Pulling the String - Part Two

by

sHaYcH

All Previous Disclaimers Apply.

%%% 

 
A shower went a long way toward restoring Sam’s energy.  The meal she forced herself to eat, however, sapped what strength she had gained and it was all she could do to drag herself to bed. 
 

In the morning, she put in a call to General Hammond, and was not surprised when he gladly granted her request.
 

“Sure!  Go on and take a few days off, Major.  You’ve earned it.  In fact, I think I’ll go ahead and see that the rest of SG-1 follows suit.  Might as well have you all taking it easy.  Of course, I’ll call if we have any further troubles with the bugs, but as of now, consider yourself on leave.”
 

Sam quietly thanked him and ended the call.  Lying in the cool darkness of her bedroom, she let her thoughts drift until sleep smothered them in a fuzzy, stress-free cocoon.
 

%%%

 
Janet was appalled.  The infirmary, indeed, the entirety of the SGC was a shambles.  It was going to take months to repair the damage caused by what the more polite of the soldiers called the “g-d bugs”.  Cleanup and repair crews moved about the halls, cluttering up every inch of space until the doctor felt as though she couldn’t sneeze without knocking over a broom. 
 

To make matters worse, SG-1 – Sam included – was on leave, which left Janet with no one to commiserate with over the mess.
 

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that she’s avoiding me.  Movie night had come and gone, and Sam had begged off, claiming exhaustion and Cassie had seemed to think that was the truth, but Janet wasn’t sure.  What is up with Sam?  Usually, I can’t get rid of her, but now it seems that I can’t find her with both hands and a map!
 

The remainder of the day dragged on, filled with paperwork, reports, and enough minor injuries that Janet was never truly bored, but neither was she thrust into the adrenalin frenzy of an emergency.  By the time she exited the base, the sun was lowering over the mountains and her stomach was reminding her that lunch had been a hastily grabbed sandwich somewhere between Sergeant Siler’s broken fingers and Lieutenant Mallory’s stitches. 
 

Traffic was a bitch, slowing to a crawl that turned into a drunken stagger around three separate fender benders.  No one appeared hurt, so she continued on, fighting down a rising urge to scream obscenities at the clueless rubberneckers clogging up the streets. 
 

This is all Sam’s fault.  It’s really not nice to allow a woman’s emotions to fester, and right then, Janet made up her mind to go and give the astrophysicist a hefty chunk of her mind.  As soon as there was an opening, she changed lanes and took the turn that led to Sam’s bungalow. 
 

After all the time it had taken to get there, Janet was more than ready to jump out, go pound on the door, and then tell Sam off in the most stringent possible terms.  There was only one teensy little problem.  Sam wasn’t home.
 

Oh, I do not believe this.  Sitting in the car, staring at the empty driveway, the darkened house, and the general air of “nobody’s home” that emanated from the house, Janet Fraiser began to seriously consider voluntary homicide.
 

Words, which were always so important to a doctor, especially in an emergency when subtle nuances had to be conveyed as quickly as possible, shattered the frosty air of Janet’s car.
 

“Well fuck.”
 

%%%

Cassie Fraiser felt like she was going to vibrate out of her skin.  Patience was not the province of teens, and Cassandra was one for whom anticipation was a particularly unwanted state.  She didn’t like surprises much, either, but in this case, she’d granted pardon to the one who had put her in the current predicament.
 

Inhaling softly, she was not surprised when her stomach rumbled its appreciation for the scents emanating from the kitchen.  I didn’t know Sam could cook.
 

The astrophysicist had shown up about an hour before with a bag of groceries and a grin that would have made a system lord quail.  It wasn’t evil, nor malicious, but rather, anticipatory, and that made Cassie very nervous.
 

Then Sam had calmly explained why she was there, and Cassandra grew even more nervous, but it was a good kind of agitated. 
 

“Calm down, Cass, or you’ll blow it,” whispered Ryan.  Before today, he had not spent much time in the company of Major Carter, but what he had seen, he liked.  Surprised and more than a little bit honored to be included in the plan, he wanted to be certain it all went off perfectly.  Generally, this kind of thing was not what he’d consider “fun” or “cool”, but it meant a lot to Cassie, and that was all that mattered.
 

“I just want this to work,” murmured Cassandra. 
 

Covering one of her hands with his, Ryan gave it a soft squeeze and said, “Didn’t you once tell me that Sam was the smartest person on the planet?”
 

Slowly, Cassie nodded.  “Uh huh.  She’s a bona fide genius.”
 

He grinned, and replied, “Well, then how could it not work?”  Her answering grin made his stomach do a little flip.  “Now relax.  Your mom just pulled into the driveway.”
 

Cassie’s smile faltered, but then she swallowed, and focused her attention on the laptop between them.  “All right, if we try this string, maybe we can do something about that missing F function.”
 

%%%

It was full dark by the time Janet pulled into the driveway.  In contrast to Sam’s quiet home, the lights were on, there was a faint throb of music vibrating the windows, and she could see Ryan Armstrong’s beat up old Toyota parked on the street.  Through the partially open curtains, she was pleased to spot the young man on the couch with Cassie, both of them bent over a laptop and discussing whatever it was they were looking at.
 

It’s nice to know that I can trust them.  Over the last few years, Janet had met all kinds of parents, from those who micromanaged every aspect of their children’s lives to those who couldn’t care less, and from each, she had taken a bit of their philosophy, creating a cohesive whole that allowed Cassandra some freedom, while maintaining a set of boundaries.  It was rewarding to know that her efforts had paid off so visibly.
 

The drive home had given Janet’s anger time to dissipate, leaving her more tired than anything.  She was looking forward to going inside, calling for pizza, and spending the evening curled up on a chair, watching some inane television show while Cassie and Ryan argued about obscure bits of programming language.
 

Walking into the house was a shock in sensory contrasts.  From the kitchen wafted the enticing scent of cooking food, from the living room the sound of very loud classic rock, and standing in the dining room, casually setting the table, was Samantha Carter, wearing something that Janet was absolutely certain would be responsible for the cause of her death.
 

It wasn’t that the clothes were sexy or slinky, quite the contrary – a simple black t-shirt and a pair of jeans were tame by most standards.  What made Janet’s heart skip, her stomach burn, and her eyes tear was the utter rightness of the situation. 
 

From now until her hopefully far into the future death, Janet Fraiser knew that she would always want to come home to this moment.
 

“Hey mom, how was work?”  Cassie went and gave Janet a hug, relieved her of her jacket, and then directed the still somewhat flabbergasted older woman to a chair. 
 

“It was fine,” Janet replied absently, attempting to swim up through the fog in her head.
 

“Hello, Mrs. Fraiser,” said Ryan shyly.
 

“Hi.”  Janet’s command of language was actually diminishing the longer she looked at Sam, who continued to act as though the doctor weren’t staring a hole into her back.
 

It took Janet several minutes to realize that Sam was only laying out two places.  She glanced at Cassie, who was attempting to surreptitiously poke Ryan.  The action caused some of the haze to lift.  Eyeing the young man, Janet cocked her head and raised one eyebrow.
 

“Is there something you wanted?” Janet put on her sternest “mom” tone, trying not to chuckle when Ryan flushed and looked anywhere but at her.
 

“Uh, um, could I, uh, I mean, if you wouldn’t mind, do you think I could take Cassie out to dinner?  To celebrate?”  He smiled sheepishly.  “We fixed our widget.”
 

Janet very carefully did not ask for an explanation.  She wasn’t sure she truthfully wanted to know the answer.  Instead, she turned her attention on Cassandra, who was doing her level best to become one with the carpet.  At the edge of her peripheral vision, Janet could see Sam head into the kitchen.  Shortly, she heard the sound of the oven opening, which was followed by the soft clatter of dishes.  A fresh wave of garlic and something else entirely too mouthwatering wafted into the house.
 

Narrowing her eyes, Janet continued to gaze at her daughter.  A little voice was encouraging her to do it, but the overprotective mother side kept shouting ugly words like “date rape” and “GHB” at her.
 

Shoving those thoughts aside, Janet put her faith in the bond she and Cassie had and said, “Sure.  Just be home by eleven.  Even though there’s no school tomorrow, there’s no sense in ruining your schedule.”
 

Ryan smiled while Cassie practically leaped up and did a dance of joy.  Grinning from ear to ear, the teenager said, “Thanks, mom!  We’ll be back on time, I promise!”  Quickly, they put up their things, grabbed coats, and left before Janet could change her mind.
 

Once they were gone, Janet made her way into the kitchen.  Standing in the doorway, watching Sam carefully plate their meals, the doctor was suddenly struck by the realization that she’d fallen for a very neatly laid trap.
 

All of her anger came rushing back, filling her with a dangerous need to act.  Acidly, she said, “What if I had said no?”
 

Looking up from putting the final touches on their meals, Sam assessed Janet’s mood with the same ease as she would judge an onrushing horde of Jaffa.  Setting aside the razor sharp knife she’d used to slice the roast, she wiped her hands on a towel, walked over and casually invaded Janet’s personal space.  Before the doctor could react, Sam whispered, “Then I guess we would have had an audience.”
 

The kiss was almost expected, definitely wanted, and exactly what both had been craving. 
 

Janet’s lips were firm under Sam’s only for as long as it took a breath to pass between them and then, she melted.  Pouring herself into the embrace, she groaned softly when Sam’s arms came up to pull her close. 
 

Sam was lost.  Planning this night had only gotten so far, and the moment she had thrown caution to the wind and acted on a whim, she was flying blind.  With no instrumentation to guide the way to a safe landing, she relied on instinct.  Cradling Janet close, she gave herself to the kisses, using actions to speak where words could not begin to explain her feelings.
 

It was many long minutes before Janet had to pull away, had to breathe air not tainted by the fragility of their emotions.  Pressing her fingers to her lips, feeling her eyes flood with tears, the doctor stared at Sam, who looked adorably mussed and confused.
 

“Oh Sam.  Samantha,” she whispered.  Wanting so much to steal everything Sam would give; Janet still feared stepping any further from the path that they had so far tread.
 

“Janet, it’s okay.”  Sam reached for Janet, clasping one of her hands and using it to draw the smaller woman into a loose embrace.  “I think we both want the same thing.”  She laid her cheek against the top of Janet’s head, feeling the soft crinkle of hair tickle her nose.  Sighing, Sam whispered, “We can do this, if you want.  I love you enough to try.”  She bit her lip and added, “I really want this, Janet.”
 

Shaking as though every nerve were on fire, Janet murmured, “Don’t make promises you won’t keep, Sam.”
 

“Have I ever?”
 

Janet closed her eyes.  In a rush, the memories of the last week washed over her, reminding her of what she’d nearly lost.  If there ever was a moment to live up to her vow, then now had to be the time. 
 

Looking up at Sam, Janet smiled sweetly and said, “Not when it counted.”  Gently, as though she’d never done it before, she reached up and cupped her hand to the side of Sam’s face.  Tiny fringes of blonde hairs dusted her knuckles and she combed her fingers through it, loving the softness.  “So, what’s for dinner, Flygirl?”

Sam ducked her head, kissed Janet slowly, then said, “Pot roast.”
 

Not yet willing to leave the circle of Sam’s arms, Janet sighed happily and said, “Yum.”
 

%%% 

Later, they would talk about careers and rules and how best to deal with the reality of being gay in the air force.  At the moment, over a bottle of smoky red wine, they enjoyed the freedom to speak openly of their emotions.
 

Drawing her finger around the mouth of the wine glass, Janet gazed across the couch at Sam, who sat with her head thrown back and her eyes closed.  A wild, wicked urge took hold.  Carefully setting the glass aside, Janet slowly shifted until she was kneeling over the astrophysicist.
 

In the spare light from the one softly glowing lamp, a strip of pale flesh was visible where Sam’s t-shirt had lifted.
 

Fascinated, Janet let the backs of her fingers drift against the warm skin, startling Sam to alertness.
 

“Do you know how many times I’ve thought about doing this?”  Whisper soft, Janet’s query hummed in Sam’s ears.
 

Mouth arid, Sam replied, “Probably not.”
 

Furthering her exploration, Janet skinned her hand up under Sam’s shirt until she reached the edge of a rather practical cotton bra.  Grinning, she said, “Weren’t you planning on getting lucky tonight, Samantha Carter?”
 

Sam’s cheeks turned an incandescent shade of crimson.  Janet’s fingers began doing things that made speaking difficult, rational thought unwise, and answering the question impossible.
 

Chuckling softly, Janet leaned forward and claimed Sam’s lips in a kiss that was filled with teasing promise.  “Come on,” she whispered.  “Let’s go somewhere less public.”
 

Sam’s brain finally caught up and she said, “Janet, I don’t thing we should rush this.”
 

Standing, Janet reached a hand out and replied, “There’s no rush, Sam.  I just would prefer not to be caught necking by my daughter’s boyfriend.”
 

A car door closed. 
 

Sam jumped off the couch and raced to Janet’s bedroom, followed by the doctor’s wildly amused laughter.
 

%%%

Needless to say, the next morning Cassandra was thrilled to find her mother, looking adorably mussed, sharing a pot of coffee with an equally disheveled Sam.  The robe that the astrophysicist wore was two sizes too small, and a pair of sweat pants that didn’t quite reach the midpoint of her calves displayed the fact that she had not slept in her clothes.
 

Looking from one adopted mother to the other, Cassie grinned and said, “So when’s the bonding festival?”
 

Perhaps expecting some kind of comment, Sam had wisely set her cup down when she spotted Cassandra entering the kitchen.  Janet was not so lucky.  Coffee and ceramic shards littered the sink.
 

Rolling her eyes, Cassie said, “Oh mother, you can’t have been that shocked!  I’m sixteen, not sixty.  Besides, I’ve wanted you and Sam to be my parents since forever.”
 

If she had been entertaining any doubts as to how to bring up the subject of her and Sam’s relationship with Cassie, they were now nothing more than dust modes, leaving Janet perched at the start of a strange road that had an unknown destination.  Cocooned within the safety of Sam’s arms for the better portion of the night, Janet had been able to visualize the moment when she would carefully explain to Cassandra about how people’s feelings changed, and that sometimes, it was okay for a woman to love another woman.
 

She had completely forgotten the fact that Cassie had not been born in the United States, or even on Earth, for that matter. 
 

Apparently, homosexuality wasn’t that big of a deal on P8X-987.
 

It was Sam who stepped up to her role as a parent.  “You know, Cass, just because you’re okay with Janet and I, it doesn’t mean that we’re ready for you to act like it’s nothing special.”  Sam’s tone was gently chiding.  “What’s happening between us is going to change our lives; we can only pray that it’s for the better.”  Now that she had Cassie’s attention, Sam said, “I – we – are glad that you approve, but what we need is for you to understand how fragile things are right now.  Please, don’t make light of our choices.”
 

Janet didn’t know whether to laugh or offer her stricken daughter a hug. 
 

“Bu-“  Cassie’s jaw worked, and finally, she let out an exasperated sigh and stomped over to the refrigerator and removed the orange juice, the milk, and a container of yogurt.  Setting them on the table, she sighed again and said, “I really am happy for you both.  I’m sorry if I said something wrong.”
 

Janet gave into the urge to comfort.  Wrapping her arms around Cassie, she said, “Its okay honey, we know you didn’t mean any harm.”
 

Standing, Sam enveloped both of them in a hug.  “Yeah, when we get excited, it’s easy to speak without thinking.”  She dropped a kiss on the top of Cassie’s head.  “You meant well, Cass, and we understand.”
 

They stood like that for a long moment and then Cassie said, “Okay, I’m about to drown in the mush that’s filling this room.  Can I get my breakfast and go work on my program now?”
 

Laughing, they let her go, watching as the teenager collected her breakfast and strolled into the living room.  As soon as she was out of sight, Janet stepped into Sam’s arms.
 

“I’m never going to get sick of this,” Sam said as she wallowed in the sensation of cuddling Janet.
 

Janet’s answering chuckle was a deep throated purr as she responded, “Good, because I’m working on a serious addiction to you, Sam Carter.”
 

%%%

It wasn’t easy, that first week, to avoid the temptation to find someplace on the base where they could steal a secret moment.  A touch here, a glance there, and Sam catching Daniel gazing rather speculatively at them made Janet terrified that they’d be discovered.
 

Sam was terrified that they wouldn’t be discovered.
 

“You want to be caught?” Janet said incredulously late one Friday as they lay together in Sam’s bed.  The doctor wasn’t staying.  Though she might wish to surrender to the obvious passion between them, Janet was uncomfortable leaving Cassie alone overnight.  It didn’t stop her from pressing her body closer to Sam’s and relishing the chills the contact gave her.
 

Pausing as she was about to explore the contour of Janet’s throat with her mouth, Sam leaned back and shrugged sheepishly.  “Well, at least then I wouldn’t be so damn jumpy around you!  I thought I was going to lose it when you had to do my post mission physical on Wednesday.”
 

Janet pulled away and glared at the astrophysicist.  “What? Sam, you’d better not be implying that I’d be anything less than professional with you!”
 

“It’s not you that I’m worried about,” Sam retorted, deadpan.
 

Janet pushed herself up on one arm and stared down at the other woman.  “You’re the one who wanted to take it easy,” she said, exasperation coloring her tone.
 

“I did – I do.”  Sam threw up her hands helplessly.  “I’m crazy about you, Janet.  My body knows what it wants; it’s my head that’s putting up roadblocks.”  She frowned suddenly.  “I hope you’re not having second thoughts about this?”
 

Laying her hand on Sam’s chest so she could feel the subtle thudding of her heart, Janet said, “No, never.  I know exactly what I want from you, Sam.”  She leaned in and brushed her mouth over Sam’s, nipping hungrily at her bottom lip.  As the pulse beneath her hand increased, Janet slowed the kiss until they were trading intense, breath taking caresses.  Finally, she pulled away and stood.  “I’ve got to go.  It’s getting late and Cassie will be worried.”
 

Ejected from the haze of pleasure that had settled over her shoulders like a living cloak, Sam groaned in protest.  “I wish you’d stay,” she said.  “I don’t sleep half as well as when I’m with you.”  Brightening, she said, “Hey, why don’t you get Cassie and bring her back here?  I can make pancakes in the morning.”
 

Janet was charmed by the puckish pout on Sam’s face, but she had years of dealing with a teenager who could out-pout a supermodel.  “I wish I could, Sam, but Jack’s coming by tomorrow to take Cassie fishing.”
 

“Oh yeah.”  Sam vaguely recalled discussing the idea with the colonel while they were slogging through the middle of a sweltering jungle on P4Z-948. 
 

“I’m so glad your memory’s working,” said Janet with a wry grin.  “Now, if you’d put that prodigious brain power of yours to use, you’d remember that Cassandra has Monday off, and that SG-1 is on leave thanks to Daniel getting bit by that snake.  Barring a request from one of our allies, you’re free until next Thursday.”
 

Rolling onto her side and then pushing up to lean on one arm, Sam watched as Janet calmly went about gathering her jacket and shoes.  “And once I’ve engaged my, what did you call it? – prodigious – brain power, are you expecting me to recall that this is your weekend off?”
 

Janet perched on the edge of the bed and pulled on her tennis shoes.  “Got it in one, Major.”
 

When needed, Sam was extremely flexible and fast.  Moving from prone to kneeling behind Janet, the astrophysicist cupped her hands over Janet’s breasts and whispered, “Got plans for tomorrow, Doc?”
 

Melting into the touch, Janet turned to kiss Sam and whispered, “Only ones that involve you, Flygirl.”
 

One kiss turned into a dozen.  Sam’s hands wandered, sliding down to Janet’s waistband, but before she could do more than trail a teasing path of caresses over warm skin, Janet pulled free and stood.
 

Shaking a finger at the astrophysicist, Janet said, “You are dangerous, Samantha Carter.”  Sam’s wickedly wanton smile put a definite hitch in Janet’s breathing.  Putting on the jacket, Janet said, “Come over tomorrow, Sam.  We’ll watch movies, eat popcorn, and talk about your mad desire to get caught necking in the gate room.”
 

“I don’t want to make out with you in the gate room!”
 

Janet raised an eyebrow inquiringly.
 

“Maybe my lab, but definitely not the gate room,” Sam said as she got up to walk Janet to the door.
 

Snorting, Janet said, “My office would be far more comfortable.  At least I have a cot that isn’t covered in half finished experiments and strange technology.”
 

“No, it’s just hip deep in file boxes and dirty coffee cups,” Sam retorted.
 

“Which are much easier to clean up, when they get knocked onto the floor.”  Janet waggled her eyebrows teasingly. 
 

Pausing at the door, Sam said, “I really don’t want us to get caught, you know.  I love you, but I love working on the program, too.”
 

Funny how three seemingly insignificant words could turn a person’s insides into gelatin.  Sunshine, puppy dogs, and rainbows – what am I, twelve?  Janet fought down the urge to gush like a moonstruck teenager and instead, smiled warmly and said, “I love you too, Sam.  We’ll figure things out.  I have faith in our ability to deal with whatever life, the universe, and the United States military throws at us.”
 

Sam laughed.  “Just remember that when we’re up to our eyeballs in the real world equivalent of technologically advanced Tribbles.”
 

“As long as they don’t bite, I think I can handle it.”  Janet grinned, kissed Sam once more and then left before her hormones overran her good sense.
 

%%%

 
The Fraiser household looked like it was overflowing with people and camping gear.  Colonel O’Neill had turned a one day fishing trip into a weekend adventure up at his cabin. 
 

“Ah come on, Doc.  The kid’ll love it,” the older man had said when he’d called that morning.  “We’ll roast hotdogs and marshmallows and sing kumbaya around the campfire.  Heck, you could come along, if you want.”
 

“Jack, there’s a reason I’m not an active member of an SG team.  I do not like sleeping on the ground.”
 

“You don’t know what you’re missing,” Jack rumbled.  “Look, I’m bringing Teal’c and Daniel.  She’ll be safe as houses with them.”
 

She had, reluctantly, agreed to let Cassie go.  It wasn’t that Janet was so overly protective of her adopted daughter that she wouldn’t let her enjoy a weekend away; it was just that usually, Sam went along on these wilderness forays of Colonel O’Neill’s. 
 

“Hey Carter, you sure you don’t want to tag along?”  Jack stood in the living room, his thumbs hooked into his belt loops, watching as Teal’c gravely went over the list of items Cassie needed to pack.
 

Sam smiled.  “Not this time, sir.  I think I’m just going to putter around the house for a few days.  Maybe work on the bike or one of the cars.”
 

“Yeah?  Well that’s a great idea.  Just try not to invent a new whizbang gizmo thingy while you’re at it.  This is supposed to be your time off, Carter.”  His words had all the inflection of an order, but the smile that creased his careworn face was fondly teasing. 
 

From his perch on a nearby chair, Daniel looked up from a field journal and said, “How come Sam gets to stay home, but I have to limp out to the back of nowhere and sleep on the ground?  Aren’t I supposed to be the one in recovery?”
 

“First, you got bit on the arm, not the foot, so there won’t be any limping.”  Jack ticked off the reasons on his fingers.  “Second, it’s not the back of nowhere; it’s the property up by my cabin.   I’d hardly consider that sixty thousand miles southwest of Abydos.” 
 

Daniel’s face began to take on a stubborn cast.
 

“Oh come on, Uncle Daniel.  It’ll be fun.  You can tell me more stuff about ancient earth culture.”
 

Doctor Daniel Jackson was by no means a coward.  More than once, Sam had seen him charge right into a ship full of Replicators with little more than a handgun and bravado on his side, yet somehow, all of his courage seemed to fly right out the window when faced with the girlish enthusiasm of Cassandra Fraiser.
 

Clearing his throat, Daniel said, “Yeah, well, just remember to bring lots of Kleenex.  I’m allergic to the outdoors.”
 

Cassie beamed at him, bounced over and kissed him on the cheek and then said, “Thanks, Uncle Daniel.  And don’t worry; mom gave me some of her extra strength super duper, fights all forms of pollen, antihistamine.”  She grimaced.  “Apparently, I have allergies, too.”
 

Once all the gear had been stowed in the back of Jack’s truck, Cassie dutifully doled out hugs to her mother and Sam.  As she put her arms around the tall blonde, she whispered, “I hope you appreciate this.  I hate fishing, and archeology bores me to tears.”
 

Sam tried very hard not to choke as she embraced the teenager.
 

From the truck, Jack waved and said, “See ya in a few days, Doc.  You too, Carter.  Go do something fun, both of ya.”
 

Watching them pull away, Sam murmured, “You know, I believe your daughter thinks I’m here for a booty call.”
 

With the truck and its occupants still in sight, Janet kept a bright grin plastered on her face even as she said, “Oh my god, I’m gonna kill her.”
 

Inside the vehicle, Cassie waved until the truck rounded the corner.  Once it was gone, Janet turned to look at Sam, whose face was turning a deep crimson.
 

“You are here for a booty call,” whispered the doctor incredulously, even as Sam turned a darker scarlet.
 

Kicking the ground with one toe, the astrophysicist reached up to scratch at the back of her head and then said, “Well, yeah, maybe.  I mean, if things go that way-“  Breaking off as Janet grabbed her arm, Sam was startled at the amount of strength displayed by the diminutive woman who was almost dragging her into the house.
 

Once behind closed doors, Sam had a flash of wild, unbridled sex in uncomfortable places all around Janet’s house, and almost cheered.  Until she realized that bumping and grinding against hard surfaces left marks.  Bruises in odd places that might be a little bit difficult to explain to the guys while on a backwater planet in the middle of the galaxy.
 

Much to her considerable relief – and momentary disappointment - Janet did not throw her against the door and rip her clothes off.  Unceremoniously dumped on the couch, Sam was left to stare at the empty living room for the time it took the doctor to putter around with something in the kitchen. 
 

It was only when the scent of slightly burnt popcorn filled the air that Sam realized what was up, and she nervously called out, “Hey Janet, are you mad at me?”
 

Appearing in the doorway bearing a large bowl of popcorn, a large bottle of soda, and a box of what looked like cupcakes, Janet replied, “Nope.”  She set her burdens down and then retrieved a remote.  After making certain that the curtains were drawn, the door was locked, and the phone was set to be picked up by the answering machine, she turned on the television.
 

With the volume on mute, Janet plunked onto the couch next to Sam and said, “Since we’re both rather new at this whole lesbian thing, I thought maybe we ought to do a little research.”  Handing the remote to Sam, she nestled the bowl of popcorn between them, poured glasses of soda and opened the box of cupcakes.  “Press play, Sam.  It’s time for class.”
 

Both found themselves lost in the world of “Desert Hearts”, amused by the antics of “Better than Chocolate”, and charmed by “Two Girls In Love”.  It was “Bound” that made them both lean forward with keen interest, and then draw back and fan themselves. 
 

Janet’s selections ran the gamut of the “who’s who” of lesbian films, including a few that Sam knew must have come from the bluer section of the rental shop.  Those were mostly amusing, and plainly meant for a man’s pleasure.  At one point, Sam cocked her head sideways to gaze curiously at the screen, and then said, “That does not look fun at all.”
 

Narrowing her eyes, Janet nodded in agreement.  “Plus, she’s going to have the mother of all rug burns in the morning.”  She stopped the video.  “I think we’ve done enough research.  The question now is – are we ready to practice a few theories?”
 

Sam affected a surprised mien.  “Why, Janet Fraiser, are you speaking geek to me?”
 

Grinning, Janet undid the top two buttons of her blouse and replied, “I’ll speak whatever language you want to hear, Sam Carter.”
 

The remote went one way, Janet’s shirt went another, and in less than ten minutes, there were clothes littering the living room.  Five minutes after that, they were staggering into Janet’s room, exchanging fevered kisses while trying to avoid bouncing off the walls.
 

Hitting the bed caused an upheaval of arms and legs, one bit lip and a misplaced elbow that would, in the morning, leave a mark.  All of it was ignored.  When Sam whispered, “Want you, so much,” and followed up her hurried words by carving a path of kisses from Janet’s throat to her thigh, there was nothing but the sweetness of the moment burning brightly in their minds.
 

“You amaze me,” Janet whispered as she explored the delicate softness of Sam’s skin.  Scars, muscle, and tendon blended to form a map of the woman whose very being made Janet want to say and do things no sane woman should.  She drank deeply of Sam’s mouth, dipping down to lave kisses over her throat, her shoulders, her breasts and belly until her lover could only draw shuddering, need haunted breaths.
 

Entwined, they explored the stars in each other’s eyes.  When the moon pricked silvery shafts of light through half-closed curtains, it outlined the figures of Sam and Janet wound so tightly about each other that only molecules moved between them.
 

Snug and comfortable, Janet dragged her foot down Sam’s leg and smiled.  “Love you,” she murmured, as sleep wound its spell over her.
 

Teasing her fingers through the hair at the nape of Janet’s neck, Sam whispered, “I love you too, Janet.  Sleep well.”

%%% 

The camping trip had been something of a success, as Cassie learned to appreciate the irony of fishing in an empty pond.  Daniel’s lessons weren’t nearly as boring as she had once thought, and Teal’c had a surprisingly strong sense of humor.
 

When she came home, she knew right away that things had gone well for her parents.  They were affectionate in ways that spoke volumes to someone who was looking, and Cassie was studying them so hard, textbooks would be jealous.
 

Satisfied that things were cemented properly, she began her campaign to get Sam to move into the Fraiser household.
 

It was doomed to fail, since Sam could no more announce the relationship between herself and Janet than she could realign the stars so that the entire fleet of Goa’uld motherships suddenly ended up in the corona of a sun.  However, Cassie liked to dream that she could come home from school and have dinner with her parents like everyone else she knew.
 

She tried subtlety – “Hey mom, is there enough room in the garage for another car?”  This only led to Janet assuming Cassie wanted to learn to drive, and this earned her a long, boring lecture on vehicular safety, the accident rates of teenage drivers, and the cost of car insurance versus that of a monthly bus pass.
 

Several more, similar attempts ended just as disastrously, and Sam was no closer to having a permanent place in the household.  Though she did spend most of her off duty time there, the astrophysicist continued to maintain the fiction that she enjoyed going home.
 

One afternoon, while Sam was away off world, Cassie wandered into the kitchen where her mother was making dinner and said, “Are you worried about the economy mom?  The home living teacher Mrs. Langstrom said that if we’re not careful, we could be facing a serious recession.”
 

“Well, I don’t know, Cass.  Usually, I’m so wrapped up in the Stargate program that I don’t pay attention to the economy.  If you’re worried about us, don’t, because the government pays me very well for what I do.”
 

Cassie frowned.  This was not the direction she wanted to head.  Leaning against the counter, she casually handed over the various stew ingredients Janet was slicing into a pot.  “I’m not really worried about us, but Sam – what about her?  She’s got the house, the cars, and the bike.  You said yourself that insurance is expensive.”
 

Janet’s “mommy-dar” was prickling.  Something was churning the wheels in her daughter’s head, and concern over insurance costs had very little to do with the gears.
 

Scraping the last of the cut up vegetables into the pot, Janet turned on the stove and then started washing dishes.  Casually, she said, “I suspect Sam’s fine, Cass.  Why, did she say something to you?”
 

“No,” Cassie drawled, pushing away from the counter to grab a nearby dishtowel.  Unconsciously, she dried and put away the dishes.
 

Now Janet knew something was up, because Cassandra never did chores without first being reminded half a dozen times about them.  In that respect, the teenager was exactly the same as kids everywhere.  Turning, Janet took a quick look at the teen’s face to assess her mood.  Writ large in her eyes was a faraway look of concentration that told the doctor that her daughter’s thoughts were everywhere but on the cutting board she was assiduously drying.
 

“You want to talk about it?”
 

“Huh?”  Startled, Cassie dropped the dish.  The clatter of plastic was loud in the otherwise quiet room.  Grimacing, the teen picked it up and handed it to her mother to be rinsed. 
 

Gravely, Janet washed the cutting board and gave it back to Cassandra.  “You’ve got something on your mind, Cass.  Out with it.”
 

Shrugging, Cassie stowed the dish in a cupboard and with feigned nonchalance said, “I don’t know.  It’s just with you and Sam…”  Her smile was innocently endearing even as moisture made her eyes glisten.  “I thought maybe we could live together.  Like a real family.”
 

Janet’s hand went to her mouth as tears burned her throat.  “Oh honey,” she said softly, reaching for her daughter. 
 

Cassie went willingly, clinging tightly.  “It sucks,” she mumbled.
 

Understanding, Janet said, “I know, Cass.  I want Sam here too.  All the time.”
 

“So why can’t she stay?  Larry Fielding’s dads live together and they were both in the army.”
 

Janet led her daughter to the kitchen table.  Sitting, she took Cassie’s hands in hers and gripped them gently.  “Neither Charlie nor Michael are active duty servicemen, Cass.  As far as the army is concerned, they’re not soldiers anymore.”
 

“Then why did Mrs. Jankowski get recalled to active duty last year?  I thought she retired.”
 

Not wanting to explain the convoluted system of military math to her daughter, Janet simply said, “She was discharged, but not retired.  There must have been a need for someone of her particular rating.”
 

“So what happens if the army needs people like the Fieldings?”
 

“In their case, nothing.  Both Charlie and Michael fulfilled their contracts.  They’re retired.”
 

“Oh.”  Cassie sighed.  Her gaze grew thoughtful.  “So, when are you and Sam retiring?”
 

Surprised, Janet replied, “I don’t know, Cass.  I never really thought about it.  The Stargate program isn’t exactly your average posting.  Plus, Sam’s pretty integral to SG-1.  I doubt Colonel O’Neill would want to go gallivanting around the galaxy without her.”
 

Cassie smiled wistfully.  “So where are they now?”
 

“I can’t really talk about it, but I will say this – she’ll be home soon.  Maybe we can take a trip somewhere, just the three of us.”
 

“Disneyland?” 
 

Janet so hated to crush the hopeful look on Cassie’s face.  “Maybe.  We’ll see,” she said.  “But if we can’t go there, we’ll try for something else, okay?”
 

Sighing, Cassie said, “Okay.”
 

%%%

 
They never made it to Disneyland, but the burgeoning family unit did enjoy a weekend exploring some of Colorado’s more scenic areas.  Whatever happened for the rest of her life, Cassandra held those memories as some of the brightest.
 

When Cassie’s wish was mentioned to Sam, the astrophysicist got a far away look in her eyes and she smiled sadly.  “It’s a nice dream,” she said, and after that, the subject was dropped.
 

In the lonely hours when Sam was off planet, Janet often found herself outside, staring up at the heavens, wondering what her lover was doing.  The heady pleasure of being able to think of Sam as her lover never grew old and never failed to spark a shiver of pure joy. 
 

There was upheaval within the structure of the Stargate program, and when it all died down, not much had changed.  SG-1 still found itself racing around the galaxy, making new friends while trying to hold together shaky alliances.  Threats were numerous, enemies were everywhere, but in all of it, Samantha Carter discovered that her heart was at peace.  Home was not a bungalow in central Colorado Springs, it was the feeling she had whenever she was with Janet and Cassie.  The more time she spent with them, the more she knew life had finally given her a true gift.
 

Janet herself was, as she put it late one night, “deliriously happy”.  Yet, there was always that small voice in the back of her mind that said, “It’s too good; too perfect.  Nothing this sweet lasts forever.”
 

With Sam’s warm embrace surrounding her, it was very hard for Janet to pay any attention to that little voice.
 

%%%

 
Two months, six days, and fourteen hours from the exact moment of Janet Fraiser’s brush with death, the doctor found herself confronted once again with her own mortality.  Called in as medical support on an evacuation gone horribly wrong, Janet was pinned down in the doorway of a collapsed hovel, surrounded by Jaffa and trapped under a heavy wooden roof beam.
 

Three SG units were trading fire with the Jaffa, a mix of soldiers that served at least five different system lords.  They weren’t even here for the Tau’ri interlopers – their interest had been in a series of naquadah mines. 
 

The planet was highly volcanic, and the SGC had offered to help the few remaining human settlements move to a less volatile homeland.  It had all gone swimmingly until dozens of alkesh scout ships appeared in the skies overhead.  Lieutenant Murphy barely had time to dial the SGC and yelp for reinforcements.
 

Now they were all stuck on the planet, unable to dial home because the Goa’uld mothership in orbit had taken over the stargate and was holding it open to allow Jaffa to pour through unhindered.
 

An explosion fifteen meters to the left made Janet flinch and duck behind the remains of the door.  Mortars were going off everywhere.  Zat fire, staff blasts, and machine gun reports chattered around her like mad magpies. 
 

Through the chaos, Janet had one, singularly terrifying thought, I’m going to die here.  It’d been about five minutes since she’d had any radio contact with SG-6, and that last had only been to inform her that SG-1 had made it through the gate.
 

At least Sam’s safe.  Cassie will have someone to look after her.  A strange, yet oddly familiar sense of calm threaded itself through Janet.  Not even the bone grinding agony of her leg could pierce the shroud of numbness that was settling over her shoulders.
 

Janet glanced down, once again startled by the sight of the wood and debris that covered her left leg.  Part of it was roofing material, but the largest piece was a massive timber that had pinned her in place.  The bones were broken; shattered most likely.  Before she had lost sensation in her toes, Janet had been certain she could feel the warm flood of blood in her boot.
 

A sudden chill rattled her teeth.  Shock.  Shit.  Fumbling through her pack, Janet hunted for a special silver-toned packet.  After what seemed like forever, she found it.  Tearing it open, she quickly wrapped it around her shoulders.  Cold.  So cold.  As unconsciousness stole over her, something surfaced from the murk of her dulled thoughts.  Did I make the right choice?
 

Three klicks south of the town center, Samantha Carter was having a quiet, hurried argument with the steely eyed marine commander of SG-3.
 

“You should have gone through the gate with Colonel O’Neill, Major,” hissed Major Lawrence. 
 

“I’m the best chance you have of regaining control of the gate, Major, and you know it.  Now, any word on Doctor Fraiser’s status?”
 

“Not since Murphy radioed her location as somewhere within the village proper.”  He frowned.  “But that area’s overrun with Jaffa.  The doctor would surely have known to bug out.”
 

Sam frowned and grabbed her radio.  Keying it to the emergency band, she clicked the button and softly called, “Carter to Fraiser, over?”
 

Static.  A whistling crackle that was loud enough to make the men wince. 
 

She tried again.  “I say, this is Major Samantha Carter calling Doctor Janet Fraiser, please report Janet.  Are you safe?”  Letting go, Sam silently prayed for a response.
 

“Sam?”  Janet’s voice was slurred.  “Thought you wen’ through th’ gate already.”
 

Having seen plenty of action, Sam recognized the tone that indicated severe injury.  Oh god no.  Not again.  “Janet?  Janet, I need you to tell me where you are so I can come get you.”
 

Janet had just enough presence of mind to respond to the concern in Sam’s voice.  “No.  You can’t.  Dangerous.  Too many.  Go home.  Take care of Cassie.”
 

“Janet?  Don’t you give up on me!  You tell me where you are right now, or so help me, I’ll tear this planet apart!” 
 

Major Lawrence exchanged a look with his lieutenant.  They’d all heard how dedicated Samantha Carter was to her friends, seeing it in action was almost frighteningly beautiful.  It made him proud to serve with such a soldier.
 

Now he understood why half the base was in love with her.  Hell, watching her coax the info out of the clearly reluctant, shock-addled doctor with such single-minded intensity made him wish that he was the one on the receiving end of so much effort. 
 

Grimly, Sam pocketed her radio.  “She’s trapped in the headman’s hut.  Let’s go.”
 

%%%

The fight to get to Janet’s side was brutal.  Two marines were wounded by zat fire and had to be supported by three others, leaving the group severely handicapped.  Once there, they found the doctor unconscious, skin pale and cool to the touch, but her pulse was a steady, if slow beat. 
 

Sam knelt and gave Janet’s shoulder a shake.  Over the reports of the marine’s cover fire, she yelled, “Doctor Fraiser, can you hear me?  Come on, Janet, wake up!”
 

Janet’s eyes twitched, and she coughed.  “Sam?  God, my leg, I can’t feel my leg,” she croaked hoarsely.
 

Glancing at the pile of debris, Sam called, “Lawrence, I need an extra set of hands.”
 

One of the lieutenants peeled away from the group. 
 

“Yes, ma’am?”
 

“Help me with this.”
 

As quickly as they could, they pulled away the bits of timber and roofing material until they spotted Janet’s leg. 
 

“Shit,” Sam whispered.
 

“Uh, ma’am, how are we gonna move that?” drawled the soldier as he gazed uncertainly at the two foot thick beam preventing the doctor’s escape.
 

“Very carefully.”  Glancing around, Sam looked for something to use as a lever.  Two meters away, she spotted what looked like a pitchfork stuck in a pile of hay.  “Grab that,” she said, indicating the tool.
 

It was a tricky maneuver, and Lawrence had to give up another man to help, but in the end, they were able to lift the beam enough to free Janet.  When she saw the blood soaked fabric of the doctor’s pant leg, Sam couldn’t restrain a soft gasp of dismay. 
 

“Splint it,” whispered Janet brokenly.  She was clearly in shock, moving in and out of consciousness, but still retained enough presence of mind to direct Sam in a hurried triage.
 

There was no time for vitals.  The marines were running out of bullets.  An IV would only get in the way, so they had to rely on a hurried injection of penicillin and morphine.  Then, with Janet slung between Carter and Lawrence, the team began to make their painstaking way back to the gate.  Every meter was hard won, and no one escaped injury. 
 

Three Jaffa guarded the stargate.  With a brutal efficiency that would have sickened Janet had she been more aware of her surroundings, the marines took out the guards and then raced to the platform. 
 

Sam dove for the DHD, ripped open a panel and began pulling crystals.  The event horizon winked out, and immediately, the astrophysicist began replacing the DHD’s guts. 
 

Major Lawrence stood over the device, ready to dial.  As soon as Sam yelled, “Now!” he punched the sigils that would direct the stargate to connect to Earth.
 

As soon as the wormhole stabilized, Sam put in the iris codes on the GDO and then grabbed hold of Janet.  Zat fire and staff blasts announced the arrival of a fresh group of Jaffa.  Running at double time, the combined remnants of the SG teams tumbled through the gate, yelling for the medic.  As soon as the last man was clear, the iris slammed home, followed shortly by several sickening thuds.
 

Paying no attention to that, Sam carried Janet’s body the five or six steps across the platform to settle her onto a waiting gurney.  A nurse started to turn her toward a stretcher, but Sam waved her off in irritation.  Her attention was focused on the gurney and its occupant.  The situation was eerily familiar, and a cold sense of fear was dipping icicle fingers into her gut.
 

At the door to the OR, Doctor Warner stopped her.
 

“You need to let us work now, Major Carter.  We’ll call you when we have news.”
 

Numb, Sam watched as Janet was led away.  When she turned around, the rest of SG-1 was waiting.  Looking past them, she said, “I need to make a phone call.”
 

%%%

 
Terror was an emotion with which Cassandra Fraiser was intimately familiar.  Her dreams were filled with every shape and shade of nightmare that a person who has watched their entire world die could experience, and then some.  Some days, she was absolutely convinced that her worst days had been nothing more than shadows of her best nightmares.  Today, this day, she discovered that nothing could compare to the crystalline reality that faced her.
 

Sam’s voice had been tight with fear, which sparked a kind of hollow, aching pain deep inside of the teen.  When Lieutenant Miranda Parks had pulled up to collect her, Cassie had quietly gotten into the vehicle.  For the entire journey to the base, she was silent.  Lieutenant Parks tried to fill the somber mood with banal chatter, but the words fell dreadfully flat.
 

“How’re you enjoying school?”
 

“Okay.”
 

Parks rebounded with, “Make any friends?”
 

“Yes.”
 

Frowning slightly, Miranda said, “Its okay, you know.  To cry.”
 

Face utterly devoid of emotion, Cassandra turned to the lieutenant and said, “Why should I?  She’s not dead.” 
 

The teen’s tone was so brittle, that Miranda actually glanced over to see if ice had rimed Cassie’s lips.  For the duration of the ride, the lieutenant spoke no further.  At the front entrance to the base, she was grateful to turn the teen over to Teal’c, who, with a grave nod, thanked the nurse solemnly.
 

Putting his hand on Cassie’s shoulder, he said, “Come, Cassandra Fraiser.  Major Carter is waiting for you.”
 

It was when Daniel stepped onto the elevator that the first cracks began to appear in the teen’s emotionless façade.  She looked at the archeologist and said, “You’re hurt.”  There was a tremble in her voice.
 

Glancing down at the sling holding his arm in place, Daniel shrugged and said, “It’s nothing.  I pulled a muscle.  See?”  Slowly, he extracted his arm to demonstrate its integrity. 
 

“You should not do that, Daniel Jackson.  It will only serve to exacerbate the injury.”  Teal’c’s tone was mildly reproving.
 

Flushing, Daniel said, “I know, but –“  Leaving the rest unsaid, he glanced at Cassie.
 

“I’m right here,” murmured the teen.
 

Teal’c nodded.  “Indeed.  It is a disservice to Doctor Fraiser to treat her daughter as a child, Daniel Jackson.  You must accord her more respect.”  He turned to look at Cassie.  “I too was injured, though I have recovered sufficiently to attend to this task.” 
 

“What happened?”  Cassie looked at the massive Jaffa, attempting to discern what had been damaged on his near perfect physique.
 

“I received a grazing wound from a zatnikitel.”  Indicating his ribs, he added, “Here, and here.  It will heal in a matter of days.”
 

“Wish we could all be so lucky,” murmured Daniel.
 

“You are not Jaffa.”
 

Daniel sighed, “I know, Teal’c.  I was just saying that it’s too bad we don’t have a little more knowledge of how you can heal so quickly.”
 

The elevator doors opened, revealing Colonel O’Neill and Major Carter.  Both were still garbed in the dirty, blood stained BDUs they’d worn for the jump.  O’Neill was unhurt, but Sam had a bandage on her face.
 

Cassie took one look at her, let out a soft, almost inaudible moan, and leaped into her arms.
 

Studying his second in command, Jack waited to see how Carter would handle the kid.  He needn’t have worried.  Sam carefully led Cassie to a side room, sat her down and quietly explained what had happened, and what was being done.
 

Nodding in satisfaction, O’Neill turned to the remaining members of SG-1 and said, “I’m gonna go get cleaned up and grab a bite to eat.  Doc Warner says it’s gonna be hours before they know anything.”  He glanced in where Sam and Cassie had curled up on a couch, Carter holding the teen against her, her chin resting on the top of the girl’s head.
 

“We’ll keep an eye on them,” Daniel said softly.  “Go get some rest, Jack.  Your back has to be killing you.”  The archeologist had been the only one of their team to see the colonel’s mad, rolling dive to avoid a staff blast.
 

Grunting, O’Neill said, “I got a couple of painkillers off a nurse.  I’m fine.  Be back in twenty.”
 

Teal’c watched him go and then said, “We will remain here, Daniel Jackson, and guard against those who would intrude.”
 

With a sigh, Daniel found a comfortable spot on the wall to lean on and said, “I was afraid you’d say that.”
 

%%%

“Tell me,” Cassie sobbed.
 

Haltingly, hating every word, Sam related what had happened on the planet. 
 

“It was a routine extraction.  Get in, get the people out and off to a new planet.  Simple as baking apple pie.  Only, it didn’t go that way.  The Goa’uld arrived about six hours into the mission.  We – SG-1 – were with the Tok’ra when we got the call.  The situation was fubar from the minute we stepped through the gate.”  The chaotic memories flooded behind Sam’s closed eyes as she spoke.
 

“We started evaccing everyone to the base.  That was when the mothership arrived.  Most everyone had gotten through – there were a few stragglers, and the members of SG’s six and three, remaining.  The gate was about to shut down, and no one could account for Janet.”  She licked her lips and murmured, “I told Jack and the others to go ahead.  I was going to stay behind and get everyone else back.”
 

Softly, Cassie said, “You stayed for mom.” 
 

Sam nodded.  “I did.  I’m sorry.”
 

Wanly, through her tears, Cassie smiled.  “You did the right thing.  You brought her back.”
 

Shaken by the words, Sam had to remind herself that Cassandra wasn’t an average human teenager.  “I should have gone with the team,” she said.  “If something had happened…”  She shook her head.  “I would never want to abandon you, Cass.”
 

The teen frowned.  “I would have hated you if you’d left mom there to die.”
 

Sam’s stomach clenched painfully at the words.  Licking her lips, she said, “I found the marines and contacted Janet.  She was trapped under the roof beam of a large hut.”
 

Cassie gasped.  Even though she knew her mother had been injured badly, hearing the particulars was still a shock.
 

Dully, Sam continued.  “We got her out, but her leg, oh god, Cass, her leg.” 
 

“B-bad?”  Barely holding on, she looked around for something, and seized Sam’s hand.
 

“We didn’t know at first, but yeah.  It was bad.  The beam had crushed it.”  She chuckled then, a dry, mirthless sound.  “Janet roused enough to talk us through triage.  She probably saved her own leg.”
 

Cassie’s answering laugh was more of a sob.
 

“Anyway, we got to the gate, regained control and got the hell out of there.  Warner met us in the gate room.  He’s with your mom now, in surgery.”
 

Shifting so that she was leaning against Sam, Cassie said, “She’s going to be okay, right?  I know she’s alive, but she’s going to be fine, right?”
 

Sam wrapped her arms around her adopted daughter.  “I don’t know, Cass.  I hope so.  I really hope so.”
 

%%%

 
Janet swam through an ochre mist of pain and numbness.  Random images flashed by, smiling faces, screaming soldiers, Daniel ascending – it all mashed together to create a ribbon of time and life that passed along a stream of consciousness.  At the very edge of hear hearing, she could sense voices, sounds that sometimes manifested as recognizable words.
 

“Scalpul.”  How many times had she said that word?  A million?  Ten million? 
 

“Slowly now, don’t want to forget a piece.”  Now there was a strange statement.  A piece of what?
 

She drifted again.  Just before it all faded into a gray nothingness, she heard someone whisper, “You made the right choice.  Cherish it.”
 

What was that all about?  She tried to pin down the thoughts, but they were elusive.
 

“She’s coming around.  Increase the anesthesia.”
 

Her confusion lasted barely a heartbeat before there was only fog.
 

%%%

 
Nine hours later, a weary, blood stained Doctor Warner made his way to where Sam and Cassie waited.  He nodded at the three men stationed outside the door and went in to deliver his report to Janet’s next of kin.  Carter and the girl had fallen into fitful sleep, and he hated to wake them, but his news was – cautiously – good.
 

Clearing his throat, he waited until the major and the teen stood and rubbed their eyes. 
 

Cassie strained toward him, looking past his shoulders as if she could see through walls.  Sam kept her gaze firmly pinned on his, and for a moment, Warner had the odd notion that he was dealing with someone who was more than just Janet’s friend.  Brushing the thought aside as unprofessional, he said, “We had to reconstruct much of the left tibia and fibula.  It’ll be a long road, but I think she’ll make a mostly full recovery.”
 

“Can we see her?”  Once she’d heard him say “recovery”, the only thing Cassandra wanted more than air was to see her mother.
 

Sam’s query was more focused.  “’Mostly full’?”
 

Again, Warner felt the sense that there was something below the surface, and again, he pushed the idea aside.  “There are pins that will never be able to be removed, and she’ll probably require a cane.  But she’ll walk again, and practice medicine.”  He frowned.  “I don’t think she’ll be able to go off world much, though.”
 

From behind him came the booming voice of the base commander.  “Well then, we’ll just have to find someone who can,” said General Hammond.  “I’ve just finished the report, Doctor.  Fine work in there.  Fine work.  Go get some rest.”  The big man’s hearty drawl sounded as weary as Sam felt.
 

Grateful, Warner nodded.  “Thank you, sir.  I’ll have a complete report on your desk tomorrow.”
 

“Good man,” said the general.  He looked at Sam and Cassie.  “You can go see her, but only for a bit.  They tell me she’s resting quietly, which means I don’t see why you can’t look in and pay your respects.  But don’t dawdle.  Major, I still need that incident report.  Cassandra can use your quarters when you’ve seen to Doctor Fraiser.”
 

“Yes, sir.”  Sam saluted and then led Cassie to the recovery room.
 

Their stay was lamentably brief, but there wasn’t much to see.  Buried up to her neck in blankets, with only the injured leg exposed and bound in a half cast and bandages, Janet was still unconscious.  The steady blip-blip-blip of the heart monitor was music to their ears.  Each gazed at the diminutive woman with their hearts in their eyes, and only left when a nearby nurse cleared her throat.
 

“I’ll call you if anything changes,” the lieutenant said softly.  “It’ll be several hours before she’s awake.”
 

Sam sighed.  “I have a report to write.  C’mon Cass, you can raid Teal’c’s movie collection.”
 

%%%

 
“I want to walk out of here.”  Janet looked at the people surrounding her and dared them to naysay her.  “I’ve been cooped up in this bed for weeks.  My physical therapist says I need practice, so I will walk my lazy ass out of this hospital.”
 

She was still getting used to the crutches, though everyone assured her that eventually, she would only need a cane.  Janet was determined that she wouldn’t even require that much.  She would walk, albeit with a limp, unaided. 
 

Doctor Warner rolled his eyes, but nodded for the orderly to take away the chair.  Out of Janet’s sight, Sam motioned for the young man to follow at a slight distance. 
 

“Sam,” Janet said warningly. 
 

“Just humor me, Janet.  I’m sure between us Cassie and I could carry you, but I’m positive that General Landry would not be pleased to lose me to a bad back only six weeks into his tenure at the SGC.”
 

Still not used to hearing someone else’s name associated with the command of the program, Janet frowned, but then acquiesced with a nod.  “All right, but I won’t need it.”
 

“Thank you.”
 

The trip was shorter than it might have been.  A week after her injury, Janet had been moved from the Mountain to the hospital above ground.  Convalescing there, she had missed the upheaval that had shifted power in the command structure of the Stargate program.  Sam had filled her in during her visits, but it was not the same as being there.
 

It would be several more weeks before she could return to active duty, but she had tentative permission to begin taking on light duties, and Janet intended to spend the first few days digging out her inbox.
 

First, though, she was going home and thoroughly ravishing Sam.  Stolen kisses when no one was looking were not nearly enough, and parts of the doctor were almost completely convinced she’d forgotten them.
 

In the end, she proved good to her word and did not require the wheelchair.  However, the short journey from the ward to the parking lot exhausted her. 
 

“Have you met General Landry yet?” Sam said as she pulled onto the freeway.  She glanced over at her lover, not surprised to see Janet’s eyes half closed.
 

“Mm?  Yeah, he came by to introduce himself yesterday.  He seems like a good man.  What do you think?”  Rearranging herself so she could look at Sam, Janet fought off sleep and tried to listen as the other woman spoke.
 

Sam chuckled.  “It was a little rocky at first.  A lot of boundary pushing went on between him and Jack, but I think it’s settled down now.”
 

“Sam said they got a new doctor,” Cassie said.  Her tone was somewhere between sullen and hopeful.  When she’d first heard about Doctor Lam, she’d been afraid that they were replacing her mother, but then she’d thought about it and realized that maybe it meant her mom wouldn’t have to go into danger so much.
 

Janet nodded.  “I heard.  Carolyn Lam’s an excellent doctor.  She’ll make a great addition to the program.”  They’d butt heads, Janet knew it.  They were both alpha females, used to having everything just so, but in the interest of the program, her sanity, and keeping her family whole, Janet knew she wouldn’t complain.  Much.  Oh, I’ll probably bitch about her at least once a week, but in the end it won’t matter, because I’ll get to come home to Cassie every day. 
 

She glanced back at her daughter.  Cassie had cut her hair.  The once long locks were now pixie short.  There was also a hint of makeup highlighting the teen’s eyes and cheeks.  Feeling only a little adrift, Janet said, “I like it.”  They’d discussed the haircut a few times over the weeks of Janet’s convalescence, but she’d hoped Cassie would wait.
 

Unconsciously, Cassie touched her hair.  “I wanted to do it before I changed my mind.”
 

“I took pictures, and saved a lock for you,” Sam murmured.  “You can look at them when we get to your house.”
 

Janet’s gaze moved to Sam’s profile.  The beloved features were relaxed, though there was a slightly haunted gleam in the one blue eye that the doctor could see. 
 

“It’s not my house, Sam.  It’s our home.  I want you to stay as often as you can.  I know you can’t move in, but we are a family.”
 

Sam’s knuckles whitened as she gripped the wheel.  It was the closest thing she’d ever get to a proposal.  It would have to do.
 

Fuck it.
 

“I’ll move in tomorrow.  The air force can kiss my ass.”
 

Cassie’s shriek of delighted laughter echoed in the car for almost half a mile.
 

fin