Title: 'TMI'
Author: CeCeSmith
Summary: So what happens after Sam makes it to Cassie's birthday party?
Status: Complete
Series/Sequel: Sequel to MYOB.
Category: Fluff
Spoilers: None
Season: Seven
Characters: Sam Carter, Jack O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, Janet Frasier, Teal'c and Cassie.
Pairing: S/J
Rating: PG13 to be on the safe side
Warnings: None.
Posted: 18/01/04
Archive Permissions: Helio, Fanfiction.net, Gateworld.net, Chezza's Gate, anyone else -
please ask.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom,
MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions---wish I could have just an
itty-bitty piece, but am forced to be satisfied as a spectator.
Author's notes: For those who don't know, TMI = Too Much Information.
Beta-read by Chezza.
© CeCe Smith 2003
~~~o0o~~
Returning to the party in a better mood than when he left, Jack O'Neill parked his truck
along the street in front of the Frasier house. He slowly stepped out of the vehicle and
walked around the house to the backyard. He could hear the giggling of the teenage
birthday girl talking on a cell phone, and decided to enter the conversation unannounced.
"Seriously, I really think he went to find you, and the fact that he tried is sweet." Cassie
spoke to the caller.
She listened quietly to the person on the line and then answered.
"No, I'm not. He said he'd go find you. I gave him the sad face and he just melted. It was
Daniel's idea."
"Ahem."
Even though Jack cleared his throat quietly, the girl squealed loudly and jumped up from the
lawn chair as if he'd shot off a round from his P-90.
"Jack! You're back? Did you find Sam?" Cassie asked hurriedly, hoping he hadn't heard her
previous incriminating statement.
"Who's on the phone?"
He pointed to the cell in her hand and waited for her to acknowledge the caller.
"Oh, um, well, actually, it's Sam. She said she's on her way. Got held up in traffic."
She put the phone to her ear and bid her friend goodbye.
"Ah, so, what's this about Daniel sending you to me?" Jack asked, knowing full well that the
girl would try to fib out of almost any predicament.
Cassie shrugged her shoulders and fabricated effortlessly.
"Well, you see, he was upset that you didn't let him have a hamburger and told me to get
one, then I figured you might know where Sam was, so I—"
Jack cut her off with a look.
"Okay, fine. He was pissed that you wouldn't talk to him about Sam and told me to ask you
instead." She admitted, angry with herself for being unable to resist his glare.
"So, Carter's on her way then?" He asked casually, walking with Cassie back to the party.
"Yep. She should be here in a few minutes."
She gave a sly glance to the man beside her and added, "Funny, that she just now called
though, you'd think she'd have called earlier. You know, to tell me she was running late."
Jack refused to rise to the bait and simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Hey, are there any burgers left? Or did Teal'c eat them all?"
"He did, but mom made him make a few more, for when you got back. They should be done
by now."
Cassie bumped her shoulder into his side affectionately and accepted the nudge back from
him as a truce.
"Sweet. Let's eat, I'm starving."
~~~o0o~~~
Sam arrived ten minutes later and entered through the front door. Janet greeted her
warmly, reaching out as if to give her a hug, but instead grabbing her arm tightly and pulling
her into the laundry room.
"Whoa, Janet, what's going on?" Sam asked, puzzled by her friend's action.
Janet didn't bother answering her question as she began her 'mother hen' tirade.
"Where in the hell have you been? We've been worried sick! You didn't call, we didn't know
if you were alive, dead or kidnapped by the NID! Geez, Sam what were you thinking? How
could you do that to Cassie? She's been near tears all night thinking you forgot! I tried
calling the lab, your office, the house and your cell phone with no answer. And don't you
dare tell me you had a flat or were stuck in traffic. Cassie may believe that bull, but I
don't. You left the base five minutes before I did, I saw the sign out sheet."
Sam tried to think of something to say to calm her friend, but knew that a lie would only
make things worse, so she went for a vague excuse.
"I'm sorry. I ran into an old friend and I guess I lost track of the time."
She hoped the half-truth would help settle the matter.
It was Janet's turn to look puzzled.
"What friend?"
"Remember me telling you about Michael Givens? I bumped into him at the supermarket
after leaving the base."
"Oh, you mean the 'boy next door' turned police officer? Well, then I guess it's
understandable, but you still should have called. The whole gang has been waiting and I
know Cassie was upset that you'd forgotten or got tied up at work."
Janet could tell her friend was hiding something, but decided to let the subject drop for
now. There would be plenty of time afterwards to quiz her, since Sam had promised to help
clean up and then stay the night.
"So, am I off the hook or are you going to lock me in here for the rest of the party?" Sam
teased.
"Don't tempt me, I've half a mind to ground you. Besides, Jack left about an hour ago to
find you, and I'm sure he'll insist on an explanation."
Janet gave Sam a sideways glance at the hidden expression on her face, but turned and led
the way through the kitchen and out to the backyard.
~~~o0o~~~
Scanning the crowd, Daniel spotted Jack and Cassie making their way towards him. He
walked over to them and asked, "So, did you find her?"
"Nope, but Cassie here got a call a couple of minutes ago from her." Jack answered, taking a
swig from his bottle of beer.
Before Daniel could respond, Cassie jumped up and down excitedly and ran over towards the
house.
The teenager threw her arms around her friend and squeezed tightly.
"Sam, you made it! Geez, what took so long?"
Sam returned the hug and then replied.
"Cass, I'm here now. Sorry I'm late, but I promise to make it up to you."
Pulling away quickly, Cassie asked excitedly, "Really?"
"Yes, really." Sam laughed.
"What'd ya get me?" The girl begged, practically bouncing up and down.
Sam forced her face to look stricken, as if she forgot to have bought a gift for her best
friend's daughter. It almost worked. Cassie stopped bouncing and tears began to well up in
her eyes, but Sam couldn't let that happen.
"Cass, I didn't forget. I just didn't bring it with me. I haven't gotten it in the mail yet, but
I'm pretty sure you won't mind it being late. Especially since the concert is still two months
away."
"Concert? Oh my gosh! Please tell me you got me tickets to Justin?"
At Sam's nodding Cassie began shrieking. Anybody within a mile could hear her joyous
exclamations.
Jack leaned over a whispered into Sam's ear.
"Who's this Justin guy? Someone I need to worry about?"
Sam managed to hide the smile as his breath tickled the skin on her neck, but she couldn't
control the chill that raced down her spine. She swallowed nervously and shook her head
before stating quietly.
"Timberlake. Used to sing with a boys band but went solo. Cass has been dying to go to the
concert. I thought it'd be a fun girls' night out."
Jack pulled back slowly and then placed his hand on her shoulder in a 'just friends' gesture.
"Good for you Carter. Hope you kids have a great time." He said, loud enough for the group
surrounding them to hear.
Hoping no one noticed the flush of red on her cheeks at his touch, she replied casually.
"Thank you sir, I'm sure we will."
~~~o0o~~~
Two hours later, most of the partygoers had left, leaving only SG-1 and the Frasiers to
clean up the mess. After cleaning off the grill and washing the few dishes in the sink,
Daniel offered Teal'c a ride back to the base.
"DoctorFrasier, is there anything else of which I can be of assistance before we depart?"
"No Teal'c, thank you. I think we can handle the rest of it ourselves. Thanks again for all
your help and for coming. I know Cassandra appreciated your being here and the amazing
gift you brought." Janet answered graciously, reaching out her hand and gently squeezing
his forearm.
"It was my pleasure, and I hope she will find the text of use. It was something that
MajorCarter stated would be appropriate."
"Yes, she loved it. She's been begging me to buy her that book series for weeks, but I
insisted she wait for her birthday. I'm sure she'll tell you all about it once she's done
reading it." The girl's mother reassured the Jaffa.
"I will indeed look forward to that time. Thank you again for allowing me to participate in
the celebration of Cassandra's birth."
He bowed his head and then turned to leave.
"Yeah, Janet, thanks for the invite and tell Cassie I hope she likes the jewelry. If she
wants to exchange it, I kept the receipt." Daniel said, leaning in to give Janet a brief hug
and Sam half a hug.
"We'll see you both on Monday. Have a good weekend."
Jack entered the room as the two men departed the house. He glanced around the room
and took inventory of what else needed to be done.
"Well ladies, I've managed to gather up most of the dirtied cups and plates, though you'll
have to figure out what to do with all that leftover cake. There's enough there to feed half
the SGC. What were you thinking?"
"Well, sir I figured with teenage boys and a Jaffa, that most of it would have been
devoured in minutes. I wasn't expecting Teal'c and Daniel to bring two-dozen cupcakes and
three gallons of ice cream. I guess they were worried there wouldn't be enough for
everyone." Janet explained.
"Ah well, then perhaps you should have had T& D take part of the cake back to the base
with them. I'm sure Cook would've been willing to serve it to the night shift." The Colonel
advised.
Janet nodded her head and replied.
"I plan to do that, I wanted to save part of it for Cassie and her friends that are spending
the night tomorrow. I was going to drop off the remainder on my way in town in the
morning. Sam and I are going to take Cassie shopping to spend part of her birthday money."
"Sounds like fun. If you want, I can take the cake on my way home tonight. Save you girls a
trip out of the way and allows more time for finding that perfect pair of shoes."
He noticed the smirks on the women's faces and hastened to defend himself.
"I was married ya know! I also had a mom and two younger sisters. I know how you women
are when it comes to shopping." He stated smugly, enjoying the shocked look on their faces.
"Sir, I had no idea you were so adept. Here I thought you knew nothing about the female
persuasion." Janet sarcastically retorted.
"Yeah, well, there's a lot you don't know about me. Some stuff could make your pretty little
head spin. I prefer to keep such useful information for just the right moment." He replied
haughtily.
"Well, sir, consider me educated. I'm sorry to have made such inaccurate assumptions." The
petite doctor admitted contritely, much to her and Sam's chagrin.
"Apology accepted."
Then he added with a grin, "Just don't say I'm not a forgiving man."
He winked at the two women, but noticed only Sam blushed. She looked down at the balloon
in her hand and tried to hide the smile he had caused.
While Janet placed the remaining decorations in the hall closet, Jack asked.
"Okay, now that all that's settled, can you let me know what else needs to be done around
here?"
Sam explained, "Um, well sir, Janet and I are almost done with our part, and since Cassie
has disappeared up to her room, I think we are going to call it quits for now."
"So, you don't need me anymore?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side and raised an
eyebrow.
She immediately noticed the look and the possible double meaning of his inquiry.
"Always." Sam muttered under her breath to herself, hoping he hadn't heard her.
Then as Janet reentered the room, she said aloud, "Actually, you might ask Janet if she has
anything else for you."
"What?" The doctor asked before realizing that she heard the question, "Oh no Colonel, I
think we've got it covered. Thanks for all your help, and for going to find Sam, even though
it turned out unnecessary."
Janet watched their reactions at her words and noticed Sam blushing again.
"Unless—"
"No problem Doc, all part of the job."
Knowing for certain that this time Sam caught both meanings of his response.
He turned quickly, grabbed his coat and headed for the front door.
"Well, you ladies have a good night. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He instructed as he
walked out and shut the door firmly behind him.
~~~o0o~~~
Sitting on the couch, exhausted but not tired enough for sleep, Sam and Janet sipped at
their glasses of wine, staring at the TV.
"So, you going to tell me, or do I have to drag it out of you?" Janet quizzed her friend.
"What?" Sam asked, not sure what info she was supposed to give out.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe the real reason you were late, or the fact that you just so
happened to arrive at the party only minutes after Jack got back from looking for you. Or
you could tell me why all of a sudden you seem to blush at every little insinuating thing he
says? Any of those answers would be welcome."
The doctor was nearly as inquisitive as Daniel and just as persistent as well.
"What do you mean? He was not flirting with me, if that's what you're implying. He was just
joking around, with all of us."
Sam was determined not to let her friend continue this line of thinking.
"Oh, really? I guess didn't get the jokes or I missed them. Maybe they were meant only
for you. Either way, he was flirting and you were definitely blushing."
Sam felt her face heat and knew Janet wouldn't let this go.
"It was nothing. Leave it alone." She growled.
"Struck a nerve? Sorry Sam but this is important. You're my best friend and a fellow
officer, I don't want to see you get hurt, or get caught."
"Caught?" Sam practically shouted.
"What are you talking about? There is nothing between Jack and me! Nothing!"
She stood up from the couch and walked out of the room. Janet followed her and blocked
Sam's exit out of the front door.
"Now just wait a second, since when is he Jack. Is there something I need to know?"
Sam attempted to move her friend, but Janet wouldn't budge.
"Get out of my way."
"Not until you calm down. Besides you are in no condition to drive, you've had more than two
glasses of wine."
Janet lowered her voice and said softly. "Sam, please, I'm sorry if I've hurt your feelings,
but this is something we need to discuss."
Sam pulled away angrily, but then realized that her friend was right. She nodded slowly and
headed back over to the couch. She plopped down heavily, defeat evident on her face.
Janet sat next to her and laid a hand gently on Sam's knee.
"You wanna tell me what's going on?"
"Nothing." Sam whispered hoarsely.
Before she could be interrupted, she cleared her throat and answered again.
"Honestly Janet, there isn't anything going on, just wishful thinking. I just had a slight
breakdown today that's all. Nothing happened, nothing will happen, I promise."
Janet could see the anguish in her friend's eyes during the speech. She didn't have the
heart to condemn her for having inappropriate feelings for Colonel O'Neill. She couldn't
fault her because she herself had similar feelings for the man. Not that she were ever let
Sam know that, but there were times when she could imagine him with Cassie and her as one
big happy family. It was a cliché, but she knew deep down that it would have made things so
much easier to raise the girl with a mother and a father. Jack doted on Cassie as if she
were his own and in turn she treated him as the dad she needed in her life. Sam's feelings
for the Colonel had ended that dream long ago, but every once in a while the thought of how
it 'could have been' plagued the doctor.
"Uh, Janet, you okay?" Sam asked, concerned by the dazed look in Janet's eyes.
"What? Oh, sorry about that, guess my mind wandered there for a moment."
She could tell Sam didn't quite buy her story.
"So, what happened today that caused you to nearly skip Cassie's party."
With a deep breath, Sam began to tell her the story, and didn't leave any details out.
~~~o0o~~~
After Sam had finished, Janet just sat there stunned.
Stepping closer to her friend, Sam pleaded.
"Janet, say something, you're starting to scare me."
"Sorry, I just- I didn't realize. I mean you've kept it hidden so well that I guess I just
assumed you'd, I don't know, moved on."
"So had I. I hoped that I'd just eventually get over this 'infatuation' for the Colonel, but
Mikey was right."
Sam sighed shakily, her head bowed in defeat.
"I've finally fallen in love. The only problem is it's someone out of reach."
Janet stood up and began to pace back and forth in front of the couch.
"This is bad. Seriously dangerous stuff here Sam. You know what would happen if anyone
found out, don't you? The scene in the parking lot is one thing, which could maybe be tossed
out as hearsay, but Jack meeting you at the Springs? That could be trouble, big trouble.
I'm not going to say anything of course, but if Hammond or anyone else finds out-" she cut
off abruptly, an idea forming in her mind.
"You have got to think of a cover story, like you got a flat tire or something."
"Janet, there is no reason to lie, it's not like we made out or anything. We just talked."
Sam sat down with a huff and continued.
"But that doesn't matter, what's important is that Jack and I remain just friends and that
no one knows what happened with Mikey. Flirting with your C.O. is one thing; appearing to
assault a police officer, or an affair with a married man is even worse."
Sam sighed, dropped her head into her hands and added, "You're right. This is bad."
As if a light bulb popped up above her head, Janet said excitedly, "I have an idea."
"What?" Sam asked, worried by the wild look on her friend's face.
"I'm not going to like this, am I?"
"Well, that depends. How good are you at acting?"
"What are you thinking?" Sam inquired, "This had better not be illegal."
"No, of course not, but what if you and Mikey were together, well, not really, but for
arguments sake?"
"Are you nuts? He's married! Not only that but you know I'd never do anything like that to
Ja- uh, the Colonel." She corrected quickly.
"Exactly! My point is that if Hammond suspects anything about why you were gone, well, you
could use Mikey as an excuse. And if someone did happen to see the incident in the parking
lot, all you'd have to say is that he'd just then told you he was married. You got mad,
slapped him and drove off. Jack, as your Commanding Officer and a friend was worried and
went to find you. The End."
"That's ridiculous! The last part is too close to the truth and I wouldn't want anyone believe
that about me. It could damage my reputation. Besides, whose to say The Powers That Be
wouldn't nail me for an affair with a cop, more than with my C.O.?"
"Well, the way I see it, the Big Wigs don't care who you're screwing. Just as long as it's out
of the chain of command. As for the rest of the SGC, they just want to see some action."
Janet explained, and then with an evil grin added, "You know, there are rumors about you
and Hammond as well."
"What!!!" Sam yelled, jumping to her feet.
"Yep, they say you two are much too close. That your dad set you up."
Seeing Sam's disgusted reaction, Janet continued.
"There's another one, says that you're doing Hammond to keep him from finding out about
Jack. Then there's the one that says that Hammond knows about you and Jack, but is
blackmailing you for sex to keep it quiet."
"Ugh, that is just wrong and way too much information for my brain to process."
Sam shook her body to try and rid the feeling of revulsion.
"Who in their right mind would say that stuff?"
"Oh, just people with nothing better to do than dream up weird fantasy about co-workers.
Though I have to admit, I think some of the rumors are closer to home that we'd like."
Janet stated.
Both women were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't hear Cassie come down
the stairs and into the living room.
"In my opinion, they just want to see some action, maybe a little 'love in the air' type of
thing. You know what? We should have a make out party or something." The teenager
suggested, waggling her eyebrows like a certain Colonel they knew.
"Cass, how long have you been down here?" Sam asked hesitantly, nervous that the girl could
have overheard their earlier conversation.
"Just a minute or so, why? What did I miss?"
"Nothing." Sam and Janet said simultaneously, both breathing an audible sigh of relief
"So, what do you think? We could have a cook out, just like today, and have people bring the
side dishes and drinks. They could mingle, hang out, hook up and head home to take it from
there. All we'd need is to have good tunes and romantic lighting. It would be great!"
Cassie hoped her mom and 'aunt' were as excited about her idea as she was.
"Cass, you're joking, right? I know you sound serious, but you do realize that a 'party' would
be impossible, right?" Sam asked, half expecting the girl to burst into laughter for 'pulling
one over on the adults'.
When no response came, Sam decided to set her straight.
"Cassie, I know you mean well, but it just doesn't work like that. We have a duty to the SGC
and to fraternize would be against the rules. Besides, I really don't think that would be a
solution, it would only complicate matters."
"But you said-" Cassie started to argue, but Sam cut her off angrily.
"Cassandra, this is not up for discussion! You need to realize that just because we may want
something, it doesn't mean we have to have it. That's not how it works. As officers we
choose to put our 'love lives' on hold, for the greater good of Earth. You should know better
than most the dangers the teams face everyday."
Cassie refused to back done and replied earnestly.
"Yeah, and that's why they need to 'get some' while they can! You guys never know if you'll
be able to have a real relationship in the future. Why ignore the opportunity of having a
little fun and happiness now."
She had stated her case with a resolve most adults would envy.
"You know Sam, I hate to admit it, but she makes a valid point." Janet said somewhat
begrudgingly.
"What? You mean you agree with her? She's just a child. She has no clue what she's talking
about!" Sam denied vehemently.
"Actually, she's a teenager and I didn't say I agreed with her, just that I could see where
she was coming from. And for the record, I do think she has insight into what we do, and
how much we wish for more 'attention' from the opposite sex."
"I don't believe this. You can't be saying what I think you're saying."
Sam sat down again, dropping her head into her hands.
"Sam, I'm not saying we should throw this party, just give it some thought. You and I both
know that total abstinence isn't healthy. It tends to cause people to become overly
stressed. We could all use a breather from the daily grind of saving lives and kicking bad
guys' butts. I've seen too many good soldiers burn out from lack of release."
"Ew, Mom, TMI!" Cassie groaned, a disgusted look on her face.
Janet saw Sam's shocked expression and hastened to correct her statement.
"I meant emotional release, not physical! Though that had probably contributed to their
health as well."
"Janet, don't get me wrong, I know the everyone needs a chance to vent, but what could you
possibly hope to attain by this discussion?"
"Hammond has mentioned to me on several occasions lately about how to address the stress
level of the teams being sent off world, and I think I finally have an answer for him. We
could set up mandatory down time with friends and teammates, keep it in a controlled
setting to ensure no one would 'cross the line'. It would have to be a casual gathering, no
pressure to keep up protocol, just a relaxed environment to get together and have fun and
maybe if it works, there'll be a little less tension in the atmosphere on base."
Sam dragged her hands through her hair and said quietly, "Just leave me out of it, okay.
I've got enough to deal with as it is."
With that she got up and walked to the spare bedroom and shut the door.
~~~o0o~~~
Sam laid in bed the rest of the night and well into morning. Finally, just before dawn, she
gave into her exhaustion and fell into a fitful sleep, her dreams tormenting her mercilessly.
'So Carter, what'dya say we blow this joint and head back to my place for a nightcap.'
Jack whispered into her ear.
'Sir, I really don't think the General would appreciate us leaving his Christmas party so
early. I only just arrived an hour ago.'
'Yeah, well, I'm sure he'd understand. Especially with you wearing that dress.' He
murmured, glancing down her body suggestively.
'Sir, I'm certain that you think I wore this for you, but I had actually bought it years ago.
I've just never had the occasion to wear it before tonight.'
She slowly slid her hands down her dress, pretending to smooth the wrinkles from the silky
fabric.
'Geez, Carter, don't do that, it makes me want to do it myself.' He groaned, frustration
evident in his voice.
'Then why don't you? I think I might have missed a spot.'
Jack pressed himself up against her back and gently rested his hands on her hips. She
could feel the heat of his palms warm her cool flesh and felt them tighten their grip on her.
Unable to resist, she leaned her head back on his shoulder as he began to move his hands
toward her stomach and then lower.
'Sam.' He moaned into her neck as his kissed her skin lightly.
'Jack.' The name, a mere gasp out of her mouth, as he continued to assault her senses with
his every touch.
The quiet knock on the bedroom door went unheard as Sam's mind played out its fantasy.
'Wait, Jack, please! Not here.' She pulled him into the coat closet, closing the door and
locking it.
He pressed his body against her, pinning her lithe form to the door as he resumed his
actions.
'Oh Jack, don't stop.'
Janet was started by the strained sound of Sam's voice, and entered the room.
"Mm, yes. Jack, yes right there."
Embarrassment flooded through Janet as she realized that her friend was dreaming and
whom she was with in that dream. She tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Knocking firmly on the door, she hoped it was loud enough to wake Sam.
"Sam, you up yet? It's almost ten and we need to get going!" Janet yelled at the door.
"What?" Sam voice was groggy, and barely audible through the door.
Janet slowly entered the room and asked, "You still asleep? I figured you'd be up by now.
I've got coffee made and there's some fruit leftover from last night for breakfast."
Sam rubbed the grit from her eyes and grumbled.
"Ugh, I don't even remember falling asleep. Sorry about being so late, let me grab a shower
and I'll be ready in ten minutes."
"There's no hurry, Cassie's on the phone with the girls planning a slumber party. She'll be on
for a while." Janet waved and said as she closed the door behind her.
"See you in a few."
~~~o0o~~~
Sam showered quickly and dressed in record time, all while Janet sat waiting in the kitchen
table reading the newspaper.
"Anything interesting happening in the world?" Sam asked casually, opening the door of the
fridge and pulling out a bottle of water.
"Nope, just the run of the mill stuff, wars, gangs, drugs and sex scandals. I don't even know
why I bother reading this thing, it only depresses me." Janet complained.
"Well, compared to what we do for a living, it's almost trivial. I stopped thinking about the
petty bickering on Earth after the invasion attempt by Apophis. I guess it made it all seem
insignificant, when we're saving the whole planet and not just one country."
Janet contemplated her friend's statement and then asked quietly, so not to be overheard
by the teen in the other room:
"Sam, do you ever think it might not work?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you ever worry that the System Lords or the Replicators or some other bad guy out
there might actually succeed in destroying us?"
Janet lowered her voice another notch and said, "I often wonder what it would be like, to be
one of the few survivors, trapped on an alien planet, knowing my home is gone. I made sure
after the last close call that Cassie would be brought to the SGC and sent with one of the
first teams out, but I know we'd leave so many here to die. I can't help but feel guilty."
Sam sat down in the chair across from Janet and stated softly, "I know, I do too, but what
we have to do is focus on not letting that happen. I'm glad Hammond agreed on Cassie, but I
have my family to worry about and that option isn't available. That's why I work so hard, to
keep them safe and to do everything in my power to protect Earth. I know you all tease me
not having a life, but saving the world is worth the sacrifice of not having a warm body
beside me at night."
Janet stared into her coffee cup for a moment before asking, "Do you miss it?"
"Miss what? Dating?"
"Well, not dating, exactly. I could probably go without the whole awkward moments and bad
dates. I meant IT."
"As in?" Sam prompted, hoping her friend would get to the point.
"IT." Janet said, exasperated at Sam's apparent lack of understanding.
"Sex." Cassie blurted out as she came into the kitchen, the phone glued to her ear with help
from her shoulder.
"Cass, watch your mouth." Sam reprimanded.
"Sam, I was answering Mom's question. She wants to know if you miss having sex. She's just
to chicken to say the word. Sex. Sex. Sex."
Cassie taunted her mother, who was turning a deep shade of red.
"Out, out, out." Janet ordered her daughter.
Cassie laughed as she ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room.
"Is that it? You were asking about sex?" Sam inquired, shocked when she saw the nod of
confirmation.
"Holy Hannah! Janet, are you serious? I can't believe you're asking me that! What do you
expect me to say?"
"Um, well, yes? I kinda wondered how long it's been, since, you know?"
She swallowed loudly and continued.
"Been with a man, sexually. I'm not talking about kissing. I meant intimacy. I'm your friend
and can tell if you're lying."
Mortified beyond words, Sam sat there stunned.
"Sam, I know you well enough to say that you haven't been with a man for quite some time,
and as your doctor there would be 'evidence'."
She paused to take a deep breath before continuing.
"Last night you seemed very upset by the idea and this morning…well, I may have
overheard—"
Janet cut off abruptly at the sight of her friend attempting to blink away the tears
brimming in her eyes.
She reached her hand over to cover Sam's tightly clenched fist.
"I don't want to hurt you, but you need to be honest with me and yourself. You keep saying
that you're fine, but I can see the signs of stress. You've not been yourself lately. The
incident in the parking lot is proof. I've never known you to be goaded into anything,
especially foolishness such as yesterday. I know you and Mikey are only friends, but maybe
he made you see what was missing in your life. It's not like you to hide from anything, and
you did. If Jack hadn't shown up, would you have even bothered to come to the party?"
"Janet, I—what do you want me to say? I don't know. I don't know who I am or what I want
or what to do?"
Sam gritted her teeth and spoke harshly.
"I do know that this has NOTHING to do with sex. I'm fine."
Janet removed her hand and stated firmly.
"Fine. Just don't ask me what I tell the General on your Psych Eval next week."
With that, she stood and walked briskly out of the room.
~~~o0o~~~
Jack heard the sound of tires crunching the gravel of his driveway. Not sure who would be
visiting him, since Daniel and Teal'c had gone to the museum to see the latest exhibits.
The light rapping on his door was familiar enough to cause his internal radar to shift into
overdrive. He slowly approached the barrier and waited for another knock, before verifying
that the visitor was whom he suspected.
Taking a deep breath to calm his expression and opening the door quickly, he acted startled
to see Sam standing on his porch.
"Carter? What's up? I thought you and Doc were taking Cassie shopping?"
Sam shuffled her feet and stared at the dust she'd stirred as she mumbled.
"Oh right. Well, Cassie wanted to go with her friends."
"So, where's Doc, she decide to try and trick me into taking some of that cake?" He looked
out toward the car, pretending to check for Janet but already knew Sam was alone.
"Um, no. She was going to drop it off on her way to Cassie's friend's house. She had some
errands to run for the sleepover, so I thought—" Sam stopped speaking abruptly at the
words that nearly left her mouth.
"Uh, you thought, what? You'd come pester me since Danny and T' went to the museum
without me?" He said it glibly enough to help ease the tension her appearance.
"Yeah, well, I thought you might be bored, so I figured you might want to do something, you
know, fun."
Jack couldn't control the sly grin.
"You? Fun? I didn't think you knew the meaning of the word."
Sam dropped her gaze to her shoes again before looking up to meet his eyes. With a
mischievous grin she retorted.
"I do. It just has different meaning for me than it does for you. I find fun in the little
things, like fiddling with doohickeys and kicking Gould butt. Not much for blowing things up,
or watching a bobber float on water."
"Guess it's all in who you're with when you're doing it." Jack answered coyly with a smirk.
Sam dropped her head to hide the flush of red on her cheeks at his words.
"So, we just gonna stand here in my doorway, or are we gonna find something fun to do?"
Sam lifted her eyes up to meet his, smiling broadly and said, "Grab your jacket. You'll need
it where we're going."
She turned on her heel and walked quickly back to her car before she could change her
mind.
~~~o0o~~~
She sat waiting in the car to a few minutes, trying to slow her racing mind. 'This is a bad
idea.' Her brain kept repeating to her since she arrived at Jack's house.
"Shut up." She said aloud, so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't heard Jack opening
the car door.
"Excuse me? I haven't said anything yet."
"Oh no, sir. I didn't mean—I wasn't talking to you. I'm sorry." Sam stumbled over the
apology, embarrassed at her faux pax.
"Oh, well, then no problem. You want me to leave you alone to finish the conversation?" He
asked sarcastically.
She shook her head and laughed lightly.
"No, I'm done! Seems my head is arguing with me about the whole 'fun' idea, it'd rather I go
back and play in my lab."
"And you told it to shut up. Good for you."
Sitting down in the car, Jack closed the door and buckled the seatbelt.
"So, where we headed? Nothing too exciting, I'm not sure your brain would like that."
"You'll see." She said cryptically, with a sly grin.
"Okay, well then, I guess I'll have to trust you. Just remember I've got bad knees."
"How could I forget?" Sam mumbled under her breath.
"Hey, I'm not deaf!"
"Sorry sir." She apologized quietly.
Determined not to ruin the good mood she explained.
"I just meant that I would never deliberately do anything to hurt you."
Blushing at the possible double meaning of her statement, she started to correct herself
when she heard him whisper hoarsely.
"I know."
Clearing his throat, he added, "Besides, it's not like we'll be doing anything too strenuous,
right?"
Sam's face blanched white, then instantly turned crimson. She bit her lip in an attempt to
contain the smile that threatened to break through, but the giggle she felt inside would not
be denied and it burst forth.
Unable to resist, Jack chuckled along with her, reaching a hand over and laying it lightly on
her knee.
"Carter, we've got to stop doing this, I can't keep this up."
He laughed at his own remark and tried again.
"I meant this whole pretending not to notice the double meaning thing."
Sam giggled again softly.
"I know. Janet thinks we're flirting. I tried to explain, but it only made things worse."
She suddenly became aware of his hand and her body tensed.
Jack jerked his hand back quickly, as if she were radioactive.
"Sir, I –"
"Carter, I-"
They both started to apologize at the same time.
"You first." Jack offered.
"No, sir, you go ahead." Sam countered.
"Okay, well, I guess I wanted to explain myself. I'm not too good at this stuff, ya know."
"Yes, sir. I know."
"Geez, Carter, could you drop the 'sir' for five seconds? It's kinda hard to say this anyway,
but you saluting me is making it worse."
"Sorry si-, sorry." Sam mumbled almost inaudibly, head bowed.
Jack saw her grieved expression and slowly reached over and lifted her chin, gently turning
her to face him.
"Sam, we're friends, right?" He asked softly.
She nodded, locking her eyes with his.
"So, it shouldn't be so difficult to just say what we think, right?"
Nodding again, she waited for him to find the words.
"Just 'cause I've got a bird on my uniform, doesn't mean we're not equal. We're the same,
'cept I'm just a little older."
With a wry grin he corrected.
"Okay, a lot older."
She couldn't help but smile as he rolled his eyes.
"So, we agreed we're friends, that's a beginning. Question is, what will it take to keep it
that way?"
He saw her eyes cloud up with tears and she tried to pull free from his grip.
"Wait a sec, I meant - well, what I'm trying to say is-"
As a tear slipped down her cheek, he knew he'd failed.
"Aw, hell."
He leaned over so fast that Sam didn't have time to react. Before she could move or speak,
he'd pressed his lips to hers.
She tensed at the first touch, but then gave in to the feeling and returned the kiss with
fervor.
His free hand grabbed at her coat while the other still held her face. She clung to his shirt
as he traced his tongue along her lips. Parting them willingly, she moaned as it entered her
mouth.
Moving his hand from her coat to the hem of her shirt, Jack slowly slid the tips of his
fingers across the bare skin underneath. He felt her shudder at his touch and continued to
slide his hand up her front. As he reached her ribs, she moaned again and pulled his body
closer to her. He gently rubbed his palm across her breast.
As if struck by lightning, Sam jerked away from him and plastered herself against the door
of the car.
"Oh, god, Jack. I'm so sorry." She cried, and got out of the car and ran headlong down the
street.
"Damn." He said to himself, running his hands through his hair in frustration.
He grabbed the keys from the ignition and got out of the car. He looked down the street
but didn't see her. Turning on his heel abruptly in anger, he stalked into the house,
slamming the door behind him.
~~~o0o~~~
Sam ran until she could no longer see for the tears in her eyes. She remembered turning a
corner a ways back, but upon arriving at a bus stop, she sat down on the bench and tried to
get control of her emotions.
Her heart was aching from the loss of her 'friend', but her mind was berating her for being
such a fool.
"This is exactly what Janet was worried about. How could I have been so stupid?"
"Excuse me, are you alright?" An aged voice asked.
Sam hadn't even heard the old man approach.
Wiping the moisture from her face, she tried to smile as she replied.
"I'm fine, just missed the bus, that's all. You'd think I'd pay better attention."
"Seems to me you weren't waitin' on the bus. You lost?" The man asked kindly.
"No, I'm just having a bad day. Thank you for your concern."
Sam stood up and straightened her shoulders.
"Are you waiting for the bus?"
"Me? No. I've no need to be a 'going into town today. I'm just enjoying the sunshine and out
wandering around. You wanna join me?" He offered with a smile and a wink.
Sam smiled despite herself and agreed.
"Sure, why not?"
"Great. I'm headed toward the park. I like to watch the kids with their parents having fun.
Makes me remember my younger days."
Extending a hand he said, "Name's Jack. Jack Mitchell."
"Jack?" She said with a cough hiding the laugh.
"Uh, Sam. Samantha Carter."
"Good to meet you, Sam. Always liked that name, my baby sister was named Sam."
"Really? What a coincidence, I have a friend—uh well, I work with someone with your name."
"Well, being that they're common names and easy to use, I reckon it's possible there are a
lot of 'Sam and Jack's, out there in the world. So, your 'friend', he the one that made you
cry? Need me to have a talk with him? I used to be a Marine, and I've still got a pretty
good left hook."
Sam smiled at his suggestion but shook her head.
"No thanks. I'm sure if I wanted I could deliver a good one myself. It's more complicated
than that, and I'm not really in the mood to discuss it."
"No problem, we'll just mosey on to the park and play on the swings. That always makes me
feel better after a rough spell."
He smiled when she accepted his arm as they walked down the street to the park.
Sam recognized it as the one SG-1 had taken Cassie to when she was told she'd stay on
Earth.
"Hey, you alright? You looked a little sad there for a moment."
"I'm fine, just remembering a time when things were so much easier."
Sam sat on a swing and waited for the old man to sit down afraid he might stumble.
"There now. Not so bad, is it? I used to swing for hours when I was young. Guess that's
why I was such a good runner in track, all that pumping made the muscles in my legs all
raring to go."
Sam pushed off the ground and swung slowly.
"Yeah, I used to swing as high as I could, I felt like I was flying. Makes sense that I
became a pilot."
"You fly?" He asked, looking at her carefully trying to assess the woman at his side.
"Yep. Not much anymore, but I flew in the Gulf, the first war, not this one. Gave it up for
science, well, not really gave up as much as let it go."
"Ah, so you're a pilot and a geek? Wow, awful lot for a young lady, you one of those 'Career
Women' who put life on hold?"
She stopped swinging suddenly and turned to face him.
"Is that was people think? That just because I work and I happened to love my job that I
don't have a life?"
He nodded.
"Oh, well, then I guess I am." She said resignedly.
They sat there in silence, watching the children play across the yard.
~~~o0o~~~
After pacing around the house for forty-five minutes, Jack determined to find Sam and
apologize, hoping it might 'fix' things between them.
He drove his truck down the street in the direction she had run. Turning left at the four-
way stop, he headed towards O'Malley Park. It's the only place he could think of that she
might have gone. They'd taken Cassie there once and maybe Sam would have remembered.
Pulling into the parking area, he got out of the truck and scanned the surrounding area. He
saw her a ways off, sitting on the swings, next to an elderly man. Walking slowly in her
direction, he tried to figure out what to say.
"Hey Carter, fancy seeing you here."
Nah, that sounded cheesy.
"So, Carter, who's your friend?"
No, that made him look like a jealous—uh, never mind.
Sam saw his approach and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Mr. Mitchell observed her
reaction and asked quietly, "You want me to leave?"
"No, Jack, you're fine. This won't take long."
The Colonel stopped a few feet from the swings; hands stuffed in his pockets and said
softly, "Hey."
"Hi." Sam responded tersely.
Standing carefully, Mitchell reached out a hand to the man before him.
"Name's Jack Mitchell, you must be Sam's friend."
O'Neill accepted the hand and nodded.
"Nice to meet you, and as for friend, well I guess that's still to be determined."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry, she's just having a bad day. Everyone's entitled to one of 'em now and
again. Of course, if you're the cause of it, we may need to have some words."
The younger man smiled and said, "Yeah, well, I'm sure I'll get plenty from her. She's not
usually one for silence."
Peeking over at Sam he added, "And I should know, she's normally babbling about some
scientific breakthrough or doohickey. Can't understand half of it, but it's nice to know she
does."
Sam bowed her head at his attempt at a compliment, trying not to smile. She reminded
herself of why she was where she was and then frowned.
"So, you work together?"
At the other man's nod, Mitchell continued.
"So I'm guessing you're Jack. Well, it makes sense now why she'd been crying. What'd ya do
to her?"
"What?!" Jack sputtered.
"What are you talking about?"
Taking a closer look at Sam, he could see the red tinge to her cheeks.
"Sam, I'm sorry, I didn't think--well—yeah, I didn't think." He admitted hoarsely.
"Well, Jack, seems you two have things to discuss, I'll leave you be."
Turning back to Sam he reached out and placed a feeble hand on her shoulder.
"You'll be just fine. Don't back down, and don't live with regrets. Life's too short to worry
about 'what if'. My momma told me that when I enlisted, and I've lived by it my whole life.
It works."
He patted her shoulder again and then walked away, towards the children playing across the
yard.
Jack sat down on the swing next to Sam and muttered, "So, if it worked for him?"
"You think it could work for us?" She whispered, afraid he'd hear the hope in her voice.
"I don't know, maybe? It couldn't hurt to try, could it?" Jack asked hesitantly.
Sam thought for a moment, remembering the kiss but hearing Janet's warning to her last
night. 'I don't want to see you get hurt, or get caught.'
"Uh, Carter?"
"What?"
Sam was jerked out of her reverie by the concern in his voice.
"Sorry, sir. I'm not sure. I know what happened earlier was wrong, well, maybe not wrong,
but definitely against regulations. I know that I probably hurt your feeling by reacting the
way I did, so I guess the answer would be yes, it could hurt to try. Hurt our friendship, our
friends, our working relationship, not to mention the mess we'd be in if we got caught. It's
too much to trouble to have a life, that's why I don't bother."
Jack paused before responding to her statement.
"Sam, just because we can't have a--a thing, doesn't mean we can't stay friends, right?"
She lifted her eyes to meet his and said firmly, "Friends, I can handle that, as long as that's
as far as it goes. Just friends."
"Just friends. With the occasional flirting and derogatory remark, of course." He agreed
with a smile.
"Of course." She smiled in return.
"So, I hate to admit this, but I have no idea how I got here, or how to get back to my car."
"No problem, I'll drive you back to the house."
Then thinking about why she'd come to him in the first place, asked, "Unless you still want to
go have some fun?"
"Actually sir, I think I've had enough fun for one day. Maybe some other time?" She
implied, hoping he caught the hint.
"Definitely, Carter. I'll take a rain check."
They walked back to the truck in silence, knowing that for now their friendship was secure
and the future was always full of possibilities.
~~~End~~~
Author: CeCeSmith
Summary: So what happens after Sam makes it to Cassie's birthday party?
Status: Complete
Series/Sequel: Sequel to MYOB.
Category: Fluff
Spoilers: None
Season: Seven
Characters: Sam Carter, Jack O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, Janet Frasier, Teal'c and Cassie.
Pairing: S/J
Rating: PG13 to be on the safe side
Warnings: None.
Posted: 18/01/04
Archive Permissions: Helio, Fanfiction.net, Gateworld.net, Chezza's Gate, anyone else -
please ask.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom,
MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions---wish I could have just an
itty-bitty piece, but am forced to be satisfied as a spectator.
Author's notes: For those who don't know, TMI = Too Much Information.
Beta-read by Chezza.
© CeCe Smith 2003
~~~o0o~~
Returning to the party in a better mood than when he left, Jack O'Neill parked his truck
along the street in front of the Frasier house. He slowly stepped out of the vehicle and
walked around the house to the backyard. He could hear the giggling of the teenage
birthday girl talking on a cell phone, and decided to enter the conversation unannounced.
"Seriously, I really think he went to find you, and the fact that he tried is sweet." Cassie
spoke to the caller.
She listened quietly to the person on the line and then answered.
"No, I'm not. He said he'd go find you. I gave him the sad face and he just melted. It was
Daniel's idea."
"Ahem."
Even though Jack cleared his throat quietly, the girl squealed loudly and jumped up from the
lawn chair as if he'd shot off a round from his P-90.
"Jack! You're back? Did you find Sam?" Cassie asked hurriedly, hoping he hadn't heard her
previous incriminating statement.
"Who's on the phone?"
He pointed to the cell in her hand and waited for her to acknowledge the caller.
"Oh, um, well, actually, it's Sam. She said she's on her way. Got held up in traffic."
She put the phone to her ear and bid her friend goodbye.
"Ah, so, what's this about Daniel sending you to me?" Jack asked, knowing full well that the
girl would try to fib out of almost any predicament.
Cassie shrugged her shoulders and fabricated effortlessly.
"Well, you see, he was upset that you didn't let him have a hamburger and told me to get
one, then I figured you might know where Sam was, so I—"
Jack cut her off with a look.
"Okay, fine. He was pissed that you wouldn't talk to him about Sam and told me to ask you
instead." She admitted, angry with herself for being unable to resist his glare.
"So, Carter's on her way then?" He asked casually, walking with Cassie back to the party.
"Yep. She should be here in a few minutes."
She gave a sly glance to the man beside her and added, "Funny, that she just now called
though, you'd think she'd have called earlier. You know, to tell me she was running late."
Jack refused to rise to the bait and simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Hey, are there any burgers left? Or did Teal'c eat them all?"
"He did, but mom made him make a few more, for when you got back. They should be done
by now."
Cassie bumped her shoulder into his side affectionately and accepted the nudge back from
him as a truce.
"Sweet. Let's eat, I'm starving."
~~~o0o~~~
Sam arrived ten minutes later and entered through the front door. Janet greeted her
warmly, reaching out as if to give her a hug, but instead grabbing her arm tightly and pulling
her into the laundry room.
"Whoa, Janet, what's going on?" Sam asked, puzzled by her friend's action.
Janet didn't bother answering her question as she began her 'mother hen' tirade.
"Where in the hell have you been? We've been worried sick! You didn't call, we didn't know
if you were alive, dead or kidnapped by the NID! Geez, Sam what were you thinking? How
could you do that to Cassie? She's been near tears all night thinking you forgot! I tried
calling the lab, your office, the house and your cell phone with no answer. And don't you
dare tell me you had a flat or were stuck in traffic. Cassie may believe that bull, but I
don't. You left the base five minutes before I did, I saw the sign out sheet."
Sam tried to think of something to say to calm her friend, but knew that a lie would only
make things worse, so she went for a vague excuse.
"I'm sorry. I ran into an old friend and I guess I lost track of the time."
She hoped the half-truth would help settle the matter.
It was Janet's turn to look puzzled.
"What friend?"
"Remember me telling you about Michael Givens? I bumped into him at the supermarket
after leaving the base."
"Oh, you mean the 'boy next door' turned police officer? Well, then I guess it's
understandable, but you still should have called. The whole gang has been waiting and I
know Cassie was upset that you'd forgotten or got tied up at work."
Janet could tell her friend was hiding something, but decided to let the subject drop for
now. There would be plenty of time afterwards to quiz her, since Sam had promised to help
clean up and then stay the night.
"So, am I off the hook or are you going to lock me in here for the rest of the party?" Sam
teased.
"Don't tempt me, I've half a mind to ground you. Besides, Jack left about an hour ago to
find you, and I'm sure he'll insist on an explanation."
Janet gave Sam a sideways glance at the hidden expression on her face, but turned and led
the way through the kitchen and out to the backyard.
~~~o0o~~~
Scanning the crowd, Daniel spotted Jack and Cassie making their way towards him. He
walked over to them and asked, "So, did you find her?"
"Nope, but Cassie here got a call a couple of minutes ago from her." Jack answered, taking a
swig from his bottle of beer.
Before Daniel could respond, Cassie jumped up and down excitedly and ran over towards the
house.
The teenager threw her arms around her friend and squeezed tightly.
"Sam, you made it! Geez, what took so long?"
Sam returned the hug and then replied.
"Cass, I'm here now. Sorry I'm late, but I promise to make it up to you."
Pulling away quickly, Cassie asked excitedly, "Really?"
"Yes, really." Sam laughed.
"What'd ya get me?" The girl begged, practically bouncing up and down.
Sam forced her face to look stricken, as if she forgot to have bought a gift for her best
friend's daughter. It almost worked. Cassie stopped bouncing and tears began to well up in
her eyes, but Sam couldn't let that happen.
"Cass, I didn't forget. I just didn't bring it with me. I haven't gotten it in the mail yet, but
I'm pretty sure you won't mind it being late. Especially since the concert is still two months
away."
"Concert? Oh my gosh! Please tell me you got me tickets to Justin?"
At Sam's nodding Cassie began shrieking. Anybody within a mile could hear her joyous
exclamations.
Jack leaned over a whispered into Sam's ear.
"Who's this Justin guy? Someone I need to worry about?"
Sam managed to hide the smile as his breath tickled the skin on her neck, but she couldn't
control the chill that raced down her spine. She swallowed nervously and shook her head
before stating quietly.
"Timberlake. Used to sing with a boys band but went solo. Cass has been dying to go to the
concert. I thought it'd be a fun girls' night out."
Jack pulled back slowly and then placed his hand on her shoulder in a 'just friends' gesture.
"Good for you Carter. Hope you kids have a great time." He said, loud enough for the group
surrounding them to hear.
Hoping no one noticed the flush of red on her cheeks at his touch, she replied casually.
"Thank you sir, I'm sure we will."
~~~o0o~~~
Two hours later, most of the partygoers had left, leaving only SG-1 and the Frasiers to
clean up the mess. After cleaning off the grill and washing the few dishes in the sink,
Daniel offered Teal'c a ride back to the base.
"DoctorFrasier, is there anything else of which I can be of assistance before we depart?"
"No Teal'c, thank you. I think we can handle the rest of it ourselves. Thanks again for all
your help and for coming. I know Cassandra appreciated your being here and the amazing
gift you brought." Janet answered graciously, reaching out her hand and gently squeezing
his forearm.
"It was my pleasure, and I hope she will find the text of use. It was something that
MajorCarter stated would be appropriate."
"Yes, she loved it. She's been begging me to buy her that book series for weeks, but I
insisted she wait for her birthday. I'm sure she'll tell you all about it once she's done
reading it." The girl's mother reassured the Jaffa.
"I will indeed look forward to that time. Thank you again for allowing me to participate in
the celebration of Cassandra's birth."
He bowed his head and then turned to leave.
"Yeah, Janet, thanks for the invite and tell Cassie I hope she likes the jewelry. If she
wants to exchange it, I kept the receipt." Daniel said, leaning in to give Janet a brief hug
and Sam half a hug.
"We'll see you both on Monday. Have a good weekend."
Jack entered the room as the two men departed the house. He glanced around the room
and took inventory of what else needed to be done.
"Well ladies, I've managed to gather up most of the dirtied cups and plates, though you'll
have to figure out what to do with all that leftover cake. There's enough there to feed half
the SGC. What were you thinking?"
"Well, sir I figured with teenage boys and a Jaffa, that most of it would have been
devoured in minutes. I wasn't expecting Teal'c and Daniel to bring two-dozen cupcakes and
three gallons of ice cream. I guess they were worried there wouldn't be enough for
everyone." Janet explained.
"Ah well, then perhaps you should have had T& D take part of the cake back to the base
with them. I'm sure Cook would've been willing to serve it to the night shift." The Colonel
advised.
Janet nodded her head and replied.
"I plan to do that, I wanted to save part of it for Cassie and her friends that are spending
the night tomorrow. I was going to drop off the remainder on my way in town in the
morning. Sam and I are going to take Cassie shopping to spend part of her birthday money."
"Sounds like fun. If you want, I can take the cake on my way home tonight. Save you girls a
trip out of the way and allows more time for finding that perfect pair of shoes."
He noticed the smirks on the women's faces and hastened to defend himself.
"I was married ya know! I also had a mom and two younger sisters. I know how you women
are when it comes to shopping." He stated smugly, enjoying the shocked look on their faces.
"Sir, I had no idea you were so adept. Here I thought you knew nothing about the female
persuasion." Janet sarcastically retorted.
"Yeah, well, there's a lot you don't know about me. Some stuff could make your pretty little
head spin. I prefer to keep such useful information for just the right moment." He replied
haughtily.
"Well, sir, consider me educated. I'm sorry to have made such inaccurate assumptions." The
petite doctor admitted contritely, much to her and Sam's chagrin.
"Apology accepted."
Then he added with a grin, "Just don't say I'm not a forgiving man."
He winked at the two women, but noticed only Sam blushed. She looked down at the balloon
in her hand and tried to hide the smile he had caused.
While Janet placed the remaining decorations in the hall closet, Jack asked.
"Okay, now that all that's settled, can you let me know what else needs to be done around
here?"
Sam explained, "Um, well sir, Janet and I are almost done with our part, and since Cassie
has disappeared up to her room, I think we are going to call it quits for now."
"So, you don't need me anymore?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side and raised an
eyebrow.
She immediately noticed the look and the possible double meaning of his inquiry.
"Always." Sam muttered under her breath to herself, hoping he hadn't heard her.
Then as Janet reentered the room, she said aloud, "Actually, you might ask Janet if she has
anything else for you."
"What?" The doctor asked before realizing that she heard the question, "Oh no Colonel, I
think we've got it covered. Thanks for all your help, and for going to find Sam, even though
it turned out unnecessary."
Janet watched their reactions at her words and noticed Sam blushing again.
"Unless—"
"No problem Doc, all part of the job."
Knowing for certain that this time Sam caught both meanings of his response.
He turned quickly, grabbed his coat and headed for the front door.
"Well, you ladies have a good night. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He instructed as he
walked out and shut the door firmly behind him.
~~~o0o~~~
Sitting on the couch, exhausted but not tired enough for sleep, Sam and Janet sipped at
their glasses of wine, staring at the TV.
"So, you going to tell me, or do I have to drag it out of you?" Janet quizzed her friend.
"What?" Sam asked, not sure what info she was supposed to give out.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe the real reason you were late, or the fact that you just so
happened to arrive at the party only minutes after Jack got back from looking for you. Or
you could tell me why all of a sudden you seem to blush at every little insinuating thing he
says? Any of those answers would be welcome."
The doctor was nearly as inquisitive as Daniel and just as persistent as well.
"What do you mean? He was not flirting with me, if that's what you're implying. He was just
joking around, with all of us."
Sam was determined not to let her friend continue this line of thinking.
"Oh, really? I guess didn't get the jokes or I missed them. Maybe they were meant only
for you. Either way, he was flirting and you were definitely blushing."
Sam felt her face heat and knew Janet wouldn't let this go.
"It was nothing. Leave it alone." She growled.
"Struck a nerve? Sorry Sam but this is important. You're my best friend and a fellow
officer, I don't want to see you get hurt, or get caught."
"Caught?" Sam practically shouted.
"What are you talking about? There is nothing between Jack and me! Nothing!"
She stood up from the couch and walked out of the room. Janet followed her and blocked
Sam's exit out of the front door.
"Now just wait a second, since when is he Jack. Is there something I need to know?"
Sam attempted to move her friend, but Janet wouldn't budge.
"Get out of my way."
"Not until you calm down. Besides you are in no condition to drive, you've had more than two
glasses of wine."
Janet lowered her voice and said softly. "Sam, please, I'm sorry if I've hurt your feelings,
but this is something we need to discuss."
Sam pulled away angrily, but then realized that her friend was right. She nodded slowly and
headed back over to the couch. She plopped down heavily, defeat evident on her face.
Janet sat next to her and laid a hand gently on Sam's knee.
"You wanna tell me what's going on?"
"Nothing." Sam whispered hoarsely.
Before she could be interrupted, she cleared her throat and answered again.
"Honestly Janet, there isn't anything going on, just wishful thinking. I just had a slight
breakdown today that's all. Nothing happened, nothing will happen, I promise."
Janet could see the anguish in her friend's eyes during the speech. She didn't have the
heart to condemn her for having inappropriate feelings for Colonel O'Neill. She couldn't
fault her because she herself had similar feelings for the man. Not that she were ever let
Sam know that, but there were times when she could imagine him with Cassie and her as one
big happy family. It was a cliché, but she knew deep down that it would have made things so
much easier to raise the girl with a mother and a father. Jack doted on Cassie as if she
were his own and in turn she treated him as the dad she needed in her life. Sam's feelings
for the Colonel had ended that dream long ago, but every once in a while the thought of how
it 'could have been' plagued the doctor.
"Uh, Janet, you okay?" Sam asked, concerned by the dazed look in Janet's eyes.
"What? Oh, sorry about that, guess my mind wandered there for a moment."
She could tell Sam didn't quite buy her story.
"So, what happened today that caused you to nearly skip Cassie's party."
With a deep breath, Sam began to tell her the story, and didn't leave any details out.
~~~o0o~~~
After Sam had finished, Janet just sat there stunned.
Stepping closer to her friend, Sam pleaded.
"Janet, say something, you're starting to scare me."
"Sorry, I just- I didn't realize. I mean you've kept it hidden so well that I guess I just
assumed you'd, I don't know, moved on."
"So had I. I hoped that I'd just eventually get over this 'infatuation' for the Colonel, but
Mikey was right."
Sam sighed shakily, her head bowed in defeat.
"I've finally fallen in love. The only problem is it's someone out of reach."
Janet stood up and began to pace back and forth in front of the couch.
"This is bad. Seriously dangerous stuff here Sam. You know what would happen if anyone
found out, don't you? The scene in the parking lot is one thing, which could maybe be tossed
out as hearsay, but Jack meeting you at the Springs? That could be trouble, big trouble.
I'm not going to say anything of course, but if Hammond or anyone else finds out-" she cut
off abruptly, an idea forming in her mind.
"You have got to think of a cover story, like you got a flat tire or something."
"Janet, there is no reason to lie, it's not like we made out or anything. We just talked."
Sam sat down with a huff and continued.
"But that doesn't matter, what's important is that Jack and I remain just friends and that
no one knows what happened with Mikey. Flirting with your C.O. is one thing; appearing to
assault a police officer, or an affair with a married man is even worse."
Sam sighed, dropped her head into her hands and added, "You're right. This is bad."
As if a light bulb popped up above her head, Janet said excitedly, "I have an idea."
"What?" Sam asked, worried by the wild look on her friend's face.
"I'm not going to like this, am I?"
"Well, that depends. How good are you at acting?"
"What are you thinking?" Sam inquired, "This had better not be illegal."
"No, of course not, but what if you and Mikey were together, well, not really, but for
arguments sake?"
"Are you nuts? He's married! Not only that but you know I'd never do anything like that to
Ja- uh, the Colonel." She corrected quickly.
"Exactly! My point is that if Hammond suspects anything about why you were gone, well, you
could use Mikey as an excuse. And if someone did happen to see the incident in the parking
lot, all you'd have to say is that he'd just then told you he was married. You got mad,
slapped him and drove off. Jack, as your Commanding Officer and a friend was worried and
went to find you. The End."
"That's ridiculous! The last part is too close to the truth and I wouldn't want anyone believe
that about me. It could damage my reputation. Besides, whose to say The Powers That Be
wouldn't nail me for an affair with a cop, more than with my C.O.?"
"Well, the way I see it, the Big Wigs don't care who you're screwing. Just as long as it's out
of the chain of command. As for the rest of the SGC, they just want to see some action."
Janet explained, and then with an evil grin added, "You know, there are rumors about you
and Hammond as well."
"What!!!" Sam yelled, jumping to her feet.
"Yep, they say you two are much too close. That your dad set you up."
Seeing Sam's disgusted reaction, Janet continued.
"There's another one, says that you're doing Hammond to keep him from finding out about
Jack. Then there's the one that says that Hammond knows about you and Jack, but is
blackmailing you for sex to keep it quiet."
"Ugh, that is just wrong and way too much information for my brain to process."
Sam shook her body to try and rid the feeling of revulsion.
"Who in their right mind would say that stuff?"
"Oh, just people with nothing better to do than dream up weird fantasy about co-workers.
Though I have to admit, I think some of the rumors are closer to home that we'd like."
Janet stated.
Both women were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't hear Cassie come down
the stairs and into the living room.
"In my opinion, they just want to see some action, maybe a little 'love in the air' type of
thing. You know what? We should have a make out party or something." The teenager
suggested, waggling her eyebrows like a certain Colonel they knew.
"Cass, how long have you been down here?" Sam asked hesitantly, nervous that the girl could
have overheard their earlier conversation.
"Just a minute or so, why? What did I miss?"
"Nothing." Sam and Janet said simultaneously, both breathing an audible sigh of relief
"So, what do you think? We could have a cook out, just like today, and have people bring the
side dishes and drinks. They could mingle, hang out, hook up and head home to take it from
there. All we'd need is to have good tunes and romantic lighting. It would be great!"
Cassie hoped her mom and 'aunt' were as excited about her idea as she was.
"Cass, you're joking, right? I know you sound serious, but you do realize that a 'party' would
be impossible, right?" Sam asked, half expecting the girl to burst into laughter for 'pulling
one over on the adults'.
When no response came, Sam decided to set her straight.
"Cassie, I know you mean well, but it just doesn't work like that. We have a duty to the SGC
and to fraternize would be against the rules. Besides, I really don't think that would be a
solution, it would only complicate matters."
"But you said-" Cassie started to argue, but Sam cut her off angrily.
"Cassandra, this is not up for discussion! You need to realize that just because we may want
something, it doesn't mean we have to have it. That's not how it works. As officers we
choose to put our 'love lives' on hold, for the greater good of Earth. You should know better
than most the dangers the teams face everyday."
Cassie refused to back done and replied earnestly.
"Yeah, and that's why they need to 'get some' while they can! You guys never know if you'll
be able to have a real relationship in the future. Why ignore the opportunity of having a
little fun and happiness now."
She had stated her case with a resolve most adults would envy.
"You know Sam, I hate to admit it, but she makes a valid point." Janet said somewhat
begrudgingly.
"What? You mean you agree with her? She's just a child. She has no clue what she's talking
about!" Sam denied vehemently.
"Actually, she's a teenager and I didn't say I agreed with her, just that I could see where
she was coming from. And for the record, I do think she has insight into what we do, and
how much we wish for more 'attention' from the opposite sex."
"I don't believe this. You can't be saying what I think you're saying."
Sam sat down again, dropping her head into her hands.
"Sam, I'm not saying we should throw this party, just give it some thought. You and I both
know that total abstinence isn't healthy. It tends to cause people to become overly
stressed. We could all use a breather from the daily grind of saving lives and kicking bad
guys' butts. I've seen too many good soldiers burn out from lack of release."
"Ew, Mom, TMI!" Cassie groaned, a disgusted look on her face.
Janet saw Sam's shocked expression and hastened to correct her statement.
"I meant emotional release, not physical! Though that had probably contributed to their
health as well."
"Janet, don't get me wrong, I know the everyone needs a chance to vent, but what could you
possibly hope to attain by this discussion?"
"Hammond has mentioned to me on several occasions lately about how to address the stress
level of the teams being sent off world, and I think I finally have an answer for him. We
could set up mandatory down time with friends and teammates, keep it in a controlled
setting to ensure no one would 'cross the line'. It would have to be a casual gathering, no
pressure to keep up protocol, just a relaxed environment to get together and have fun and
maybe if it works, there'll be a little less tension in the atmosphere on base."
Sam dragged her hands through her hair and said quietly, "Just leave me out of it, okay.
I've got enough to deal with as it is."
With that she got up and walked to the spare bedroom and shut the door.
~~~o0o~~~
Sam laid in bed the rest of the night and well into morning. Finally, just before dawn, she
gave into her exhaustion and fell into a fitful sleep, her dreams tormenting her mercilessly.
'So Carter, what'dya say we blow this joint and head back to my place for a nightcap.'
Jack whispered into her ear.
'Sir, I really don't think the General would appreciate us leaving his Christmas party so
early. I only just arrived an hour ago.'
'Yeah, well, I'm sure he'd understand. Especially with you wearing that dress.' He
murmured, glancing down her body suggestively.
'Sir, I'm certain that you think I wore this for you, but I had actually bought it years ago.
I've just never had the occasion to wear it before tonight.'
She slowly slid her hands down her dress, pretending to smooth the wrinkles from the silky
fabric.
'Geez, Carter, don't do that, it makes me want to do it myself.' He groaned, frustration
evident in his voice.
'Then why don't you? I think I might have missed a spot.'
Jack pressed himself up against her back and gently rested his hands on her hips. She
could feel the heat of his palms warm her cool flesh and felt them tighten their grip on her.
Unable to resist, she leaned her head back on his shoulder as he began to move his hands
toward her stomach and then lower.
'Sam.' He moaned into her neck as his kissed her skin lightly.
'Jack.' The name, a mere gasp out of her mouth, as he continued to assault her senses with
his every touch.
The quiet knock on the bedroom door went unheard as Sam's mind played out its fantasy.
'Wait, Jack, please! Not here.' She pulled him into the coat closet, closing the door and
locking it.
He pressed his body against her, pinning her lithe form to the door as he resumed his
actions.
'Oh Jack, don't stop.'
Janet was started by the strained sound of Sam's voice, and entered the room.
"Mm, yes. Jack, yes right there."
Embarrassment flooded through Janet as she realized that her friend was dreaming and
whom she was with in that dream. She tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Knocking firmly on the door, she hoped it was loud enough to wake Sam.
"Sam, you up yet? It's almost ten and we need to get going!" Janet yelled at the door.
"What?" Sam voice was groggy, and barely audible through the door.
Janet slowly entered the room and asked, "You still asleep? I figured you'd be up by now.
I've got coffee made and there's some fruit leftover from last night for breakfast."
Sam rubbed the grit from her eyes and grumbled.
"Ugh, I don't even remember falling asleep. Sorry about being so late, let me grab a shower
and I'll be ready in ten minutes."
"There's no hurry, Cassie's on the phone with the girls planning a slumber party. She'll be on
for a while." Janet waved and said as she closed the door behind her.
"See you in a few."
~~~o0o~~~
Sam showered quickly and dressed in record time, all while Janet sat waiting in the kitchen
table reading the newspaper.
"Anything interesting happening in the world?" Sam asked casually, opening the door of the
fridge and pulling out a bottle of water.
"Nope, just the run of the mill stuff, wars, gangs, drugs and sex scandals. I don't even know
why I bother reading this thing, it only depresses me." Janet complained.
"Well, compared to what we do for a living, it's almost trivial. I stopped thinking about the
petty bickering on Earth after the invasion attempt by Apophis. I guess it made it all seem
insignificant, when we're saving the whole planet and not just one country."
Janet contemplated her friend's statement and then asked quietly, so not to be overheard
by the teen in the other room:
"Sam, do you ever think it might not work?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you ever worry that the System Lords or the Replicators or some other bad guy out
there might actually succeed in destroying us?"
Janet lowered her voice another notch and said, "I often wonder what it would be like, to be
one of the few survivors, trapped on an alien planet, knowing my home is gone. I made sure
after the last close call that Cassie would be brought to the SGC and sent with one of the
first teams out, but I know we'd leave so many here to die. I can't help but feel guilty."
Sam sat down in the chair across from Janet and stated softly, "I know, I do too, but what
we have to do is focus on not letting that happen. I'm glad Hammond agreed on Cassie, but I
have my family to worry about and that option isn't available. That's why I work so hard, to
keep them safe and to do everything in my power to protect Earth. I know you all tease me
not having a life, but saving the world is worth the sacrifice of not having a warm body
beside me at night."
Janet stared into her coffee cup for a moment before asking, "Do you miss it?"
"Miss what? Dating?"
"Well, not dating, exactly. I could probably go without the whole awkward moments and bad
dates. I meant IT."
"As in?" Sam prompted, hoping her friend would get to the point.
"IT." Janet said, exasperated at Sam's apparent lack of understanding.
"Sex." Cassie blurted out as she came into the kitchen, the phone glued to her ear with help
from her shoulder.
"Cass, watch your mouth." Sam reprimanded.
"Sam, I was answering Mom's question. She wants to know if you miss having sex. She's just
to chicken to say the word. Sex. Sex. Sex."
Cassie taunted her mother, who was turning a deep shade of red.
"Out, out, out." Janet ordered her daughter.
Cassie laughed as she ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room.
"Is that it? You were asking about sex?" Sam inquired, shocked when she saw the nod of
confirmation.
"Holy Hannah! Janet, are you serious? I can't believe you're asking me that! What do you
expect me to say?"
"Um, well, yes? I kinda wondered how long it's been, since, you know?"
She swallowed loudly and continued.
"Been with a man, sexually. I'm not talking about kissing. I meant intimacy. I'm your friend
and can tell if you're lying."
Mortified beyond words, Sam sat there stunned.
"Sam, I know you well enough to say that you haven't been with a man for quite some time,
and as your doctor there would be 'evidence'."
She paused to take a deep breath before continuing.
"Last night you seemed very upset by the idea and this morning…well, I may have
overheard—"
Janet cut off abruptly at the sight of her friend attempting to blink away the tears
brimming in her eyes.
She reached her hand over to cover Sam's tightly clenched fist.
"I don't want to hurt you, but you need to be honest with me and yourself. You keep saying
that you're fine, but I can see the signs of stress. You've not been yourself lately. The
incident in the parking lot is proof. I've never known you to be goaded into anything,
especially foolishness such as yesterday. I know you and Mikey are only friends, but maybe
he made you see what was missing in your life. It's not like you to hide from anything, and
you did. If Jack hadn't shown up, would you have even bothered to come to the party?"
"Janet, I—what do you want me to say? I don't know. I don't know who I am or what I want
or what to do?"
Sam gritted her teeth and spoke harshly.
"I do know that this has NOTHING to do with sex. I'm fine."
Janet removed her hand and stated firmly.
"Fine. Just don't ask me what I tell the General on your Psych Eval next week."
With that, she stood and walked briskly out of the room.
~~~o0o~~~
Jack heard the sound of tires crunching the gravel of his driveway. Not sure who would be
visiting him, since Daniel and Teal'c had gone to the museum to see the latest exhibits.
The light rapping on his door was familiar enough to cause his internal radar to shift into
overdrive. He slowly approached the barrier and waited for another knock, before verifying
that the visitor was whom he suspected.
Taking a deep breath to calm his expression and opening the door quickly, he acted startled
to see Sam standing on his porch.
"Carter? What's up? I thought you and Doc were taking Cassie shopping?"
Sam shuffled her feet and stared at the dust she'd stirred as she mumbled.
"Oh right. Well, Cassie wanted to go with her friends."
"So, where's Doc, she decide to try and trick me into taking some of that cake?" He looked
out toward the car, pretending to check for Janet but already knew Sam was alone.
"Um, no. She was going to drop it off on her way to Cassie's friend's house. She had some
errands to run for the sleepover, so I thought—" Sam stopped speaking abruptly at the
words that nearly left her mouth.
"Uh, you thought, what? You'd come pester me since Danny and T' went to the museum
without me?" He said it glibly enough to help ease the tension her appearance.
"Yeah, well, I thought you might be bored, so I figured you might want to do something, you
know, fun."
Jack couldn't control the sly grin.
"You? Fun? I didn't think you knew the meaning of the word."
Sam dropped her gaze to her shoes again before looking up to meet his eyes. With a
mischievous grin she retorted.
"I do. It just has different meaning for me than it does for you. I find fun in the little
things, like fiddling with doohickeys and kicking Gould butt. Not much for blowing things up,
or watching a bobber float on water."
"Guess it's all in who you're with when you're doing it." Jack answered coyly with a smirk.
Sam dropped her head to hide the flush of red on her cheeks at his words.
"So, we just gonna stand here in my doorway, or are we gonna find something fun to do?"
Sam lifted her eyes up to meet his, smiling broadly and said, "Grab your jacket. You'll need
it where we're going."
She turned on her heel and walked quickly back to her car before she could change her
mind.
~~~o0o~~~
She sat waiting in the car to a few minutes, trying to slow her racing mind. 'This is a bad
idea.' Her brain kept repeating to her since she arrived at Jack's house.
"Shut up." She said aloud, so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't heard Jack opening
the car door.
"Excuse me? I haven't said anything yet."
"Oh no, sir. I didn't mean—I wasn't talking to you. I'm sorry." Sam stumbled over the
apology, embarrassed at her faux pax.
"Oh, well, then no problem. You want me to leave you alone to finish the conversation?" He
asked sarcastically.
She shook her head and laughed lightly.
"No, I'm done! Seems my head is arguing with me about the whole 'fun' idea, it'd rather I go
back and play in my lab."
"And you told it to shut up. Good for you."
Sitting down in the car, Jack closed the door and buckled the seatbelt.
"So, where we headed? Nothing too exciting, I'm not sure your brain would like that."
"You'll see." She said cryptically, with a sly grin.
"Okay, well then, I guess I'll have to trust you. Just remember I've got bad knees."
"How could I forget?" Sam mumbled under her breath.
"Hey, I'm not deaf!"
"Sorry sir." She apologized quietly.
Determined not to ruin the good mood she explained.
"I just meant that I would never deliberately do anything to hurt you."
Blushing at the possible double meaning of her statement, she started to correct herself
when she heard him whisper hoarsely.
"I know."
Clearing his throat, he added, "Besides, it's not like we'll be doing anything too strenuous,
right?"
Sam's face blanched white, then instantly turned crimson. She bit her lip in an attempt to
contain the smile that threatened to break through, but the giggle she felt inside would not
be denied and it burst forth.
Unable to resist, Jack chuckled along with her, reaching a hand over and laying it lightly on
her knee.
"Carter, we've got to stop doing this, I can't keep this up."
He laughed at his own remark and tried again.
"I meant this whole pretending not to notice the double meaning thing."
Sam giggled again softly.
"I know. Janet thinks we're flirting. I tried to explain, but it only made things worse."
She suddenly became aware of his hand and her body tensed.
Jack jerked his hand back quickly, as if she were radioactive.
"Sir, I –"
"Carter, I-"
They both started to apologize at the same time.
"You first." Jack offered.
"No, sir, you go ahead." Sam countered.
"Okay, well, I guess I wanted to explain myself. I'm not too good at this stuff, ya know."
"Yes, sir. I know."
"Geez, Carter, could you drop the 'sir' for five seconds? It's kinda hard to say this anyway,
but you saluting me is making it worse."
"Sorry si-, sorry." Sam mumbled almost inaudibly, head bowed.
Jack saw her grieved expression and slowly reached over and lifted her chin, gently turning
her to face him.
"Sam, we're friends, right?" He asked softly.
She nodded, locking her eyes with his.
"So, it shouldn't be so difficult to just say what we think, right?"
Nodding again, she waited for him to find the words.
"Just 'cause I've got a bird on my uniform, doesn't mean we're not equal. We're the same,
'cept I'm just a little older."
With a wry grin he corrected.
"Okay, a lot older."
She couldn't help but smile as he rolled his eyes.
"So, we agreed we're friends, that's a beginning. Question is, what will it take to keep it
that way?"
He saw her eyes cloud up with tears and she tried to pull free from his grip.
"Wait a sec, I meant - well, what I'm trying to say is-"
As a tear slipped down her cheek, he knew he'd failed.
"Aw, hell."
He leaned over so fast that Sam didn't have time to react. Before she could move or speak,
he'd pressed his lips to hers.
She tensed at the first touch, but then gave in to the feeling and returned the kiss with
fervor.
His free hand grabbed at her coat while the other still held her face. She clung to his shirt
as he traced his tongue along her lips. Parting them willingly, she moaned as it entered her
mouth.
Moving his hand from her coat to the hem of her shirt, Jack slowly slid the tips of his
fingers across the bare skin underneath. He felt her shudder at his touch and continued to
slide his hand up her front. As he reached her ribs, she moaned again and pulled his body
closer to her. He gently rubbed his palm across her breast.
As if struck by lightning, Sam jerked away from him and plastered herself against the door
of the car.
"Oh, god, Jack. I'm so sorry." She cried, and got out of the car and ran headlong down the
street.
"Damn." He said to himself, running his hands through his hair in frustration.
He grabbed the keys from the ignition and got out of the car. He looked down the street
but didn't see her. Turning on his heel abruptly in anger, he stalked into the house,
slamming the door behind him.
~~~o0o~~~
Sam ran until she could no longer see for the tears in her eyes. She remembered turning a
corner a ways back, but upon arriving at a bus stop, she sat down on the bench and tried to
get control of her emotions.
Her heart was aching from the loss of her 'friend', but her mind was berating her for being
such a fool.
"This is exactly what Janet was worried about. How could I have been so stupid?"
"Excuse me, are you alright?" An aged voice asked.
Sam hadn't even heard the old man approach.
Wiping the moisture from her face, she tried to smile as she replied.
"I'm fine, just missed the bus, that's all. You'd think I'd pay better attention."
"Seems to me you weren't waitin' on the bus. You lost?" The man asked kindly.
"No, I'm just having a bad day. Thank you for your concern."
Sam stood up and straightened her shoulders.
"Are you waiting for the bus?"
"Me? No. I've no need to be a 'going into town today. I'm just enjoying the sunshine and out
wandering around. You wanna join me?" He offered with a smile and a wink.
Sam smiled despite herself and agreed.
"Sure, why not?"
"Great. I'm headed toward the park. I like to watch the kids with their parents having fun.
Makes me remember my younger days."
Extending a hand he said, "Name's Jack. Jack Mitchell."
"Jack?" She said with a cough hiding the laugh.
"Uh, Sam. Samantha Carter."
"Good to meet you, Sam. Always liked that name, my baby sister was named Sam."
"Really? What a coincidence, I have a friend—uh well, I work with someone with your name."
"Well, being that they're common names and easy to use, I reckon it's possible there are a
lot of 'Sam and Jack's, out there in the world. So, your 'friend', he the one that made you
cry? Need me to have a talk with him? I used to be a Marine, and I've still got a pretty
good left hook."
Sam smiled at his suggestion but shook her head.
"No thanks. I'm sure if I wanted I could deliver a good one myself. It's more complicated
than that, and I'm not really in the mood to discuss it."
"No problem, we'll just mosey on to the park and play on the swings. That always makes me
feel better after a rough spell."
He smiled when she accepted his arm as they walked down the street to the park.
Sam recognized it as the one SG-1 had taken Cassie to when she was told she'd stay on
Earth.
"Hey, you alright? You looked a little sad there for a moment."
"I'm fine, just remembering a time when things were so much easier."
Sam sat on a swing and waited for the old man to sit down afraid he might stumble.
"There now. Not so bad, is it? I used to swing for hours when I was young. Guess that's
why I was such a good runner in track, all that pumping made the muscles in my legs all
raring to go."
Sam pushed off the ground and swung slowly.
"Yeah, I used to swing as high as I could, I felt like I was flying. Makes sense that I
became a pilot."
"You fly?" He asked, looking at her carefully trying to assess the woman at his side.
"Yep. Not much anymore, but I flew in the Gulf, the first war, not this one. Gave it up for
science, well, not really gave up as much as let it go."
"Ah, so you're a pilot and a geek? Wow, awful lot for a young lady, you one of those 'Career
Women' who put life on hold?"
She stopped swinging suddenly and turned to face him.
"Is that was people think? That just because I work and I happened to love my job that I
don't have a life?"
He nodded.
"Oh, well, then I guess I am." She said resignedly.
They sat there in silence, watching the children play across the yard.
~~~o0o~~~
After pacing around the house for forty-five minutes, Jack determined to find Sam and
apologize, hoping it might 'fix' things between them.
He drove his truck down the street in the direction she had run. Turning left at the four-
way stop, he headed towards O'Malley Park. It's the only place he could think of that she
might have gone. They'd taken Cassie there once and maybe Sam would have remembered.
Pulling into the parking area, he got out of the truck and scanned the surrounding area. He
saw her a ways off, sitting on the swings, next to an elderly man. Walking slowly in her
direction, he tried to figure out what to say.
"Hey Carter, fancy seeing you here."
Nah, that sounded cheesy.
"So, Carter, who's your friend?"
No, that made him look like a jealous—uh, never mind.
Sam saw his approach and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Mr. Mitchell observed her
reaction and asked quietly, "You want me to leave?"
"No, Jack, you're fine. This won't take long."
The Colonel stopped a few feet from the swings; hands stuffed in his pockets and said
softly, "Hey."
"Hi." Sam responded tersely.
Standing carefully, Mitchell reached out a hand to the man before him.
"Name's Jack Mitchell, you must be Sam's friend."
O'Neill accepted the hand and nodded.
"Nice to meet you, and as for friend, well I guess that's still to be determined."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry, she's just having a bad day. Everyone's entitled to one of 'em now and
again. Of course, if you're the cause of it, we may need to have some words."
The younger man smiled and said, "Yeah, well, I'm sure I'll get plenty from her. She's not
usually one for silence."
Peeking over at Sam he added, "And I should know, she's normally babbling about some
scientific breakthrough or doohickey. Can't understand half of it, but it's nice to know she
does."
Sam bowed her head at his attempt at a compliment, trying not to smile. She reminded
herself of why she was where she was and then frowned.
"So, you work together?"
At the other man's nod, Mitchell continued.
"So I'm guessing you're Jack. Well, it makes sense now why she'd been crying. What'd ya do
to her?"
"What?!" Jack sputtered.
"What are you talking about?"
Taking a closer look at Sam, he could see the red tinge to her cheeks.
"Sam, I'm sorry, I didn't think--well—yeah, I didn't think." He admitted hoarsely.
"Well, Jack, seems you two have things to discuss, I'll leave you be."
Turning back to Sam he reached out and placed a feeble hand on her shoulder.
"You'll be just fine. Don't back down, and don't live with regrets. Life's too short to worry
about 'what if'. My momma told me that when I enlisted, and I've lived by it my whole life.
It works."
He patted her shoulder again and then walked away, towards the children playing across the
yard.
Jack sat down on the swing next to Sam and muttered, "So, if it worked for him?"
"You think it could work for us?" She whispered, afraid he'd hear the hope in her voice.
"I don't know, maybe? It couldn't hurt to try, could it?" Jack asked hesitantly.
Sam thought for a moment, remembering the kiss but hearing Janet's warning to her last
night. 'I don't want to see you get hurt, or get caught.'
"Uh, Carter?"
"What?"
Sam was jerked out of her reverie by the concern in his voice.
"Sorry, sir. I'm not sure. I know what happened earlier was wrong, well, maybe not wrong,
but definitely against regulations. I know that I probably hurt your feeling by reacting the
way I did, so I guess the answer would be yes, it could hurt to try. Hurt our friendship, our
friends, our working relationship, not to mention the mess we'd be in if we got caught. It's
too much to trouble to have a life, that's why I don't bother."
Jack paused before responding to her statement.
"Sam, just because we can't have a--a thing, doesn't mean we can't stay friends, right?"
She lifted her eyes to meet his and said firmly, "Friends, I can handle that, as long as that's
as far as it goes. Just friends."
"Just friends. With the occasional flirting and derogatory remark, of course." He agreed
with a smile.
"Of course." She smiled in return.
"So, I hate to admit this, but I have no idea how I got here, or how to get back to my car."
"No problem, I'll drive you back to the house."
Then thinking about why she'd come to him in the first place, asked, "Unless you still want to
go have some fun?"
"Actually sir, I think I've had enough fun for one day. Maybe some other time?" She
implied, hoping he caught the hint.
"Definitely, Carter. I'll take a rain check."
They walked back to the truck in silence, knowing that for now their friendship was secure
and the future was always full of possibilities.
~~~End~~~