must be Cassandra's mother!"

Janet smiled politely, wondering if everyone at this damn school knew everyone else's business. 'Oh! Your the one who works on that top-secret Stargate project, right? How exciting!' She rolled her eyes and checked her watch. "Actually, I'm very short on time. Hopefully, Ms. Page won't be that difficult to find."

The man smiled. "Oh, if you don't find her, she'll find you. She has a way of... homing in on people." He laughed, as if remembering a private joke, then scratched behind one ear. "I'll, uh... leave you be until Ms. Page arrives. It was a pleasure meeting you." He moved back towards the back of the office, then turned. "Oh. I'm Mr. McElvaney. Did I say that?"

"No, I don't believe you did," she said, forcing herself to smile. "Pleased to meet you."

He winked and said, "Have a nice meeting." He vanished back into his office.

Janet was relieved to be alone once more. No wonder Cassandra hated this school; it was staffed by the Stepford Teachers Association. She checked her watch and finally stood. She didn't have time to sit in an office surrounded by Osmond-rejects while there were people sick and dying. Besides, if Ms. Page was anything like the other people she'd encountered in this place... she shuddered to think.

She was out of the office and heading for the door when she heard Sue's sickly-sweet voice. "Yoo-hoo! Mrs. Fraiser? I found who you were looking for! Ms. Page, meet Janet. Cassie's mom!"

Janet turned and extended a hand... and froze. Ms. Page was Georgia Page, the blonde seductress who had latched onto Janet not long ago at the Wishing Well. Georgia's eyes flashed with recognition and she finally managed to say, "Well... thank you, Sue. I think we can handle ourselves from here."

Susan ducked into the office, leaving the two women alone in the hallway. Georgia's eyes had become wide blue orbs under her bangs, her mouth slightly agape in shock. She brushed her hair behind her ear and said, "So. Janet Fraiser. I never did learn your name."

"Georgia Page. That's where I heard the name before."

Finally, she managed a nervous smile as she crossed her arms over her breasts. "Well, karma has thrown us together. Whatever shall we do about this?"

Janet found her mouth suddenly dry and wished for a water fountain.

Chapter Two

Sam was sure there were more boring places to be... golf tournaments, solitary confinement, Delaware. She had climbed to the top of the ancient structure that Daniel and the scientists of SG-9 had buried themselves in and looked up towards the sun. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c were off securing the perimeter, although Jack was probably just making an excuse to get away from the 'nerds' excavating below. She hated feeling useless, but the fact that she couldn't read the hieroglyphics in the passageway combined with her inability to determine priceless artifact from pointy rock had made her feel like the proverbial third leg.

She lowered herself to the adobe roof, running her hands through her hair as she enjoyed the sunlight beating down on the desert planet. After a while, her shirt became too hot, so she peeled it off and used it as a pillow, laying in her regulation bra and khaki pants. She slipped her walkman from the pouch on her pants, turning it on as she slipped the headphones over her ears.

After a while, her mind wandered to Janet. She sighed and tried to see her lover's point of view in the entire Cassandra situation. It was a bad thing for their daughter to get in fights, that was a given. But Sam *was* proud of her and that was where it became a problem. Cassandra hadn't just punched some random kid on the playground; she was defending someone! And if that's not worthy of praise, Sam didn't know what was.

She sighed, sitting up and pulling her shirt back on. Even if she couldn't help Daniel translate, she could help the colonel set up their base camp. They had been supplied with large pup tents and folding cots due to the length of their mission, so she assumed if nothing else, she could unfold the cots.

The temple where Daniel and his friends were digging was surrounded by small, residential-looking houses. Parked in front of the homes was a large cart resembling a golf cart. The revamped moon buggy had been driven through the Stargate, making the trip to the archaeological site much easier on their legs. It was just barely big enough to slip through the eye of the 'gate, almost scraping the sides of the giant ring as they passed through. Sam smiled as she remembered the colonel's joke just before entering the event horizon: "Fasten your seat belts. It's gonna be a bumpy ride."

She climbed into the backseat of the cart and found her personal items, digging until she found the small picture of Janet she had stashed. She sighed, brushing her fingertips over the beautiful doctor's face. "I miss you," she whispered.

"Carter!"

She tucked the picture back in her bag and turned, looking for the source of the voice. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c were returning, jogging slowly into the small town. "C'mon... you gotta check this out!"

She climbed out of the cart, following them in the direction they had come from.

---

Janet and Georgia stood uncomfortably in the hallway of the school. Janet could see a janitor making his way from classroom to classroom with a mop and pail and realized that it was getting late. She met Georgia's eyes, surprised when the blonde smiled and looked away. This was a far cry from the siren who practically ripped the doctor's clothes off at the Wishing Well. She wasn't, however, dressed differently; at the bar, she had been wearing a smart business suit. Now, the blonde was wearing a thigh-length pink dress with a matching jacket, her white blouse buttoned to the throat. Janet finally said, "I suppose--"

"No, let me," Georgia interrupted. "I... need to explain, I guess. The woman you met the other night... that wasn't me. When I go... to that place... I just get crazy. I lose control and... that's what happened the other night. You were so beautiful and I-I couldn't stop myself." She grinned, brushing a hand through her hair. "God, I sound so stupid."

Janet patted the teacher's hand. "No, you don't sound stupid. Look at me. I mean... I'm a doctor in the Air Force. That night, I was dressed like... well... not like a doctor in the Air Force," she laughed.

Georgia chuckled. "Thanks for understanding. I... really do want to talk to you about Cassandra's fight," she said, wincing slightly. "I do think it's wrong to physically attack someone rather than talk your problems out."

Janet's eyes widened and she said, "Thank you! I tried to explain that to Sam, but she's so damned stubborn!"

"Sam... would be your...?"

"Yes," Janet said, smiling. "We're raising Cassandra together."

Georgia's eyes widened. She breathed, "Wow. Talk about dangerous. How do you handle it?"

Janet smiled shyly. "We just take it a day at a time. Just like any kid."

"No," Georgia shook her head slowly, her eyes locked on Janet. "I mean, you have your job to think about. I assume Sam is also military?" Janet nodded. "Raising a teenager on top of that... I'm surprised. Cassandra, for what it's worth, has turned out remarkably well... fighting problems aside," she grinned.

Janet laughed. "We got off-track again. We need to talk about the fighting problems."

Georgia closed her eyes. "God... I'm sorry. Look, we need to talk about this, but the school is getting locked up soon. What do you say we continue this tonight? You, me and Sam at dinner?"

"Oh. Um, Sam is out of town at the moment. She'll be gone for three weeks."

"Three weeks?" Georgia frowned, her brow wrinkling slightly above her nose. "God. Oh-h... something military-related? Over in Afghanistan?"

Janet paused, then said, "Yeah. She's off flying some jets and kicking some ass."

Georgia grinned. "Then I guess it'll just be you and me for dinner then."

A panic button went off in the brunette's head. "Ah... uh, what about Dana? The woman you met at the Well?"

The blonde sighed. "Back in Chicago. We only had one night together before she had to go back." She blinked, focusing her eyes and smiling sweetly. "So, shall I meet you at your home?"

"No," Janet said, a little too quickly. "I'll come to your house, if it's all right. A teenager plus two parents in the military equals a war zone of a house."

Georgia nodded. "No problem. Do you still have my number at home?" Janet nodded. "Okay. Call me at six and I'll tell you directions." She stood, accepting Janet's hand and shaking it. "You're lucky. It's not every parent I invite to my house for dinner." She smiled sweetly and turned walking down the hall.

When Janet finally stood, she found herself watching the other woman walk away and mentally kicked herself. 'What are you doing, Fraiser?! You're a married woman! Stop it!' She turned and left the school building, her mind racing as she tried to calculate the odds of this woman being Cassandra's teacher. She pushed it out of her mind and continued out into the parking lot.

---

Janet made it home just as Cassandra was getting out of a red Mustang at the curb. The girl said good-bye to the driver, then started up the front walk as her mother pulled into the driveway. The doctor got out, calling to Cassie. "Hey, honey. Wait up for a second?"

The girl paused on the porch, turning and leaning against the wall. Janet stepped up next to her and smiled. "Hey. How was school today?"

She shrugged. "Are you and Sam still fighting?"

Janet sighed. "That's not the point right now, honey. I was just hoping we could talk about the situation a few days ago with Olga and Maura?"

Cassie nodded and used her key to let them into the house. She dumped her bookbag on the floor and headed into the living room. Janet was right behind, picking up the bookbag and laying it next to the coat rack. As the girl dropped onto the couch, Janet turned on the light and sat in her recliner. "So... tell me. Are you... glad that you hit Maura?"

Without hesitation, Cassandra said, "Yes."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "It got results. Today, Maura didn't say anything about Olga to anyone. I think a couple of kids were even nice to her just so I wouldn't come after them, too," Cassie smirked.

"Cassandra, violence is never an appropriate answer to a problem," Janet said. "Sometimes it's easier, but... it's never right."

The girl frowned. "Well... what about when I was sick at the SGC? You attacked the guard and stole his gun to force Nirrti to help me. Was that the wrong thing to do?"

Janet tensed. "Yes, it was. I should have kept a level head and found a better way to handle the situation."

"But that's stupid!" Cassie argued. "Sam told me. If you hadn't pulled that gun, General Hammond would have let Nirrti go with a sample of my blood and she would've had a... a superhost by now. Now you're saying that it would have been better to let her go?" She stood. "And what about the Goa'uld? Maybe we should just sit them all down and have a nice little talk and tell them what they're doing is naughty and they should stop. Yeah, that's a lot better than just killing them all, right Mom?"

Janet stood. "Wars are different, Cassandra. Don't try to compare your schoolyard brawl to a war."

"It's the same thing, Mom. My 'brawl' was a microcosm... if I remember that word right... You shouldn't be such a hypocrite, saying that fighting is all right so long as you kill the person you hit. Geez, maybe I should have killed Maura, then you would be proud of me like Sam."

Janet was furious. This wasn't supposed to be a lecture about war. "Go to your room this instant, Cassandra."

The girl looked like she wanted to say something else, then turned and headed upstairs. Janet spun on her heel and picked up the phone, angrily punching a phone number. After a few moments, a kind voice answered, "Hello. Davenport Residence."

Janet took a deep breath. "Hey, Ms. Davenport. This is Janet Fraiser from across the street. I was wondering if you could look after Cassie this evening? Say six to... eleven?"

"Of course, dear! I must admit, I thought you would never call again," the lady laughed. "Is Cassandra ill?"

"Not exactly," Janet said. "She's being punished. I doubt she'd obey us without a babysitter."

"Oh, my," the elderly woman said. "I believe we have a case of teenager-itis."

Janet laughed. "It sounds like we do. Come by around six... and I'll pay you by the hour." She added the last part quickly, hoping the other woman wouldn't notice.

"Tsk, tsk, Dr. Fraiser! You'll do no such thing! Spending time with Cassandra is payment enough."

Janet rolled her eyes. "After tonight, you may rethink your billing policy. I'll see you at six." They exchanged good-byes and Janet disconnected the call, going to the hallway and finding the card with Georgia's number on it. She walked back to the phone and dialed the teacher.

"Hello, Georgia Page speaking."

Janet grinned into the receiver. "Hey, Georgia. It's me."

"Oh! Hey, Janet.... Mrs. Fraiser, I should say. *Doctor* Fraiser..." She laughed. "Damn. What should I call you?"

"How about Janet?" she smiled.

Georgia laughed. "If you insist. Okay, I started dinner. All you need is the directions... Got a pen?"

Janet grabbed a pen and a slip of paper from their 'phone pad.' She carefully marked down the directions the teacher gave her, realizing that the path took her practically back to the base. She re-read the instructions and laughed, "You know... this is actually on my way to work."

"Wonderful!" Georgia said. "When will I see you?"

She glanced at the clock. "Quarter to seven all right?"

Georgia sighed. "Gee, I don't think it'll be done by then. How about six-forty-five?"

Janet laughed loudly into the phone, then said, "God, I hope you're joking. I'll see you then, Ms. Page... Georgia." She hung up the phone, straightening her hair and going towards the stairs. She couldn't help but feel like she was getting ready for a date. She froze on the landing, blinking for a moment. 'Not a date,' she reminded herself. This wasn't a date; just a meeting with her daughter's teacher. She continued into the bedroom to get dressed.

---

She parked in front of Georgia's one-story ranch house and gently placed her hands on top of the steering wheel. 'This is not a date. Married women don't go on dates. Well... some do... but not me.' She pinched the bridge of her nose and silenced her inner voice. Finally, she got out of the car and headed up the front walk. She had finally decided on a flowered sundress, covering her bare arms and shoulders with a blue sweater. She straightened her hem, wishing it stretched farther than her knees, then rang the bell.

From inside, she heard Georgia call, "Just a minute! I'm coming!"

Janet blushed, inadvertantly thinking of the double entrendre the woman had just made. She stood nervously on the porch, bathed in the pale yellow light from the covered lantern hanging next to the door. She brushed her hair out of her eyes as the door finally opened. Janet fought back a gasp at the other woman's appearance.

Georgia was clad in a low-cut, body hugging gown that seemed to magnify the size of her bosom as it clung to her shapely hips. The black silk shimmered in the light of the entryway, dozens of tiny red flowers dotted the material from Georgia's left breast down to the hem of the skirt. Luckily, the dress wasn't too short; it ended just below the blonde's knees. Janet realized she was staring and smiled. "I... think I'm a little underdressed," she chuckled.

"Nonsense," Georgia said, her voice soft and breathy. "Come in, please. Dinner is almost ready."

Janet stepped inside, catching a whiff of something in the air. She smiled and said, "Jasmine... I love the smell of jasmine." She glanced at Georgia. "You, ah... didn't ask Cassandra about this, did you?"

Georgia laughed. "No, Cassandra was already out of school when I made this date with you. I happen to like the scent myself."

Janet had stopped listening after the word date. 'This *is* a date? But... she knows I'm married!' She took a deep breath, calming herself as she decided that Georgia was probably just using 'date' as a throwaway term to describe the evening. Settling herself, she said, "So... which way is the dining room?"

Georgia indicated. "This way. Follow me." She closed the door and headed down the hall. As Janet fell in behind the taller woman, she noticed that the dress was held in place by a series of thin straps across the teacher's bare back; a thin strip of material just barely covered her rear end. Janet took a deep breath, then looked away. 'This is not a date,' she told herself. 'Despite what Georgia may think, this is NOT a date.'

They stepped into the dining room and Janet eyed the table. Three candles were set up in the center of the table, overlooking two plates that appeared to be fine china. The fine silverware shone in the candlelight. A stereo on the countertop was playing light classical music and the lights were turned down low. Janet's mouth opened slightly and she told herself, 'Oh, my God. This is a date.'

Chapter Three

Sam followed Jack and Teal'c to the large hut they had found, slipping into the shadowy building and pulling off her glasses. The interior was hard to see after the harsh sunlight, but she could make out several beds lining the walls. "What is this place?"

Jack put his hands on his hips and said, "This, my dear Carter, is the 24X-926 Hilton. Enough beds for all of SG-1 and SG-9 with enough left over to... I dunno... jump up and down on. Teal'c here thinks it was left over by the inhabitants of this world."

She walked to one of the beds and tested the mattress. It was old and dusty, but still incredibly firm. She looked up at Jack, about to tell him she preferred the canvas of a cot when he held up his hand. "Teal'c and I already did the Goldilocks thing. They get softer down the wall. These are the most firm, those at the other end are the softest."

"Goldilocks?" Teal'c asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Goldilocks. You know, 'this bed's too hard, this bed's just right...' The Goldilocks thing." He glanced at Sam for help, but she just gave him an amused look. "You know, with the... the cabin? And there are bears who eat porridge."

"Are bears not carnivorous creatures?"

Jack rolled his eyes.

---

Janet nervously sat down, eyeing the beautiful layout before her. "So... are all of your parent-teacher conferences like this?"

Georgia laughed, returning to the kitchen. "Not exactly. Sometimes I get take-out."

Janet laughed. She felt immensely comfortable... and tremendously nervous at the same time. What if Georgia made a move? Would she stop her? She pushed those thoughts out of her head and focused on the dinner. It would be completely about Cassandra and nothing more. They would discuss the problem at school and that would be that. 'Right,' her inner voice mocked. 'Then why did you ask Ms. Davenport to stay until eleven?' She told herself to shut up as Georgia arrived with the meal.

"I'm afraid it's not exactly fine cuisine... or even McDonald's... but I promise you, it is very good." She placed the serving dish on the corner of the table, serving a few spoonfuls of vegetables onto Janet's plate. This was followed by a good helping of mashed potatoes from another bowl. The blonde disappeared back into the kitchen for a moment, then returned and spooned several dollops of Hamburger Helper onto the doctor's plate.

Janet smiled, looking up at Georgia. "Not exactly fine cuisine, you say?"

Georgia blushed, serving herself before returning the dishes to the kitchen. When she returned, she sat down and said, "Teacher's salary, plus short notice."

"You forget," Janet said. "I have a teenage daughter at home and work odd hours. I'm well acquainted with wild rice and mushroom." She forked a piece of hamburger and wrapped her lips around it. She put her index finger and thumb to her lips and kissed them, laughing, "Magnifique!"

Georgia laughed. "God... Now I know where Cassandra gets her sense of humor."

Janet smiled, taking a sip of her water. "Speaking of whom," she said, dabbing her mouth with a napkin, "isn't she who we're supposed to be talking about?"

"Right," the blonde said, straightening. "Now, technically, this is a gray area. The girl she attacked *was* a bit of a problem. May I be frank? Off the record, I think that she deserved what she got... Not that I condone violence. I'm just saying that since the school was powerless to stop the teasing, I'm glad someone did something."

"Why couldn't the school suspend Maura? Or give her detention like Cass?"

"That's also a gray area. No one came forward to... well, I guess the appropriate word is 'tattle' on Maura. Without evidence, we had nothing. But, when Cassandra was sent to the office, everything came to light. Maura is indeed serving after-school detention in a different classroom than Cassie."

"That's good," Janet said. "I just wish Cassie had gone to the principal first rather than use Maura's teasing as justification for their fight." She sighed and ate a few more bites of her meal. Joking aside, it *was* a delicious meal. Although she knew that Hamburger Helper had a bad rap, the veggies and potatoes had probably taken most of the afternoon. "This meal... is wonderful," Janet said, taking another sip of the water.

Georgia grinned. "I'm glad you enjoy it. My ex absolutely hated take-out and wouldn't be caught dead eating the Helper. She was a gourmet," she said, adding extra accent to the last syllable. "Every damn night we had chicken alfredo or rigatoni or some kind of foreign culinary masterpiece. When we broke up, I didn't miss the sex, but the orgasms I used to have from that *wonderful* food..." she laughed, shaking her head.

Janet fidgeted, thinking the conversation was getting into a weird place.

The blonde looked up. "So? What about Sam?"

Janet blushed. "Oh. We... have sex. I orgasm most of the time but--"

"No, no!" Georgia quickly said. "I meant food! Does Sam cook?"

Janet's face turned completely beet red. She couldn't believe she just said that and felt like shrinking into the chair. "O-Oh. Oh, um... she... No. She doesn't cook. We joke sometimes that she can work magic with a naquadah reactor, but she's lost with a frying pan." She chuckled and took a sip of water.

Georgia nodded, then asked, "What's a naquadah reactor?"

Janet almost choked on her water. "Oh. Oh! Oh, my God. Um... that's kind of classified."

The teacher lit up. "Ooh, government secrets! Believe me, my lips are sealed." She winked, then looked at Janet's half-cleaned plate. "Wow... there's enough for seconds in there, but if you want to save room for dessert..."

Janet swallowed. "Um... what's for dessert?"

"Pumpkin pie, whipped cream." She shrugged. "It's my favorite."

Janet smiled. "Me too!" She took another mouthful of peas, then looked across the table at Georgia. The blonde was staring at her, slowly drinking her water as she watched. Janet felt a bit self-conscious and finally said, "What?"

Georgia blinked, as if brought back to earth. "Nothing. I... nothing." She looked down at her plate, taking a deep breath. Janet tried not to notice how the motion caused the material across the blonde's breasts to tighten, but found it impossible. "I have a confession to make," she finally said.

Janet winced. "This dinner wasn't about Cassandra."

"I'm that obvious, huh?"

Janet leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs under the table. "It's not that you're obvious... I... I have to admit, I wasn't exactly sure what this was going to be, but I came anyway."

Georgia pushed her chair back and stood, walking to Janet's side. "Would you join me in a dance?"

The radio was still softly playing classical piano music. Janet bit her lip, knowing that it would be a slow dance. She placed her hand in Georgia's and stood, letting the blonde lead her away from the table. They slowly began to sway to the music, their faces inches apart. Janet wet her lips and placed her head on the blonde's shoulder, just so they wouldn't be staring into each other's eyes. This turned out to be a move for the worst; Georgia slipped her hands around Janet's waist and pulled the petite woman closer.

As the song progressed, Georgia let her hands slide lower until they rested on the curve of Janet's rear end. The doctor raised her head and whispered, "I... think we should stop dancing... our food is getting cold."

Georgia looked down at Janet, her eyes sparkling in the dim light. "When will Sam be home?"

"T-Three weeks," she managed to reply.

Georgia slid her hands higher onto Janet's back, resting one between the smaller woman's shoulderblades. "Three long weeks. Doesn't she know you get urges? Needs... desires?" She sighed. "I would never let anyone as beautiful as you out of my sight, no matter what my job. Of course, she gets the same urges you do. What does she do, all those miles away, when satisfaction can't be granted by two pumping fingers?"

Janet closed her eyes. "Sam's... never been unfaithful to me."

"Monogamy is a tricky thing," Georgia whispered. "Consider threesomes. That's basically cheating, but it makes the relationship stronger."

"In a threesome, Sam would be here," Janet reminded her.

Georgia nodded. "Sam again. Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," Janet said, surprised by the trust she already had in this woman.

Georgia paused, trying to fully articulate her words. Finally, she said, "What do you and Sam have in common? Other than your jobs, I mean. From what I can tell, you're complete opposites. She's tall, you're... petite. She's blonde, you're brunette. She's aggressive and you believe in talking through problems. What do you really have between you?"

"Love," Janet said. "I love her. As for our differences, we're trying to live and let live, I suppose."

Georgia whispered, "You and I... are so much alike. We like the same things. We have the same beliefs, from what I've heard so far. We both want the best for Cassandra... although I know Sam loves the girl as well. Do you see what I'm saying?"

Unfortunately, she did. "But we're in love. We're married. It can't be based on *nothing*."

Georgia ignored the comment. "Have you ever been with any woman besides Sam?"

Janet slowly shook her head no. There had been one woman, back when she was still married to Alan, but Janet had a strange feeling that - no matter how unlikely, that strange seductress had actually been Sam herself. Other than that, she had never gone past a kiss with another woman.

The blonde sighed, shifting in Janet's arms. "It's like Hamburger Helper," Georgia smiled. "You can't tell you like something from one taste. You have to try it again and again... just to make sure you like it."

Janet licked her lips. "We really shouldn't be doing this," she said. "And we both know why."

"Yes, we do," Georgia admitted. "But we both know why we need to do this." She leaned down, lightly brushing her lips across Janet's. The doctor moaned at the contact, wanting to pull away but inadvertantly parting her lips and pulling Georgia tighter. She could feel the taller woman's warm flesh beneath the flimsy dress. Their tongues tangled within their mouths, their hands exploring new contours and testing firmness before they both pulled back.

Janet exhaled, looking into Georgia's lust-filled eyes. "I should go."

"I want you to stay. Desperately, Janet."

She closed her eyes. "I can't betray Sam."

Georgia sighed, kissing the brunette's closed eyelids. "I need you," she breathed, cupping Janet's ass through the thin sundress the doctor wore. "Now. Just for tonight, be mine. I beg of you, Janet." She kissed the doctor's lips, once again tasting the brunette's tongue. When they separated, she pressed her forehead to the doctor's. "I know that it isn't right... but be with me. Just for tonight."

A tear rolled down Janet's cheek and she captured Georgia's lips once more. The blonde moaned into her companions mouth, finding the buttons of the sweater and undoing them, sliding the material away from Janet's shoulders. Janet let the material fall to the floor, brushing the back of her hand across her cheek. One night of passion wouldn't be so bad, she figured.

She reached behind Georgia and found the loose knot holding the straps in place. Keeping eye contact with the taller woman, Janet undid the strap and let the two ends fall aside. Georgia reached up, hooking her finger under the shoulder strap and letting it fall. The thin strip graced her upper arm as she repeated the process with the other side. Janet wet her lips as she placed her hands on Georgia's arms and slowly pulled the straps the rest of the way down.

The front of the blonde's dress dropped away, revealing two perfect breasts. They were slightly smaller than Sam's, but capped with the same pink nipples. Janet leaned down, gently kissing one rosy, erect nipple and suckling on it as she cupped it's twin. Georgia moaned and stroked Janet's back with one hand, the other running through her long blonde hair. She was whispering words of encouragement to her new lover, closing her eyes as the brunette's tongue sent shockwaves from her breasts to the center of her sex.

Janet finally released the nipple, leaving it wet and glistening. Georgia quickly stripped out of the dress, kicking her high heels off and standing before Janet in her white cotton panties. She was breathing hard, her skin flushed with desire as she allowed Janet to examine her. The doctor stepped forward, resting her hands on Georgia's shoulders as she made a startling discovery. Barefoot, she and Georgia were the same height! Janet giggled and said, "I've never had sex with anyone my size."

Georgia laughed and kissed Janet's lips, trailing her hands down the doctor's back and finding the zipper to her dress. "That's something you won't be able to say tomorrow," she said. "Let's go to my bedroom."

She returned to the table, blowing out the candles before returning to Janet's side. Janet reached out, taking Georgia's outstretched hand, and they walked through the house to the master bedroom. Georgia moved inside first, turning on a bedside lamp. The blankets were all untucked, as were the sheets. Dirty laundry littered the floor, as well as several empty potato chip bags. The blonde blushed, "I didn't have time to clean up. I never really let myself imagine our night would end here."

Janet slipped out of her dress, letting it pool around her ankles. Both women were now in their underwear, the only difference being Janet's bra. Georgia's eyes widened and she breathed, "Let me see your breasts. Please." Janet unhooked her bra and nervously dropped it to the floor. The last time she had been this nervous with her own nudity was in bed with her ex-husband Alan on their honeymoon. They had waited to have sex until they were married, which led to an "pre-mature dismissal" in Alan's case.

Once the doctor's breasts were bared, Georgia dropped to her knees and motioned Janet forward. The doctor complied and Georgia began kissing her flat stomach.

Janet closed her eyes, running her hands through Georgia's hair. She slowly moved up, closing her lips around one nipple and cupping Janet's ass with one hand. Janet arched her back, feeding her breast to the blonde woman kneeling in front of her. She could feel her panties were soaked and reached down, gently rubbing herself through the sodden material. Georgia saw the movement and covered the brunette's fingers with her own. Together, they rubbed the moist slit through cloth until Janet felt her climax approaching. She pulled Georgia's hand away and moved back, laying on the mattress. She spread her legs and whispered, "Come here."

Georgia obliged, slithering between the brunette's legs and kissing her way up to her prone lover's lips. They rolled across the mattress until Janet was on top, her legs straddling Georgia's stomach. She rose, cupping her own breasts as she began to grind against the teacher's stomach. Georgia panted, watching Janet as she masturbated against her abdomen. The blonde reached down, her mouth open as she gulped air, and wrapped her hands around the doctor's wet panties. With a violent tug, she tore the material and tossed it aside.

Janet was shocked, her jaw dropping as the cold air came in contact with her slit. Georgia's fingers rolled across the slick skin, locking in on the clitoris and pinching it gently. The brunette's face contorted in a mixture of pain and pleasure and she began panting loudly, her eyes screwed shut as she rubbed herself on the blonde's stomach. She began to moan loudly as she came, her sweet juices leaking onto her new lover's stomach. Tiny rivulets rolled down the toned muscle, accumulating in Georgia's trimmed pubic hair.

As she came down off her high, Janet lowered her head and kissed her way down Georgia's body. She started at the crown of the teacher's head, inhaling the scent of fresh shampoo. She found the bump next to the blonde's left eyebrow, sucking it like a tiny nipple and eliciting gasps from the woman below her. She moved down to gently pay tribute to her companion's eyes, nose, lips and throat. She tasted the throbbing pulse of her lover and moved lower, tracing the tip of her tongue over the length of Georgia's collarbone. There was a subtle bump where it had been broken and set incorrectly; it was a minor blemish - one only a doctor would probably notice - and Janet found it incredibly arousing. She peppered that area with kisses, then continued to the mounds of Georgia's breasts.

When she reached the beautiful woman's stomach, Janet paused and meticulously cleaned up every trace of her own orgasm. Georgia was panting, her legs propped up on the mattress and spread wide, begging for Janet to pay them proper attention. The doctor slipped between Georgia's thighs, then continued on without kissing the most sensitive of Georgia's skin. The teacher groaned, falling back against the mattress. Janet hated frustrating her lover, but had other things in mind.

She knelt on the floor next to the bed, taking Georgia's foot and rubbing the arch as she gently wrapped her lips around the big toe. Georgia gasped loudly, her entire body tensing as Janet began to suckle the toe as she tickled the foot. Georgia gasped, "Oh, God, please don't stop."

Janet's fingers tickled their way up the firm muscles of Georgia's thighs, pausing to toy with the pliant flesh below her knee. Georgia was thrashing against the mattress, the scent of her arousal reaching Janet's nostrils. She released the toes and placed her lips and tongue in an area where they were more welcome. Georgia began to chant Janet's name like a holy mantra, her hands moving to run through her own hair as she arched her back off the mattress. Janet gripped her lover's ass, holding her so that only Georgia's shoulders, feet and head came in contact with the bed.

"JA-NEETTT!" Georgia screamed. "Oh, God, JANET! Oh... oh, I'm cumming, Janet!"

The doctor increased her efforts, massaging Georgia's inner flesh with her probing tongue as she reached up to manipulate the blonde's erect nipples. Suddenly, Janet's mouth was filled with a flood of sweet-tasting juices. Janet had never received so much so soon, accustomed to either Sam's slowly building orgasms of Alan's barely-there spurts. This was too much. Her chin and throat were soaked, her cheeks also glistening with the evidence of Georgia's orgasm, and the blonde was still groaning. "Oooh, Janet... Oh, I'm cumming, Janet."

Sure enough, another helping began to fill the doctor's mouth. It was too much! Janet finally pulled her head back, sliding two fingers into Georgia in a half-hearted attempt to stop the flow. This only succeeded in coating Janet's hand and arm with more sweet cum. Smiling evilly, Janet raised her wet hand and slowly painted it over Georgia's breasts and throat, then offered her fingers to the teacher.

Georgia accepted eagerly, her tongue expertly dancing over the brunette's fingers and pausing to gently tongue the gold band around the doctor's left finger. Janet's eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat as she realized what it was. She had coated her left hand with Georgia's cum and the blonde was now licking her wedding ring clean! Janet's jaw dropped, her heart threatening to shatter as she watched the pink tip of Georgia's tongue dance around the diamond before moving on.

The rest of Georgia's activities were a blur to her. The two women eventually ended up under the blankets, their nude bodies pressed together in the darkness. It was midnight, but Janet knew Ms. Davenport would stay all night with Cassie if need be. She rested her head on Georgia's shoulder and stared into the darkness. 'I'm an adultress. I cheated on Sam.' She began to quietly cry, resting her hand on the blonde's stomach.

It was a betrayal of the worst kind... she only hoped there was a way to redeem herself.

---

The small lantern half-buried in the silt on the floor illuminated the back wall of the room where Daniel was using the small brush from his supplies to clear one of the carvings. He squinted at the marks, then pulled his glasses off and wiped the dust from it. One of the members of SG-9, Major Richard Segans, coughed at the dusty air and said, "Geez... This planet seems to be inhabited by a dust-based culture."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Actually, that's possible. Last year, we actually found a planet inhabited by microscopic organisms that seemed to be water. Cost the lives of most of the Russian project before we realized what we were dealing with."

Segans knelt, peering at a section of wall that Daniel had cleared several hours earlier. "I tell ya, I love being an archaeologist, but the damned dust is getting to be too much."

"An archaeologist that hates dust?" Daniel asked, smiling over his shoulder at the other man.

They were interrupted by Sergeant Leonard Hughes appearing in the doorway that led to a long corridor. They had sent him and another member of SG-9 down, hoping to discover more carvings. He stared blankly at Daniel and started slowly speaking. "We've desecrated their home. We are trespassers."

Daniel and Segans both stood, frowning at the man. "Leo?" Segans asked. "You okay, buddy? Where's Taylor?"

Leonard didn't respond, he simply fell to his knees and began to cry. Daniel picked up the lantern, moving around the man and peering down the corridor. "Sergeant Taylor? Are you there?"

Segans knelt next to his teammate, then looked up at Daniel. "Anything?"

Daniel stepped into the corridor. "I... I hear something. I can't quite... make it out." He pulled his flashlight off his belt and shined it down the corridor. The sound was growing louder, a dull roar slowly rising in his ears. Daniel's eyes widened and he backed out of the darkness. "Pick him up," he said. "We've got to get out of here... now."

Major Segans stood, pulling Hughes to his feet as well. "What's going on?"

Daniel shook his head. "I'm not sure, but something's coming up that hallway quick." He turned and wrapped an arm around Hughes, helping carry him out of the chamber. He thumbed the button of his radio, dropping his flashlight as he ran. "Jack? Come in, Jack, we have got a problem. We need to get out of here ASAP!"

They ran up the stairs, towards the ground floor of the temple. Halfway up, Daniel turned and saw the doorway of the chamber they had just been in crumble and fall into a pit. The entire lower half of the temple was being swallowed by a giant, expanding void! Daniel picked up the pace, almost making Segans fall in his haste.

"What's goin' on, Daniel?" Jack's static-filled voice asked.

"Get the cart warmed up!" he ordered. "We've got to get to the Stargate FAST!"

They were out of the staircase now, dashing across the marble floor of the temple. Behind him, he heard the tiles crack and fall into the massive chasm. Daniel's heart was pounding. They would have to haul ass if they wanted to beat this fissure to the Stargate.

Chapter Four

Sam poured water from her canteen into the silver pouch, mixing it together and making what the military claimed to be spaghetti and meatballs. She was sitting on a cot that was now being used as a bench in front of their fire. Jack was going to light it as soon as the sun was completely set. She withdrew her spoon and scooped some of the spaghetti out, letting it dribble back into the pouch with a grimace. Jack O'Neill exited the hut and sat next to her. "How's the MRE, Carter?"

She scoffed and placed the pouch on the dirt next to her boot. "Sometimes I think MRE stands for Many Regurgitated Entrees. Seriously, Sir, this stuff is toxic."

Jack smiled, about to reassure her, when his radio crackled to life. "Jack? Come in, Jack, we have got a problem. We need to get out of here ASAP!" The reception was full of static, but Jack assumed that was just because the others were digging around in an underground cavern.

He glanced at Sam. "Don't tell me he got in trouble looking at *rocks*," Jack sneered.

Sam chuckled as he brought his radio to his lips. "What's goin' on, Daniel?"

The younger man's voice was full of panic. "Get the cart warmed up! We've got to get to the Stargate FAST!"

The silver MRE package hit the ground, red-tinted water splattering across the sand and Sam's boots as she stood. "Sir?"

He looked at the temple, already making his way to the cart. "Get everything packed up. Now!" He called over his shoulder, "Teal'c! Get out here, we need help!" He started to run towards the temple, making it halfway before Daniel and two members of SG-9 exited. Daniel waved them towards the cart, screaming something unintelligable over the quiet thundering that had started. Sam clambered onto the front seat, slamming her right arm against the steering wheel as she grabbed the keys and turned the ignition.

The engine turned over as Teal'c exited the hut, trying to make sense of what was happening around him. The ground was shaking, loose sand rising into the air. Jack grabbed the limp body of Sergeant Hughes, draping the man across his shoulders in a fireman's carry and running towards the cart. Sam was moving to their supplies when she heard Daniel over her radio. "Sam! Jack says to leave the stuff! Just get Teal'c and get on the cart!"

Teal'c had apparently heard the warning and was running to the cart. She looked back, checking her teammates progress. She was stunned when the massive temple she had been sunbathing on earlier suddenly began to crumble and collapse in on itself. Jack climbed onto the back of the cart, standing on the bumper and allowing the unconscious Hughes to lay across the supplies area. Daniel and Segans both climbed into the back seat while Sam and Teal'c took up the front. Sam was behind the wheel and mashed her foot to the accelerator as Jack bellowed, "GO!"

The engine coughed... died. Nothing else happened.

Everyone sat where they were, staring in shock at the instrument panel. The engine had died, leaving them stationary. Sam turned the key again and the engine roared to life. She surged forward, careful not to kill the engine as the cart almost effortlessly shot across the sand dunes. The tires kicked up sand, threatening to choke O'Neill in his position at the rear. He turned, shielding his eyes with one hand as he held on for dear life with the other. The hut where they had planned to spend their evening was now gone, swallowed by the chasm that was still growing.

Sand continued to fall into the wide pit, a cloud rising up at the edge and giving it the look of a mirage. If he remembered the briefing correctly, the cart had a top speed of only 80mph. He wasn't sure, but the pit seemed to be marginally faster than that. It was closing in on them quickly.

Teal'c turned in his seat, holding his staff weapon as if it would save them. Jack knew how his large friend felt; it was so much easier when there was something to shoot at!

"SIR!" Sam cried from the front seat.

Jack turned, eyes widening as he saw the source of her concern. White smoke was rising from the engine, pouring over the car and obscuring her vision. The damn thing was overheating! Jack cursed and glanced at the pit. He turned back, yelling into the cart, "When I say go, everyone bail! Keep going towards the Stargate!"

"We'll never make it!" Segans called. "It's too damn fast for the cart, how can we ever hope to make it?!"

Jack ignored the man. They were fast approaching a hill, but the smell from the front of the car told him they might not make it. He called his signal and the cart was suddenly unmanned. Teal'c landed with the grace of Fred Astaire, immediately on his feet and charging for the top of the hill. Carter hit the ground and rolled, trying to correct herself in time so the pit wouldn't overtake her. Segans turned in his seat, the last person on board the cart. He reached behind the seat, trying to pull the shocked Leonard Hughes from the storage space.

O'Neill looked up, watching as the cart began to roll down hill. "Segans!" he screamed. "Get the hell outta there!"

"I can't leave Hughes, Sir!" the man called, not bothering to turn to look at the colonel.

Daniel pulled himself to his feet, watching in horror as the cart slid towards the abyss. "Oh, God," he whispered. "We forgot Hughes." The back wheels of the cart rolled over the lip... and everything stopped.

The pit stopped expanding. The cart stopped rolling. The air was quiet once more. Jack took a deep breath and asked, "Everyone... stay where you are."

Teal'c was at the top of the hill already, peering down at his team. Daniel and Sam were both halfway up, their boots buried in sand. Jack was at the foot of the hill, the closest to the chasm. He slowly approached the cart, where Segans was frozen in the back seat. "Okay, Richard," Jack said, trying to keep the man calm. "Just slide out of there, real slow."

Segans was sweating, his face flushed. "I can't leave Hughes, Sir. I'm his CO."

"I was holding onto him when you left the temple, Major. He wasn't breathing. Hughes is long gone, but you can be saved." He extended his hand. "Take my hand."

Segans looked at the extended hand, then looked down at Hughes. "He's got a wife... she... she deserves to bury her husband on Earth."

Jack winced. It made him wonder why people in such high-risk professions ever married, let alone dated. He realized it must take an awful lot of love for that decision. He stepped forward. "Segans... you have anyone special at home?"

The major winced. "G-Girlfriend. She's not... not talking to me right now."

"Don't you wanna work it out? You can't do that if you're dead. C'mon, man... let me help you."

Reluctantly, Segans lifted his hand from Hughes jacket and said, "Sorry, Sergeant. Rest in peace."

The shift in balance caused the cart to tip, the tail end slipping towards the pit. The entire buggy began to slide into the chasm... and then it was straightened. Jack stepped back, shocked, then he looked towards the hood. Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were all leaning on the front bumper, holding the cart in place. Sam looked at Jack, every muscle in her body straining. "Hurry, Sir... we can't hold it for long...."

Jack stepped forward and reached into the storage area, yanking Hughes' lifeless body out as Segans wriggled his way out onto the warm sand. Jack stepped out of the cart as Teal'c released the bumper, causing the buggy to settle on the lip of the abyss. The team stepped back as their only mode of transportation began to fall into the darkness.

With a quiet sound of shifting sand, the four wheels lost their ground and vanished. Jack took a deep breath, pulling off his cap and running a hand through his hair. "How far is the Stargate?"

Sam looked over her shoulder, then sighed. "I'd guess 30 kilometers, Sir."

He looked at the sky and said, "We should start walking while the sun is down, I guess." He lifted Hughes, draping the man over his shoulders once more and started to ascend the hill. The other four followed, silently taking in the tragedy they had just avoided. After several minutes, Jack broke the silence by muttering, "100 bottles of beer on the wall, 100 bottles of beer... take one down, pass it around..."

"99 bottles of beer on the wall," Sam half-smiled.

By the time they reached 90, everyone was singing... except for Teal'c, who simply observed his companions with an arched eyebrow.

---

Janet woke the next morning with a feeling of dread. The events of the night before seemed like a dream, but she couldn't deny the fact that she was in Georgia's bedroom, under Georgia's blankets, wearing no clothing. She clutched the blanket to her chest, looking around for her clothing. Her dress was in a pile on the floor, the sweater laying in front of the closet door. Georgia's dress from the previous evening was gone; the blonde had apparently awakened early and cleaned up slightly.

The brunette got out of bed, noticing the slip of paper placed under the edge of a book on the nightstand. She picked it up and read the other woman's neat handwriting: "Janet, The rigors of sleeping with a teacher, ha ha! Sorry, but I had to leave for school. Couldn't bear to wake you. Give me a call later tonight; I may want to do something when I don't have to be up early." Janet crumpled the note, tossing it into the trash can. Give her a call? Janet was seething. What kind of woman did Georgia think she was? She stood and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. "A cheater," she said to the naked reflection. "Georgia thinks you're a cheater." She fell back onto the bed and began to cry into her hands.

---

Cassandra drummed her fingers on the desk, anxiously eyeing the clock. Ms. Page's class was the last one before lunch, and she was eager to hit the road. The tall blonde woman was sitting at her podium in front of the chalkboard, reading from the textbook. She looked up and asked, "Now, what do we know about the War of 1812?"

Cassie muttered, "It was freakin' boring."

Luckily, her comment was drowned out by another kid saying, "It happened in 1812?"

Ms. Page glared at the boy, then stood. "Cassandra? What do you know about the war?"

She looked up, frowning. Ms. Page never called on her. "Um... nothing. Except what Joseph said about when it was." Laughter filled the classroom.

The teacher rolled her eyes. "Ah, kids today." She turned and began writing on the chalkboard, labeling important figures and events leading up to the war. Before she finished, the bell rang and the blonde turned. "Oh, shoot. Okay, everyone, read Chapters six through seven before Monday and there *will* be a quiz!" As the kids filed out of the room, Ms. Page moved to her desk and said, "Cassandra, could I see you for a moment?"

The girl froze. Her mom had gotten home late from her meeting with Ms. Page; so late that Cassie hadn't even heard her come in. Cassie had heard movement in the kitchen when she came downstairs, but had left without breakfast to avoid a confrontation. Now, she was going to find out what they talked about. She approached the desk. "Yes, Ms. Page?"

"Could you deliver this to your mom for me?" She held out an envelope with 'Janet' written in beautiful script on the front. "It's private, so I would appreciate you being discreet about it, 'kay?"

She took the envelope, sticking it in her bookbag. "Is that all?"

"Yeah," Ms. Page smiled. "Have a wonderful day, okay? I enjoyed finally meeting your mother."

Cassie shrugged and walked out of the classroom, ducking down the hall and working her way through the maze of students eager to get to their cars and head out to lunch. Once she was outside the school, Cassandra sat on the steps and withdrew the teacher's note. 'Now, I can find out what they talked about.' She ripped the envelope on the end and slipped the paper into her hand.

She unfolded it, noting the envelope had apparently been laying on the desk when Ms. Page had been getting ready that morning; it reeked of perfume. The writing on the note was in Ms. Page's own handwriting, a tidy script that tilted to one side and gave the letter an elegant feel. Cassie leaned forward and read the note:

"Janet, I had a wonderful time last night. I've never been more in tune with a lover... I know you're involved, but I would never forgive myself if I didn't fight for you. Please, call me at home tonight and let me know if you want to spend the weekend together. All My Love, Georgia"

Cassie was practically hyperventilating. Her breathing was harsh and her face was flushed. She felt someone kneeling next to her on the stairs and trying to speak to her, but didn't register them until they had been there several seconds. She finally looked up into her friend Melissa's worried eyes. "Cassandra?" the girl asked. "Are you okay?"

She crumpled the note, wanting to burn it, then said, "No, Mel. I'm not." She stood and started down the stairs with Melissa in hot pursuit. As they passed a dumpster, Cassandra shredded the note and tossed the remnants inside.

---

Janet dressed and made sure she looked presentable before leaving Georgia's house. She locked all of the doors behind her and practically ran to her car. As she drove, she thought about how she would explain her all-night absence to Ms. Davenport. 'Where was I? Oh, just having an affair, throwing my relationship down the toilet, that's all...' She finally arrived home and nervously slipped in through the kitchen. As she listened to the sounds of the house, she heard what sounded like quiet sobbing coming from the living room.

She gasped and moved through the doorway, wondering if Ms. Davenport had taken a fall. The kindly woman was sitting in Janet's recliner, clutching a handful of tissues and crying. "Ms. Davenport?" Janet asked, cautiously. "What's the matter?"

The neighbor pointed at the TV. "Riley and Jasmine just married, but he discovered she's been cheating on him. Isn't that incredibly sad?"

Janet turned and saw the soap opera the babysitter was referring to. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Heartbreaking." She sighed and turned back. "I am so sorry for making you stay here for..." she checked her watch and said, "17 hours. I'm... just so sorry."

"Nonsense!" Ms. Davenport chuckled. "Cassandra spent the entire night sulking in her bedroom, part of her punishment, I suppose. This morning, I heard her leave for school as I was preparing breakfast."

"So... she doesn't know I was out all night?"

"I doubt it," she said, gathering her things.

Janet momentarily celebrated. If Cassie didn't bring this up, then maybe Sam would never have to find out! She surprised herself with that. She didn't *want* to get away with this. She pushed aside all thoughts of Sam and Georgia out of her mind and gathered her purse. "How much do I owe you?"

"I believe you know the answer to that," the neighbor chided.

Janet pulled a ten from her purse and pressed it against the old woman's palm. "I'm begging you. Consider this payment for every time you've ever agreed to watch Cassandra. Consider this a gift for being such a good neighbor. Just... take it, I beg of you," she pleaded.

Ms. Davenport sighed, then closed her hand around the ten. "I'm not happy about it," she said. "But if it makes you and Samantha happy..." She wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and looked Janet up and down. With a sneer, she said, "Would it have killed you to make it twenty?"

Janet laughed, then said, "Don't tempt me... if I thought you'd take it, I'd pay you fifty. Enjoy your day, Ms. Davenport."

Once the other woman was gone, Janet dropped onto the couch and ran her hands through her hair. Her mind was racing as she pictured the various scenarios of Sam's homecoming. After three weeks, any amorous feelings would probably outweight speaking. They would probably end up in the bedroom within minutes of Sam's post-mission physical. Then what? While they bask in the afterglow, mention, 'Oh, by the by, I fucked another woman while you were gone.'

She closed her eyes. And what if Sam wasn't horny after the mission? What if she came home and just wanted to argue about Cassandra's problem at school? Then what? Mention that she had already had a heart-to-heart with a woman she had later slept with? She laid down on the couch, staring at the wall across from her. Why hadn't she thought of all these reasons before she had kissed Georgia? Why hadn't she even thought of *one*?

It wouldn't have made that big of a difference... what would it say about her if the only reason she didn't cheat was because she didn't want to explain it if caught? Cheating should have been an impossible act. She should never have wanted to touch Georgia. She should never have wanted to feel the blonde teacher writhe beneath her...

She sat up and walked to the bedroom, stripping out of her sundress as she went. The flimsy material was tossed in the bathroom wastebasket rather than the hamper; she didn't want to remember what had happened every time she wore it. She changed into a pair of baggy sweats and found some socks in the bottom of her drawer. The clock on the wall read 11:56. She had enough time to take a quick cat nap on the sofa and wake up in enough time to shower and get ready for her evening shift at the SGC. She yawned, feeling exhausted for some reason, then headed downstairs.

When she was halfway to the first floor, she heard the front door bang open and a bag drop to the floor. "Mom? Mom, are you here?"

Cassandra? Her fourth period class started at noon; she'd never make it in time.

Janet reached the landing as the girl passed, peering into the living room. Janet frowned, noticing the girl was tense. Her hands were balled at her side and she seemed to be shaking. "Cass? What are you doing here?"

The girl spun and saw the brunette standing a few feet behind her. Cassandra's eyes flashed with rage and she said, "You!" She stepped forward and slapped Janet hard across the face. "How could you do that to Sam?! HOW?! God, you had sex with someone else, you fucking cheater!"

Janet backpedaled, her face burning from more than the slap. She saw a flash of movement and realized Cassie's friend Melissa was holding the irate teenager back. "Calm down," Melissa ordered. "Cass, calm down right now! Calm!"

Janet's eyes were wet with tears, as were Cassandra's. The teen tore away from her friend and said, "Don't bother picking me up after school. I'm gonna stay somewhere else." She brushed past her mother and stormed out of the house.

Melissa was looking torn, her gaze shifting from Janet to the door. Janet finally said, "Go on... it's okay." The girl reluctantly left, closing the door behind her. How had Cassandra found out? Janet leaned against the wall, allowing the maelstrom of the past few seconds to sink in. Holding her reddened cheek, she slipped to the floor and hugged herself. She quietly began to cry, shaking as she wept.

---

Cassandra placed her bookbag on her lap after she got into the passenger seat of Melissa's car. Her friend climbed in behind the wheel, mouth wide in shock. "Cassie... you just slapped your mother and accused her of having an affair!"

She said nothing, simply pulled the leather billfold from her bag and counted the money there. "How far d'ya think this'll get me? Couple hundred miles?"

Melissa looked at the bills in her friend's hand. "You're... not going to do anything drastic, are you?"

Cassie had tears in her eyes. "Sam won't be home for three weeks. I'm not going to spend all that time in the same house as... as a cheater."

"Just think about it, Cassandra. I'm not driving you to the bus station or the airport or... or anywhere until you tell me that you really want to do this."

"I really want to do this," she said quickly.

Melissa took Cassie's hand. "That wasn't thinking. I've seen your moms together. They really do love each other. I don't know why you think your mom had an affair with someone, but--"

"Ms. Page gave me a note that said last night was great. She said that... that Mom was her lover. She signed it 'all my love.' It doesn't take a decoding ring to figure out what went on. God, Sam leaves in the morning and by the nighttime Mom has a substitute lover lined up." She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to cry.

Quietly, Melissa said, "You can cry if you want."

Cassandra shook her head, trying to deny the fact she wanted to, but tears rolled down her face a second later. Melissa hugged the other girl, holding her as she cried. When the tears finally ceased, they slid back to their own seats and Melissa looked at the clock on the radio. "We're late for algebra."

Cassie laughed, wiping her face dry. Finally, she looked up at the house and said, "You go on without me. I've got to talk to my mom."

Chapter Five

General Hammond entered the Gate Room, watching in confusion as his flagship team entered on foot. "Colonel O'Neill? May I ask what you've done with the cart we issued you?"

"Alert the boys in R and D, General," O'Neill said, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. It had taken the night and most of the morning for them to walk the distance back to the Stargate, going double-time half the way. "The cart is a waste of time. Overheated and... well, basically, it got sucked into a hole. But it was a waste, sir."

"Actually, Sir," Sam interjected. "It *did* save our lives. I doubt we could've outrun the collapse without the cart."

Hammond's brow furrowed, then he waved his hand as if to clear the air in front of his face. "Hold it, hold it. I want to hear all of this explained in a briefing... after the showers, of course. Dismissed."

Jack sighed and turned to the others. "All in favor of letting Carter shower first?"

Daniel and Teal'c lazily raised their hands. Segans was sitting on the edge of the ramp and offered no opinion. Jack turned to Sam and smiled. "Looks like you're up first. Try to save some hot water."

She nodded and headed out of the Gate Room, looking to take her shower quickly and be on the phone to Janet to tell her that the mission had been cut short. She unzipped her jacket as she entered the lockers, turning the arrow on the door to face left. She walked to her locker and spun the combination, calling, "Hello? Is anyone in here?" Silence. She stripped out of her clothes and gathered her toiletries bag, going into the showers.

---

Janet and Cassandra sat across from each other, both nervously trying to find the right words. Finally, Janet broke the silence. "I just need to know, sweetheart. How did you find out?"

The girl run her hand under her nose, sniffling quietly. "Ms. Page gave me a note to bring home. I read it and... she basically said everything I needed to know about what you did."

Janet couldn't believe the teacher's utter audacity to give a love letter to a teenage girl. She bit back her disbelief and leaned forward, wrapping one of Cassie's hands in her own. "Honey... I made a horrible mistake last night. It doesn't mean that I love you or Sam any less... it just means that I was weak and let myself give in to temptation."

"So she came on to you?" Cassie asked.

The brunette looked down at her hands. "I can't say she was entirely to blame for the situation... I don't think she would've made a move if I hadn't... done something to provoke her."

"You're saying that if Ms. Page thought you were commited to Sam, she never would have came on to you?"

Janet bit her lip. "I doubt she would. I'm sure that she's a wonderful person with incredible morals... she just... both of us just went a little crazy last night."

"In other words, you're not completely in love with Sam?"

"No! I mean... I mean, yes. I love her with all my heart. But... Cassandra, I can't really explain to you everything going on with me and Sam. There are some very personal things that we have to discuss."

The girl stood. "I'm sixteen, Mom. Why do you still treat me like the little kid SG-1 found on Hanka?!"

Janet rose, moving to block her daughters exit. "Honey... honey, I'm sorry. I do treat you like a child." She closed her eyes. "The truth is, Sam and I have different ideas of how to raise you. She thinks it's wonderful that you beat up Maura. I think you should... talk your problems out."

"Talk them out?"

Janet rolled her eyes. "I *know* it doesn't work in every situation. But if you use fighting for something as small as a little schoolyard disagreement, I shudder to think what else you would use it to settle." Janet sat next to the girl, hugging her tightly. "Whatever the outcome of this, whatever we decide... I want you to know that none of this is your fault. I'm sure Sam and I will be able to figure this out. Look what we've gotten through together."

Cassandra smiled. "That's true... you guys are like the Energizer Bunny of relationships. I still think it was horrible and stupid and I still want to talk about this as an adult. No keeping things from me because you think I'm a kid... Okay?"

The doctor laughed. "Agreed, honey. But right now, what say we get you to school in time for fifth period? I'll come pick you up and we'll have some ice cream, okay?"

Pulling back slightly, Cassie said, "Ice cream? Isn't that a little childish?"

Janet rolled her eyes. "Okay, I can have ice cream, you can have sorbet. Happy, ma'am?" She brushed Cassie's cheek as the teen laughed, then said, "We will work through this, honey. You, me and Sam. As a family."

Cassie smiled and said, "Thanks, Mom. I love you. Sorry I slapped you and used a bad word."

"Oh, I love you, too, honey." She hugged the teen. "And in the heat of the moment, I can excuse your behavior just this once!" She stood and said, "Now, let's get you to school before you miss any more of that incredible educational material." As they closed the front door, Janet heard the phone ringing but decided to just check the machine when she got home.

---

Sam got out of the shower, pulling her hair into a small ponytail to keep the dripping strands out of her eyes. She wrapped a large pink towel around herself and moved to the sink, pulling her cell phone from her purse. She dialed a quick number and nervously listened to it ring. Finally, an answer. "Hello, this is the Fraiser and Carter residence. We can't--"

Grumbling, she disconnected the call and returned the phone to her purse. Janet was probably just out shopping or trying to get her mind off their argument. She sighed and went to her locker, deciding to dress normally. When she got home, she would change into something a bit more... seductive... to apologize to Janet for their argument. She smiled and began getting dressed.

---

Georgia picked up her mail from the student aide in the office, making chit-chat with the lust-struck senior and the others present. She ignored the principal's none-to-subtle glances at her chest before bidding them farewell. She told Sue that she loved the new dress she was wearing, then slipped out of the office and headed back to class. It was her planning period, giving her enough time to grade papers or do any personal chores she might have. As she walked down the hall, she spotted Cassandra enter the building. She slid between two rows of lockers, watching as the teenager headed towards Mr. Coventry's English class.

The blonde bit her lip, wondering what she should do. A student coming to class this late had to be cutting... but Georgia wondered if she would feel too guilty busting the daughter of her new love interest. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long. The doors opened again and Janet entered, jogging to catch up to her daughter as they walked into the classroom. Georgia slipped back, staying out of sight but keeping the doorway in view. Janet leaned in and spoke briefly with the teacher. "Sorry she's late... I didn't remember to check her out for lunch."

Georgia overheard the teacher's muffled reply; probably telling Janet she had to go to the office and check in. Georgia slipped further down the row of lockers and covered her face as the petite brunette walked by. Once she was safely in the office, Georgia left her hiding place and hurried to her own classroom. She shut the door, locking it behind her. After a few seconds, she felt guilty and pulled the door open, leaning against the frame and watching the office door.

It finally opened and Janet returned to the hall. Georgia smiled. "Dr. Fraiser!"

The doctor turned, eyes wide. The teacher wiggled her fingers in greeting, but Janet seemed to shocked to reply. She finally raised her hand and meekly waved hello, then turned and continued down the hall. Georgia frowned, only slightly confused by the other woman's response. She turned and re-entered her classroom, turning on the light and pulling her cell phone from her purse as she walked. She found Cassandra's information card in her desk and dialed the number of their house. After several rings, there was a click. "Hello, this is the Fraiser and Carter residence. We can't come to the phone right now, but leave your message after the beep and we'll get back to you. Be-ee-ep!!"

"Hello, Janet. This is Georgia Page. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see you at the school today, although your demeanor surprised me." She scratched her desk blotter with her thumbnail. "I know... that last night was incredible to me, but if you have any regrets or... or if you want me to forget it ever happened... I can pretend as well as the next girl." She smiled sadly, then added. "Give me a call. I'd like to cook dinner for you again, even if you don't want a repeat of last night's dessert. I'll talk with you soon. Or not." She sighed and hung up, wondering if she had made a complete fool out of herself.

Finally, she put the phone back in her purse and centered a stack of tests in front of herself. She uncapped her red pen, found the answer key, and began grading.

---

Janet climbed into her car, breathing deeply as she tried to figure out what to do. How could Georgia call out to her like that? Did she think last night actually *meant* something? Janet pulled the car away from the curb, merging back into traffic. She pulled to a stop light, flicking the turn signal to left even though home was to the right. She didn't want to be in the empty house right now; didn't want to stew in her own thoughts. She decided the best course of action would be to get to the SGC and learn how Sam's mission was going.

The light turned green and she pulled out.

---

Sam, fully dressed and ready to go, pulled open the door to find four sweaty, smelly men lining the hall. Jack looked up at her and said, "It's about time! I've had to smell these jerks for twenty minutes!"

As they filed into the lockers, Daniel muttered, "Yeah, and you sweat CK1, Jack..."

The blonde stifled a laugh, slipping past them and into the hall. Jack turned, holding the door open. "Hey, Carter, you stickin' around? Danny and I are planning to go check out that new pizza place."

"No can do," she said. "Going home to surprise Janet. Would you mind covering for me in the briefing?"

He agreed, disappearing past her into the locker room.

She made her way through the winding halls of the SGC, weaving past anonymous airmen and a few familiar faces as she headed to the elevators. She wished hello to Major Burdett and waved to Dr. Roth and Charlotte Parker as they passed, both of them lost in whispering conversation. Sam smiled, glad to see the two women happy considering one had recently been killed in action and the other had lost almost her entire team to Stargate-related catastrophes. She would have to remind Janet to set up a double-date with them soon.

In the elevator, Sam leaned against the back corner and composed her apology as she waited for the long ride to end. She had it all planned. 'You were right, I was wrong, your punishment stands, mine is thrown out the window, let's get naked and rumba.' She giggled at that, then felt a familiar surge between her legs. She took a deep breath, straightening and adjusting her sweater. Good thing she wasn't back on that planet... she might have had to bury herself and ease this throbbing the 'personal' way. She looked up at the red numbers, wishing they would move faster.

---

As Janet pulled around the corner in the road that led to the SGC, she saw a car that looked exactly like Sam's pass by. She frowned, wondering who else at the base had that kind of taste in cars. She shrugged it off, continuing up the steep road. She filed away the sighting for future reference; Sam would want to hear about it later. Of course, that was assuming that the major was still speaking to her after the confession.

---

Sam looked over her shoulder, frowning. That couldn't have been Janet... the doctor was scheduled on the night shift. She would be home resting up at this time of day. Sam shook her head and continued down the mountain.

The rest of the drive home was devoted to fleshing out the rest of the story. She would wake her lover, apologize, allow Janet to forgive her, *then* suggest that they romp until Janet's shift. The blonde smiled, knowing that Janet would only be upset at the interruption for a second or two. The brunette never turned down an invitation of love with Sam.

She pulled into the driveway before she fully realized she was home; she had gone almost the entire way on auto-pilot. She slipped out of the car, using her keyring to activate the alarm. The front door was unlocked, so she entered quietly and headed up the stairs. She peeked into the bedroom, frowning when she saw the bed was empty. 'Probably was her on the road to the mountain,' she told herself. 'I guess she just forgot something at the office. She'll be back. And then...' She chuckled.

She hurried to the closet, digging through her jeans and blouses until she found the dry cleaning bag holding her best lingerie. She pulled it off the hook, unzipping it and pulling the lacy blue brassiere out. She'd never worn this for Janet... she'd been saving it for a special occasion. Finally, she had held off so long, she thought the time would never come.

It was finally here.

Untucking her shirt, she noticed the answering machine sitting on the night table was flashing with a message. The stupid thing had probably recorded her hang-up call, she figured. She pressed play, just to get the light to stop blinking.

"Hello, Janet. This is Georgia Page. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see you at the school today, although your demeanor surprised me." Sam paused. At school? Page... wasn't that the name of one of Cassandra's teachers? Sam moved closer to the phone to listen to the rest of the message. "I know... that last night was incredible to me, but if you have any regrets or... or if you want me to forget it ever happened... I can pretend as well as the next girl. Give me a call. I'd like to cook dinner for you again, even if you don't want a repeat of last night's dessert. I'll talk with you soon. Or not." There was a short pause before there was a disconnection beep.

Sam stared at the phone in disbelief. She... couldn't possibly have heard what she thought she had heard. Her fingers were trembling as she reached down, pressing the repeat button. She listened to the message in it's entirety before falling onto the mattress in tears. Her mind suddenly flashed back to another one of the most horrible moments in her life.

<'Hey, Jonas. If last night didn't convince you to lose that tightass you're gettin' married to, why don't you stop by my place tonight? What the hell, bring her along... I can show her a couple of tricks that may brighten her life.'>

She had ignored Jonas' cheating, but when she had finally broken up with him she had promised that she would never be taken advantage of again. Not like that. No man or woman would ever make her feel useless.

Janet had never seemed like the type that would hurt her. She knew Janet, loved Janet, adored and worshipped Janet. How... how could Janet have done this awful thing to her?!

Without thinking or even considering where she might go, Sam rebuttoned her shirt and stormed down the stairs, her vision blurred by her tears. She ran outside, hitting the alarm and jumping into her car. She sat behind the wheel for a moment, reigning in her emotions before she pulled out of the drive.

---

"What?!"

Amy Roth recoiled, shocked by her superior's sharp retort. "Um... SG-1 got back an hour or so ago. There was some kinda disaster on the planet and they had to haul ass. Is something wrong? I thought you'd be happy that Sam was back early."

"I-I am. Really... There's just something I thought that I would have more time to prepare."

Jack O'Neill entered the infirmary, looking around. When his gaze landed on Janet, he asked, "Is Carter here? Hammond's not too happy she decided to blow off the briefing and sent me to find her."

Amy shrugged. "She never showed up for her post-mission physical either."

Jack smirked. "Guess she was in a hurry to... get... home," his speech tapered off when he realized who he was speaking to. "In which case, shouldn't you be at home waiting?"

Janet brushed past the colonel, hurrying down the hall to the elevators. She only prayed she wasn't too late. Amy watched the other doctor leave, then turned her attention to O'Neill. "So what're you guys doing back already? I thought you were supposed to be gone for the better part of a month."

"S'posed to be," Jack said, sliding onto one of the exam beds. "Danny was able to check Hughes' camcorder. Turns out the previous owners weren't the sharing type. They equipped their temple with a sort of... suicide switch. If someone moved into a room that was supposed to be empty, then a chain reaction would go off. Hughes and Taylor were killed when they triggered the grand-daddy of all switches and caused the entire place to come tumblin' down."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Yikes. Sounds pretty scary."

"You ever seen that part in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' where Harrison Ford is trying to outrun the boulder that's crashing down the corridor behind him?" She nodded. "I've always wondered what that would feel like... lemme tell ya. Not fun."

She grinned and began his post-mission exam.

---

She exploded into the house. "Sam?! Sam, honey, are you here?" She rushed up the stairs, hurrying into the bedroom. A dry cleaning bag was open on the bed and a blue bra was laying on top of it. Janet fingered the lace material. She had seen the bag in the closet, but never seen the blonde wear it. Janet turned, looking at the answering machine and fearing the worst. She moved to the machine, noticing the light wasn't flashing but there was an extra number recorded. She hit play. "Hello, Janet. This is Georgia Page. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see you at the school--"

Janet backpedaled, her hand covering her mouth as she listened to the message. Sam had to have heard it... The secret was out. She fell to her knees, trying to hold herself together. How could everything have gone so wrong? Twenty-four hours ago, her biggest concern had been getting through three weeks without her wife and lover.... now would she have to get through the rest of her life?

She crawled backwards, resting against the wall and hugging herself as she tried to control her sobs. After several minutes, she had fallen asleep hugging herself.

---

It was dark when she finally woke to hear the phone ringing. She picked herself up off the floor and made her way to the phone. "Hello?" she asked, tears evident in her voice.

"Um... yes, is this the Janet Fraiser residence?"

"Yes," she said, clearing her throat. "This is Janet Fraiser speaking. How may I help you?"

There was a pause. "Ma'am, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. Samantha Carter and Cassandra Fraiser have been involved in a serious accident." Her heart stopped. "Miss Carter has fallen into a coma and we're afraid Cassandra is having an odd reaction to the drug treatments we're attempting. We'd appreciate any and all help you'd be able to offer."

"Y-y-y-yes," she stuttered. "What h-hospital?"

Her fingers were numb as she wrote down the name and address. She hung up, trying to compose herself. Finally, she had to pick up the phone and dialed Daniel Jackson's home number. When he answered, she immediately began crying. "Daniel... I... I need a ride to the hospital."

She looked at the clock and noticed that it was almost seven pm. Twenty-four hours exactly. It had been one full day since her life had started careening towards hell.

Chapter Six

Sam knew the lake well. She had often come here to avoid the fighting that she heard through her bedroom walls, no matter how many pillows she covered her head with. It was early autumn and the brown, gold and orange leaves were lightly dancing across the surface of the lake. She sat on the bench, back straight and hands folded neatly in her lap. She was wearing sneakers and jeans, the gentle wind caressing her skin through the loose sweater she wore.

"May I sit?" asked a melodic voice.

Sam knew the speaker's identity without turning. "Of course."

The taller woman came around the bench, sitting next to the blonde. After a few minutes of silence, the newcomer said, "It's beautiful. Isn't this near where you grew up?"

"Which house?" Sam scoffed. "It was my favorite, though."

The woman nodded. "The California house. You cried the day we told you Daddy had been transferred again." Sam looked at her hands, shifting uncomfortably on the bench. The woman frowned. "Are you okay, Samantha?"

"No," she said softly.

"Why not? Are you not comfortable here?"

Sam sniffled, rubbing her hand under her nose as Cassie often did. "Is this heaven?"

The woman laughed, throwing her head back and holding her hands over her eyes. Sam turned, smiling as the other woman chirped with laughter; she always remembered this from her childhood. Finally, her visitor composed herself and said, "No, Samantha. This isn't heaven. Although it is very close by."

"Why am I here, Mom?"

Martha Carter sighed, turning to face her daughter. "What do you remember? The very last thing?"

Sam thought hard, then finally said, "Crying. I was... crying when I picked Cassandra up from school. I wanted to tell her something and I didn't want to stay home." She frowned. "Why was I crying? Did something happen to Janet?" She stressed that last question, panic lacing her words. "Is Janet okay?"

"She's fine," Martha promised. "But I need you to remember what happened. Can you do that?"

Sam looked at the lake, watching the ducks as they swam in lazy circles through the water. The calm surface of the lake was disturbed by the ripples caused by fish swimming just below, skimming the limits of their habitat. "We were driving... too fast... and the car hit some ice. We went off the road and... I-I don't remember anything after that." Her eyes filled with tears. "Cassie... is okay, right? Tell me Cassandra wasn't hurt!"

Martha put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "There's a problem." Sam felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. Martha continued, "They're trying to administer conventional drugs to her. They're not working."

Sam sniffled. "They-they have to use a specific treatment. Only Janet knows that."

"General Hammond is attempting to get Cassandra released from the hospital's care. It won't be long before the girl is back at the mountain and receiving the treatment she needs to survive."

"And me?"

Martha paused. "You're fine... but I didn't want you waking up just yet. I had to have a little talk with you. You're still angry, furious even, at Janet. In your eyes, she's betrayed you."

"She cheated on me," Sam said, her voice barely audible.

Her mother nodded. "Yes. In a moment of weakness, she succumbed. But you must know that Janet loves you more than life. From the moment it happened, she never once thought of how she would conceal it or keep it from you -- she worried about how to tell you it happened. She loves you enough to be honest and straightforward. Believe me when I say that she knows what she did. You two love each other; give her the respect of hearing her out."

"She slept... with someone else," Sam said, tears rolling down her face. "Just like Jonas. Just like... like everyone."

Martha stroked her little girl's hair, "It's not my place to account for Janet. Don't do her the injustice of refusing to hear her side. I've watched you do amazing things, Samantha. You've done things and seen things I could never even have imagined! Destroyed alien warships, been invaded by an alien presence, traveled light years in the blink of an eye... and that Internet thing is pretty darn cool."

Sam laughed, brushing her face. Martha held her daughter for a moment, then said, "We don't have much time. Promise me you won't let Janet get away?"

Sam looked over the beautiful scene, recalling her life with Janet. "I won't let her go, Mom. I promise."

The older Carter stood, releasing her daughter's hand. "You have to go back... and so do I."

Crying, Sam stood and said, "Mom... don't go. I have... so many questions, I miss you so much! Please, stay a little while longer!"

"I'm sorry, Sam. One day, we will be together. This, I promise you..."

Before Sam realized what was happening, the lake and trees had faded to black and she was alone in the darkness. She stumbled through space for a few moments, then felt a soft pressure against her back. She relaxed into it, feeling her body as it once again wrapped around her. Just before she passed out, she heard the quiet voice of a man say, "I think she's coming out of it..."

---

Janet wondered if she had managed to burn her path into the floor yet, but didn't bother to look. It was a precisely planned route; starting at the Coke machine, she took five long strides until she reached the door. Then she would turn to her right and walk three paces to the wall. She'd turn and walk five to the opposite wall, then three more to the Coke machine before the cycle started again. Her mind was too flooded with emotion and guilt. They had recovered Sam's car, fortunately able to salvage most of it. The car had apparently hit a patch of ice and spun out of control. It had been struck by an oncoming car, whose driver was fortunately uninjured.

The entire driver's side of Sam's precious car had been totaled. On top of that, the two people Janet cared most about in this world were unconscious and in critical condition. She broke out of her pace and dropped into one of the blue chairs. She stared across the room at the humming soda machine, trying to hypnotize herself by listening to the melodic thrumming of the mechanics.

"Um... Janet?"

She looked up... not believing her eyes. "Oh, my God. What the hell are you doing here?"

Georgia Page nervously adjusted her jacket, feeling suddenly conspicuous. "The accident was near the school. I passed it on my way home and... I recognized the car as the one that picked Cassie up. They told me that... that Cassie had some kind of reaction to the drugs they gave her. Was she allergic?"

Janet shook her head. "It's nothing we've told anyone about," she said, basically telling the truth. Cassandra's slightly alien physiology had probably caused the problems. They could deal with it at the SGC. "It's being taken care of."

Georgia took a seat next to the doctor. "When they told me it was Cassandra, I... I told them I was her teacher. I gave them her health information from the computer since they couldn't reach you. I've been beating myself up, thinking this could possibly be my fault. Her... her reaction, I mean."

Janet turned. "It *is* your fault," she said bitterly.

"What?"

The brunette closed her eyes. "I'm-I'm sorry." She stood and dropped back into her pacing routine. "It's not your fault. I'm the one who commited adultery, I'm the one who cheated on Sam... I've been blaming you. I'm sorry."

Georgia stood. "I shouldn't have called your house. But you told me that Sam would be gone for a while and I--"

"It's not your fault," Janet said softly. "But you have to understand that nothing else is going to happen. I will be Cassandra's mother and you will be her teacher and we'll never cross paths again. Agreed?"

The teacher paused, then sadly smiled. "We made it all this time without running into each other, right?" She extended a hand. "My thoughts are with you and Sam both. She's a very lucky person."

Janet smiled, shaking the other woman's proferred hand and blinking back tears. "I'm luckier."

Georgia smiled and slipped out of the waiting room. An instant later, Daniel Jackson burst in. He was out of breath and his face was flushed. "She's awake! Sam woke up!"

Janet felt her heart leap into her throat as she followed the archaeologist out of the room.

---

The private room where they had placed Sam reeked of the anticeptic they used in the majority of hospitals Janet had done residence in. The bed was placed in the center of the room, facing a TV that was airing a muted episode of Letterman. The window overlooking the parking lot was framed by white snow, the flakes continuing to fall beyond the glass. Janet quietly entered, looking sheepishly at the blonde laying on the bed.

Sam was asleep, probably knocked out by the drugs the doctors had been pumping into her. The brunette quietly lowered herself into the chair next to the bed, gently taking Sam's hand and looking at her lover's peaceful face. After a moment or two, the blonde's blue eyes fluttered open. They locked onto the ceiling tiles first, then blinked and rolled to focus on the woman seated next to the bed. She smiled weakly and said, "I was dreaming about you."

Janet returned the smile. "Oh?" was all she could think to say.

Sam nodded. "I dreamed of you and my mom... I miss her," she whispered. Janet tightened her hand around Sam's fingers, giving the other woman a pleasant squeeze. Sam's smile faltered and she turned to look at the TV screen. She grimaced and rasped, "Why do we always watch Letterman?"

Janet picked up the remote, quickly changing it to a syndicated episode of 'Frasier.' She grinned and said, "The show's okay, but I love the main character's name."

The blonde laughed weakly. An awkward silence fell over the room. Finally, Sam looked down at the blankets and whispered, "Do you still love me?"

"Oh, God," Janet sobbed, tears finally granted freedom and streaming down her face. "Yes, Sam. I love you more than life itself." She slid onto the floor, holding the blonde's hand tightly. "I know you must be furious at me... I know I have to regain your trust, but I do love you. I will never, *never* hurt you like this again." She kissed each of Sam's knuckles, then held the hand to her face. "I adore you, Sam. I couldn't live without you."

Sam was crying, pretending to watch the TV. Finally, she could hold it in no longer and began to cry as well. "Why?" she whispered between sobs. "How... could you do this?"

Janet stood and climbed onto the bed, laying next to Sam. "I was weak. Stupid. I made a mistake that I will never make again. I'm ready to win you back... if it takes the rest of my life, I will fight for you, Sam."

The blonde turned her head on the pillow, stroking Janet's face. "I love you, too," she whispered. "You don't have to fight for me." She kissed the brunette's moist lips, then said, "We'll work through this together. *We* can fight for *us.* Together, we'll make it through this."

Janet smiled through her tears. "I'd love that. Carter and Fraiser... who can stop 'em when they join forces?"

"Not a damn thing," Sam whispered. She leaned forward and kissed Janet's lips once more. Finally, Sam glanced at the door and said, "You should get out of the bed. You of all people know how this is frowned on."

"Screw them," Janet said. "I'm not leaving you, honey. Nothing in this world could tear us apart."

Sam kissed each of Janet's eyelids and then said, "You and me. Against the world."

They lay in each others arms for a long time until the charge nurse wandered in and blew her top.

---

Cassandra smiled into the receiver. "No, really... no, they're fine." She laughed. "Okay. I'll see you when the slave driver lets me leave." She looked up, noticing too late that Janet was standing in the doorway. "Oop. Gotta go. Thanks again." She giggled as she hung up, handing the phone back to the airman.

Janet entered the infirmary, tucking her hands into the pockets of her lab jacket. "Slave driver, eh?"

"Yes!" Cassie said emphatically. "It was just a little accident and the only reason I was in critical condition is because all the doctors there are incompetent." She didn't have to see Janet's reaction before amending the last statement, "All *civilian* doctors, that is. I don't see why I have to stay here for another three whole days."

Janet sighed. "Because I am your mother. Combined with being your doctor, I am extremely cautious when it comes to your health." She brushed a hair out of her daughter's face, wincing slightly at the bruise on the teenager's forehead. Her arms and legs were a similar pattern; wounds from being thrown around during the accident. Janet smiled, turning her attention to happier things. "So... who was on the phone?"

"Jarred," the girl smiled. "He sent me chocolates and a Get Well Bear."

"Ooh," Janet said. "Sounds like somebody's got a crush!"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I do not!"

"I was talking about him," Janet grinned.

The girl blushed, then said, "Okay, okay... maybe I like him a little. But don't let Sam know. She really gave me a hard time about Dominic. I'd like to keep this under wraps until I find out if he's really interested."

"Too late!" came from the doorway. A wheelchair turned the corner, with Sam planted firmly in the driver's seat. Her legs were both up, causing a small problem when it came to actually entering the room. Finally, she straightened out and rolled through and into the room. The blonde had a large bandage on her cheek, covering a cut that was already partially healed. It wouldn't be long until she was also back to normal. She stopped by Cassie's bed and propped her arm and the mattress. "So, this Jarred fellow... is he cute? Do you like him or do you *like him* like him?"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I'm torn... I'm glad you're okay but I'm angry I'll have to be ribbed by you about this."

Sam smiled. "I won't be too hard on you. I promise." She took the girl's hand. "I'm sorry I got you into this."

The girl's eyes brightened. "Sorry enough to buy me the new Britney Spears CD?"

The blonde's eyes widened. "I nearly kill you and you try to get a CD out of the deal?!

Janet chuckled. "It could be worse, Sam. She could still be in her Backstreet Sync phase..."

Cassandra gasped. "Oh, my gosh! They have a greatest hits CD out! Oh, you've gotta get that for me!"

Sam glared at the brunette and said, "Thank you, oh-so much." She turned back to Cassandra and said, "Your mom and I'll go shopping for it later, okay? Have fun ordering these airmen around. Jack and Daniel should be on the base all night..."

"I know, I know," Cassie said. "And my homework is being forwarded, yadda yadda yadda... You guys have fun without child supervision tonight." She winked.

As Janet wheeled Sam out of the room, she whispered, "She's getting a little too... adult... for my tastes."

Sam smiled softly. "It's all part of growing up," she whispered. The brunette reached forward and pressed the up button. They waited in silence for the car, and then Janet wheeled Sam inside.

Janet's smile vanished as soon as the elevator doors closed. She stepped out from behind Sam's wheelchair and leaned against the wall of the car. Sam looked at her hands folded in her lap and waited for the ride to be over. The shiny-happy-couple act had been for Cassandra's benefit; the girl didn't know that since Sam's release from the hospital, the women had been taking turns sleeping on the couch. Sam's one chance at instigating sex had led to an awkward groping session that had left both women frustrated.

Finally, Sam whispered, "What the hell are we going to do?"

Janet didn't answer. She just watched the numbers as they slowly ticked closer and closer to the surface.

Chapter Seven

It was night by the time they got back home. Janet held the door open for Cassie, allowing Sam to lead the teenager in. The major was no longer in a wheelchair, but her ankle was tender, causing her to use a cane whenever she was going to walk long distances. This also forced her to take a little downtime rather than rejoin SG-1. Daniel had convinced General Hammond to return to 24X-986 with the proper equipment needed to examine the pit that had chased them away. Hammond had reluctantly agreed after a MALP indicated the entire landscape was stable, but warned them to be careful.

Cassandra entered the house, holding her arms out and smiling. "Home sweet home, at last!"

Sam chuckled, hobbling in on her cane. "Home sweet nothing. Get yourself upstairs, little missy. You've got school in the morning."

The girl grumbled, looking as if someone had deflated her balloon. She turned and started up the stairs, calling over her shoulder, "I love you!"

Sam grinned. "Love you too, kiddo!"

Janet waved and wished the girl good-night. Sam was halfway into the living room by the time they heard the bedroom door close above them. Janet quietly followed and said, "So... I guess we either end the charade or have it discovered tomorrow."

Sam sat on the couch, stretching her leg out to rest the muscles. "What do you want to do?" she asked quietly.

They were silent, listening to the sounds of Cassandra moving around upstairs. Janet finally moved to the couch, kneeling on the floor next to Sam and stroking the blonde's face. "I would love to share the bed with you tonight... if you'll have me." She leaned in, kissing her lover's lips. "I've missed you so much these past few nights... knowing how close you were... I want to hold you again. Feel you against my skin... hear you whisper my name in your sleep. I just want you close to me." She rested her hand on Sam's shoulder. "I want you to love me again, Sam. Please."

The blonde inhaled sharply, her breathing shaky. She cupped Janet's head and turned the doctor so they were looking into each other's eyes. "I never stopped loving you, Janet. I'll love you until the day I die." She pressed her lips to the doctor's forehead, moving to her eyes, her nose and finally resting on parted lips. When they separated, Sam smiled and said, "I would carry you upstairs, but I have this damn ankle problem. The quack doctor said I couldn't do any heavy lifting."

Janet was crying, but her smile was genuinely happy. "God... I don't know what to be more insulted by; the quack comment or that I constitute heavy lifting."

Sam laughed, then brushed her own tears away. "I just... need to know... that you'll never hurt me like that again," she said softly. "I need to know."

Crying, the doctor pressed her forehead to Sam's. "I will never... ever... hurt you like that again, Samantha. You are my heart, my soul and I would be lost without you. Please let me carry you upstairs and make love to you. I need you so much it hurts, Sam. I love you with everything I am."

Sam pulled Janet in for a kiss, pushing herself off the couch as their lips met. She leaned on Janet, trying not to put too much weight on the smaller woman. Janet slipped her trembling hands down Sam's back, tracing the line of the blonde's spine until she reached the curve of her ass. Breaking the kiss, Janet cupped the cheeks and held them tightly. "Hop on," she instructed, pulling up as she spoke.

Confused, Sam did as told and wrapped her legs around the smaller woman's waist. Janet, surprising the major, accepted the weight with ease, her legs bending and slowly straightening once more. Sam smiled and bent down, lightly brushing Janet's lips with her own. "My own little Wonder Woman," she whispered.

Janet moved to the stairs. "Yeah," she said, her voice strained. "Let's just hope we don't fall and break our necks." She took the steps slowly, illiciting a laugh from Sam as the brunette dashed down the hall. The blonde smiled the entire way, keeping her feet locked together in the small of Janet's back as the doctor rushed down the hall. When they reached the door, Janet released one cheek to reach out and turn the knob.

The lack of support caused Sam to loose balance and she toppled, one leg shooting out to catch herself. The foot hit the carpet with a quiet 'thud!' and Janet winced. "Sorry," she whispered. "Is it--"

Sam shook her head. "Not the injured one, thank God," she pressed her lips to the smaller woman's nose and slid out of her grasp, backing into the room. She was favoring her uninjured foot, signalling for Janet to follow.

The doctor moved into the dark bedroom, closing and locking the door behind her. The curtains were drawn, leaving the room in total darkness. Neither woman could see the other and they remained silent for a moment. Finally, Sam broke the silence. "I have to ask you something, Janet. But whatever you answer, it won't affect what I want to do tonight. Just... please. Be honest with me, okay?"

"I promise," Janet said softly.

Sam took a moment, then asked, "Did you think of me... at all... when you were with her?"

Janet didn't answer for a long time. Finally, she said, "I can't lie anymore. The truth is, if I even imagined your hurt face, it never would have happened. I was caught up in the moment. As soon as I realized what I had done, I was horrified and disgusted with myself. I never once thought of hiding what I had done. All I wanted to do was confess and work to regain your trust."

Sam digested this. Then, "I trust you, Janet."

"I'll never hurt you again, Sam. If I can swear anything besides my love to you, it's that."

"I have one more question," Sam said suddenly.

Janet gasped. Sam had moved through the darkness and her voice was now inches away. The brunette stepped back in shock at the proximity of the voice and felt the wall against her back. She whispered, "Ask me anything."

Sam's hands brushed Janet's face, her fingertips lightly tracing the line of the doctor's throat. When she reached the collar of the brunette's t-shirt, she grabbed the material and ripped it open, continuing her gentle downward trek. It went unnoticed in the darkness, but Sam's eyes flashed when her probing fingers discovered the doctor was without a bra. She paused to encircle each breast, then slipped her fingers through the valley between the mounds. She used the backs of her fingers to stroke Janet's toned stomach, then stepped back and slipped the ruined shirt from her lover's shoulders. She wrapped her arms around the petite woman's midsection, pressing their bodies together and then slowly lowering herself to her knees. Her face was now nuzzling the denim over Janet's crotch, her fingers toying with the zipper.

"My question," she breathed, snaking her fingers into the jeans and smoothing the short hairs that covered the doctor's sex. "Did she touch you like this?"

Janet closed her eyes, her teeth working on her lower lip. "No one can touch me like you do, Sam..."

The blonde smiled and leaned forward, kissing the denim in the darkness. She eased the button loose and slipped the material down Janet's lustrous legs and let the material pool around the brunette's ankles. Janet stepped out of the jeans, naked in the dark bedroom. Sam stood, pinning Janet against the wall and molding their bodies together. She could feel the doctor's heated skin through her clothes and couldn't stand being the only one dressed. She nibbled her lover's ear, pausing to gently nip her earlobe, then breathed across the petite woman's ear, "Undress me."

Janet shivered at the sensations Sam's warm breath caused as it passed over her ear, then eased the blonde away from her. Once she was no longer trapped against the wall, she guided Sam until they were standing by the bed. She wanted to make this as wonderful as possible; wanted to remind Sam why they were soulmates. She chastely kissed Sam's lips, reluctantly holding her tongue back, then began her seduction by running her hands over Sam's shoulders and down her front to cup the major's breasts. Sam sighed as she felt the doctor expertly pinch and arouse the nipples through the material of Sam's plaid workshirt and bra. The blonde cursed herself for wearing underwear, but knew that Janet would correct the mistake soon. The petite doctor continued downward, her hands gracing Sam's stomach before slipping around her waist to cup her buttocks. Sam moaned, feeling Janet squeeze her cheeks and then skimming the backs of her thighs. She paused to play in the tender skin behind Sam's knee, causing the blonde to gasp.

After her trek was finished, Janet sat on her haunches and leaned forward, nuzzling Sam's throat and lightly suckling her skin just below her collar. Sam smiled, her eyes closed in ecstasy. "You're going to give me a hickey," she said, only partially complaining.

"It's low," Janet countered. "You can cover it with a t-shirt." She continued downward, placing kisses on the material of Sam's shirt before wrapping her lips around one button.

Sam realized what the doctor was doing. "Janet... you're not..."

Teeth closed around the button and the doctor pulled gently. Thread came undone with a gentle snap and Janet turned her head, spitting the button across the room. She continued to the next one, biting it loose as well. Sam ran her hands through the short brown hair as she was ripped from her clothing. "I've never had anyone chew me out of clothes before."

Janet rose, nuzzing the silkiness of the taller woman's brassiere. "I can't help myself... I hate seeing you clothed." She lightly bit the nipple through the bra, then returned to her mission. Once the final button had been dealt with, Janet slipped the shirt away from Sam's skin and let her fingers move across the heated flesh of her lover. She paused just below the elbow of Sam's right arm, testing the flesh before inquiring, "What's this?"

Sam covered her lover's hand with her own, then felt the rough skin she was asking about. "I bumped it getting into the dune buggy... we had to leave 24X-926 in a hurry."

With precision only a doctor can know, Janet lightly examined the tender flesh, then brought her lips to it. "You need some first aid, baby." She closed her lips over the small abrasion and began to swab it with her tongue. Her fingers worked at the button fly of Sam's jeans, finally reaching the last one and easing the material down the blonde's hips. Once the jeans were gone, Sam lowered herself to the bed, pulling Janet down with her.

The doctor smiled, releasing Sam's arm and bringing their lips together. When the kiss broke, Janet surprised Sam by getting up and turning on the overhead lights.

Sam blinked in the sudden brightness of the room, a bit shocked - although pleasantly so - by the sight of her lover completely nude. They usually made love with the bathroom light on or a single lamp. She could barely remember the last time they'd been together in full lighting. She sat up, inadvertantly covering her breasts. "Janet?"

Janet returned to the bed, taking Sam's arm and returning it to the blonde's side. "I want to see you, Sam. I want you to see me." They kissed tenderly, neither closing their eyes. Janet placed her hands over the mounds of Sam's breasts, kneading them with her fingertips before moving one hand to the clasp and undoing it with a slight movement of her fingers. Sam allowed the underwear to be slipped off her shoulders and tossed aside. Janet whimpered quietly, then dropped her head to the bare skin. She curled her tongue around the erect nipple, drawing it into her mouth and suckling it like a hungry infant.

Sam pulled Janet onto the bed, cradling the doctor's head and gently rolling so that the brunette was on the bottom. Janet released the stiff nipple, looking up into Sam's eyes and seeing the hunger there. She knew that this would have to end soon or Sam would end up rather frustrated. Janet's eyes flashed as an idea came into her head. She rolled them both, straddling Sam's hips and rising into a sitting position. She placed Sam's hand against her thigh, letting the blonde feel the warmth there, then pressed her leg against Sam's hip. The hand was trapped, immobile. Janet repeated the process with the other hand.

Bound, Sam looked up at her lover with questioning eyes. The brunette smiled down and raised herself so that her crotch was well away from Sam's. Slowly, she raised her own hand and tenderly wet the first three fingers, letting her tongue flitter across the digits so the blonde could clearly see it. Sam grinned, realizing where this was headed. She wiggled her fingers against her lover's thighs, sending shockwaves to the doctor's center. The doctor pretended not to notice as she wet the fingers of her other hand.

Finally, Janet took mercy on her lover and stopped the tease, she teased her own nipples with her moist fingers, then slid her right hand between her legs. Sam bit her lip, entranced as she watched Janet part her own folds and begin to masturbate just inches away. As she watched the middle finger slowly dip in and out of the brunette's wet sex, she wondered why she had wet the other hand. She got her answer quickly.

Not wanting to block Sam's view of the show, Janet reached behind herself with the other hand and twisted her hand so that she could barely touch the blonde's underwear-confined slit. Sam arched her back, wanting nothing more than to touch her lover. Janet grinned, adding a second finger to her own wetness, dipping them both in as she found the leghole of Sam's panties and slid inside. Her tongue-laved fingers working across the sensitive skin, pausing to toy with the major's very-erect clitoris before parting her folds.

Sam whimpered loudly as Janet began a second rhythm that shadowed the first. The brunette was now rising and falling with each thrust of her fingers, her chest and face covered with a sheen of perspiration. Sam rose off the bed and craned her neck forward, capturing one salty nipple and hungrily devouring it. She pulled her hands free, ruining Janet's game, but she didn't care any more. She cupped her lover's face and brought their lips together in a crushing kiss. Their lips, tongues and bodies seemed to melt together, fused by a simultaneous explosion between their legs. Janet gasped into Sam's mouth, Sam wept into Janet's. They collapsed against the bed, each of them wrapping arms and legs around the other.

Sam held Janet's head to her breast, using her other hand to keep the brunette's hand between her legs. A moment later, the blonde cried out as a second wave washed over her and she climaxed a second time, coating the doctor's hand once more. When she finally relaxed against the mattress, Janet slid her hand from the underwear (which had been ripped during their lovemaking and was now little more than an elastic waistband) and pressed her slick fingers to Sam's lips. The major hungrily tasting her own juices, then kissed Janet and allowed her to sample the taste.

When the world finally started revolving again, Janet took a shuddering breath and said, "That was spectacular."

Sam licked her lips, then said, "Spectacular doesn't do it justice. You were... words can describe it. I love you so much."

Janet smiled and kissed Sam, their tongues dueling. A moment later, Sam's hands were at work between Janet's thighs. The doctor pulled back and said, "God, Sam... again? I don't know if I can handle it."

Sam nibbled the other woman's neck, then said, "Let me take care of it, then. I want to taste you again before we sleep."

Janet rolled onto her back and closed her eyes, smiling as her lover went to work.

---

Cassandra had just finished changing into her pajamas when she heard the heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. She gasped quietly, moving to the door and pressing her ear to the wood. She heard a quiet laugh, then a loud thump. There were whispers, a quiet chuckle... Cassie opened her door as quietly as possible and peeked into the hall. She just barely caught a glimpse of Sam and her mother as they disappeared into the bedroom.

The girl closed her door once again, listening intently. She didn't usually eavesdrop on her parents, but this was a special occasion. Finally, she heard the familiar whimpers and chuckles coming from the room down the hall. She turned off her bedroom light and went to bed, crawling under the blankets and covering her ears. It might be a good thing they were together again, but they were still her parents. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

---

A few minutes after their climaxes, the ladies lay under the blankets and stared up at the ceiling. Sam had gotten up and turned off the light, leaving them to quietly explore well-known curves in the dark. On the edge of sleep, the blonde finally whispered, "You think Georgia would be up for a threesome?"

Janet just laughed, rolling over and covering Sam's mouth with her own.

end