Janet Fraiser sat at her desk, reviewing the new personnel file on her desk. Hammond was leaving after seven years and a civilian would be in charge of the SGC. The mere thought struck her as being crazy.
Though the idea that the particular civilian they had chosen was a woman and a diplomat did have some appeal.
As Janet flipped through the pages, she was struck by how interesting the woman sounded. Elizabeth Weir had seen just about everything that one could see without knowing about or stepping through the Stargate. While a person's file could tell a lot about them, Janet trusted more in the face-to-face experience that she generally got when doing a patient's clearance physical.
She was definitely looking forward to this exam.
The two were really enjoying a good laugh over a hot cup of coffee; something Janet hadn't done in quite a while. She was sure Elizabeth would have enjoyed the story much better had O'Neill been the one telling it, but it was funny all the same.
The shrill ring of her telephone broke through her thoughts.
"Janet Fraiser. Cassie, honey, are you home all ready?" Janet felt her face fall as she heard the news her daughter told her. It wasn't anything vital or life threatening in the least, but Cassie wasn't coming home for the weekend as they had originally planned.
"Okay. Of course. We'll plan something for next weekend. Love you."
Hanging up the phone Janet didn't think she'd been that heartbroken in a while.
"Everything all right?"
Janet had almost forgotten about Elizabeth's presence in the room. Smiling calmly, she nodded.
"Everything's fine. Cassie, my daughter, just called to cancel plans she had with good ol' mom for the weekend so that she could go out with her boyfriend instead."
"Ah." Elizabeth's gaze turned thoughtful before she asked, "Your daughter has your direct line at the SGC?"
Janet laughed lightly. "And here I thought you said you'd read all of the mission files. For SG-1, at least."
Elizabeth's eyes looked up and to the right, as though she tried to recall.
"My daughter is adopted. She was the last surviving member of her planet."
"That's right. Nirrti experimented on her, right?"
"Yes." Her voice sounded cold even to Janet's ears.
Elizabeth, to her credit, didn't have much of a reaction. She just sat there, sipping her coffee.
"So, here's a crazy idea. And feel free to say no, of course. But I had taken a roast out of the freezer for tonight, and if I don't cook it, it will go bad. If I do cook it, I'll never eat it all. Any chance you'd like to come over for dinner tonight?"
Elizabeth blinked rapidly a few times before smiling. "Sure. That sounds nice. What time?"
Janet looked at the list of her current rotation as she quickly jotted down directions to her house. "Should all go well, seven?"
"Seven it is. I'll see you then."
Janet almost had to bite her tongue from saying 'it's a date' and stifled a laugh at the absurdity of it.
Dr. Elizabeth Weir seemed rather straight forward. Everything that was there was in her file and everything in her file was there. Someone had definitely done their homework; maybe Hayes and his office weren't going to be so hard to work with after all.
"Are you quite done yet, Doctor?"
Well, part of his office, anyway. The Vice President was one man Fraiser would give almost anything to see come across one of her exam rooms just so she could come up with all sorts of tests to run on him. On the other hand, she really didn't want to have to examine that body.
She watched as the woman before her rolled her eyes, and Janet let out an exasperated sigh before she replied.
"I'll be done when I say I'm done, Mr. Kinsey, and not a moment before. Perhaps your time would be better suited waiting in the commissary."
She mentally pictured him doing the fish out of water routine before he stomped off and out of her Infirmary. Turning back to her duties with a satisfied smile she noticed that the woman before her wore a similar expression.
"Something tells me it isn't often that people have the nerve to put that man in his place, Doctor. Thank you."
Something about the woman set Janet at ease and she briefly thought that this might not have been the worst idea that the President could have had.
"This isn't the first time that the SGC has been… graced… by one of Mr. Kinsey's visits, Dr. Weir. With his new position, I am certain that it won't be his last. He should get used to it."
Elizabeth Weir left the SGC Infirmary and headed towards what would be her new office. One thing was certain, the files that she'd read – and most likely all of the files that existed – could never sum this place up like her exam had.
These people were passionate, they were determined, and they were duty bound. They were accustomed to a leader that was out for them, not just for the good of the nation – or, in this case, planet. They gave respect and loyalty and only expected the same in return. They were a close-knit group and she was an outsider.
She would need to prove herself in order to garner the same loyalty that Hammond had easily accepted from them. From her brief meeting with the good Doctor she had already deducted one thing, and oddly enough if was something that she could do that would not only gain her some measure of respect, but also please her to no end.
She had to get rid of Kinsey.
Jack O'Neill was gone.
Of all the stupid things to do he had once again managed to get his head stuck in one of those Ancient repository things that Daniel was always going on about, again, and now he was gone. Of all things, frozen in the recesses of Antarctica.
The way that Sam and Daniel described it alone had her upset. The fact that this was the second time that his brain had undergone a massive 'download', for lack of a better word, had her highly concerned. The first time this had happened, she hadn't had the first clue what to do in order to help him, and that had scared her. Meeting up with the Asgard had been his best – possibly only – hope.
With current situations being what they were there was no way to tell where the Asgard were, never mind when or if they would come to the Colonel's aid. Regardless, she was not about to give up on him. She would do everything and anything possible to bring that man back to the SGC.
Stepping off the elevator, she marched her way to Dr. Weir's office. Were it still General Hammond residing in that office she knew her current request would be little more than a formality; as it stood, she wondered if her arguments would even be heard.
Knocking, she heard the sounds of muffled talking followed by a louder, "Come in."
Heading the order, she entered and stood in front of the desk, listening intently to the one-sided phone conversation that was going on.
"I'll state again. Colonel O'Neill's current condition is rather precarious. I think it's in everyone's best interest that he be closely monitored and reports should be sent back to the SGC and Area 51 quite frequently." The conversation on this side paused for a moment and Weir gave Janet an apologetic smile. "No. Absolutely not. Listen, I'm about to head into a meeting about that very topic. Why don't I get back to you on that? Good."
After disconnecting the call, Elizabeth took a few moments to detach her headset and throw the piece of equipment into her desk draw before standing.
"Please, sit, Dr. Fraiser. The military propensity to make their people stand has always baffled me. Would you like some coffee?"
When the other woman turned toward the far wall, Janet noticed the steaming coffee pot for the first time.
"Please," she replied as she took her seat. She wasn't sure exactly what it was, but there was something about this woman that put her at ease.
Returning to the desk with both cups of coffee, Elizabeth placed Janet's in front of her and smiled. Sitting back in her chair, she sipped from her cup before continuing.
"I can only assume that this meeting is to discuss Colonel O'Neill's current condition."
"Indeed." Janet sipped from her coffee to cover her smirk, knowing that a man like O'Neill would truly love the irony of that.
"Okay, then. Assuming that I approve a mission to study his condition, how big of a team would you want and who would be on it?"
"The minimal team for a project such as this should consist of seven – three doctors and four nurses on a rotating schedule. I'm still looking for several volunteers for the mission, as I didn't want to post it broadly until approved. However, as soon as I started drawing up preliminary plans Dr. Brightman expressed an interest in signing on. And then, of course, there's myself."
"Excuse me?"
"Dr. Brightman and I have already signed on for such a mission should it occur."
"Absolutely not."
Janet raised an eyebrow and hesitantly thought that she might need to cut back on the amount of time she spent with SG-1, specifically Teal'c.
"There is no way that I can have this base's Chief Medical Officer going off on an assignment that she could hand over to any other doctor."
"With all due respect, Dr. Weir, Colonel O'Neill is not just any other patient. And these are not just any other routine conditions. As this base's Chief Medical Officer, and having prior experience with this scenario, I'm the best person suited to deal with whatever may arise from his exposure to the Ancient device. I'm not saying that there is any way we're even remotely talking about trying to revive him yet. We're not. But the research that can be done, the things that we can learn, the information that we can gather—"
"Can be done by other people, Dr. Fraiser." Weir shook her head as she sipped from her coffee and regarded Janet carefully. "I'm sorry, but there is no way that I can allow you to be a part of such a mission. Dr. Brightman can be a part of – and if you deem fit – lead the team. You, however, will oversee things from here."
Elizabeth sat back in her chair, her pen balance between the fingertips of both hands, and stared out the observation window. She hadn't been at the SGC very long yet, but long enough to know that George Hammond had barely spent any time in his office. You couldn't think in there, couldn't breathe. The conference room with the observation window overlooking the Stargate was an environment much better suited for the musing thoughts flittering through her mind.
Dr. Janet Fraiser and all of SG-1 were hell bent on getting Jack O'Neill back as soon as possible. She couldn't blame them. No matter what conclusions one could make about any possible inappropriate lines the team might draw on relationships, they were good, strong, and required only the strictest of loyalty in its members.
Putting the pen down on her legal pad, she leaned over and took a forkful of the cherry pie with whipped cream that she had commandeered from the commissary. One other thing she had learned in her short time at the SGC was that tough decisions and thoughts settled better with pie.
Tapping her fork against the plate and deciding that some things couldn't be put off, she grabbed her pad and moved into her office. Walter had come in to clean the plate from the table before she emerged to do it herself so instead she made her way right down to the infirmary.
Janet sat in her office practically seething. When she had gone into Dr. Weir's office, she had hoped for approval for the mission to Antarctica. She had never –for one moment – thought that the approval would come but without her as the missions lead.
It made no sense. It wasn't like she hadn't been to Antarctica before. She was familiar with the facility, familiar with the patient, and as familiar with the technology as anyone on the planet. Despite the fact that there had just recently been a major battle not a mile above Antarctica. Despite the fact that Earth was apparently storing a massive weapon of alien design there. And despite the fact that there had apparently been an alien base there at one time she was just as likely, if not more likely, to have something happen at the SGC or on a mission off-world. It wasn't like her job was exactly safe or anything.
The quiet knock on her doorjamb pulled her from her thoughts.
Elizabeth Weir smiled and walked over to the chair that sat opposite Janet's desk. "Mind if I sit?"
"Not at all." Janet had to admit she was curious about the woman's visit.
Weir fidgeted slightly as she sat, and a pang of memory struck Janet as the actions made her think of Colonel O'Neill.
"I have to say, Dr. Fraiser, that I'm not accustomed to having people storm out of my office the way you did earlier."
Ah, this Janet had been waiting for.
"Well, to speak frankly, Dr. Weir, when it comes to missions of a medical nature on this base and the discussion of crew assignments and things of that nature, I'm accustomed to getting what I want. It comes with the territory of being the Chief Medical Officer."
"And while I can understand and respect that, under most circumstances, I hope that you can understand and respect my position here." Elizabeth leaned on the desk a bit, her elbows bracing herself while her hands came together. "Colonel O'Neill is in a very delicate condition. I understand that. However, I also understand that we don't have the first clue how to help him at this point. I can't afford to have this base give up its highest ranking medical officer for an unspecified length of time to investigate the condition of one man. No matter how valuable that man may be."
Leaning back into her seat once more, Elizabeth seemed to be sizing Janet up. Something Janet found to be completely ironic. "I'm sorry, Dr. Fraiser. You're just far too valuable to the people of this command on a day-to-day basis for me to allow you to jump ship for an extended period of time. I will approve the mission, with whomever else you choose, in charge. All information that they collect will be routed directly back to the SGC with you in charge of determining what leaves this base. Further, should such a time arise where your assistance is required with Colonel O'Neill's revival; I would be more than willing to allow you to travel to Antarctica for that mission. Is that satisfactory?"
Janet pondered for a moment, not just the question, but also the woman before her. The Elizabeth Weir that sat before her now seemed to be a very different woman from the one that she had given a clearance physical to not so long ago. It constantly amazed her how this program changed people. Hardened them.
"Yes, Dr. Weir. That is quite satisfactory. And please, call me, Janet. As rocky as our start may have been, it is nice to have another woman around here."
Weir gave her a hesitant smile in return. "Thank you. And please, it's Elizabeth."
Impromptu meetings over coffee became a normal thing for them. Janet would show up at Elizabeth's office if she had something to report or if she just needed to talk; though Janet was sure Elizabeth noticed that, at first, it seemed to happen more when Sam wasn't around. And Elizabeth would show up in the Infirmary or Janet's office, sometimes with questions as to the status of a patient but often just to talk and sometimes just to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in each other's company.
Elizabeth enjoyed the casual, relaxed relationship that had grown between herself and Janet. She found she often enjoyed staying late and grabbing a cup of coffee, and possibly some pie, in one of their offices and sharing a heartfelt chat rather than heading home and trying to catch a dinner with Simon.
Her relationship with Simon had changed a lot in the last few months. Her relationships in general had changed a lot in the past few months. She was used to the negotiations; she was used to the late nights and the constant meetings. The degree of concealment was new for her, the fact that the entire truth behind what she was doing, what she had become a part of, had to remain a secret.
An entire part of who she was had to remain hidden from him now. She knew that he barely listened to the cover story that she tried to feed him every now and then when he would ask her how her day was. She wasn't certain anymore if that was because he could see right through it, or he didn't care.
With Janet, she could share her true feelings and observations on… well… life, the universe and everything.
God, she really had walked into a science fiction novel.
At first she was sure that she was just a substitute for Sam while she was off-world on mission. Elizabeth knew that the two women were close. Now, she knew that things had grown beyond that. Her and Janet were … friends. Good friends.
The two were really enjoying a good laugh over a hot cup of coffee; something Janet hadn't done in quite a while. She was sure Elizabeth would have enjoyed the story much better had O'Neill been the one telling it, but it was funny all the same.
The shrill ring of her telephone broke through her thoughts.
"Janet Fraiser. Cassie, honey, are you home all ready?" Janet felt her face fall as she heard the news her daughter told her. It wasn't anything vital or life threatening in the least, but Cassie wasn't coming home for the weekend as they had originally planned.
"Okay. Of course. We'll plan something for next weekend. Love you."
Hanging up the phone Janet didn't think she'd been that heartbroken in a while.
"Everything all right?"
Janet had almost forgotten about Elizabeth's presence in the room. Smiling calmly, she nodded.
"Everything's fine. Cassie, my daughter, just called to cancel plans she had with good ol' mom for the weekend so that she could go out with her boyfriend instead."
"Ah." Elizabeth's gaze turned thoughtful before she asked, "Your daughter has your direct line at the SGC?"
Janet laughed lightly. "And here I thought you said you'd read all of the mission files. For SG-1, at least."
Elizabeth's eyes looked up and to the right, as though she tried to recall.
"My daughter is adopted. She was the last surviving member of her planet."
"That's right. Nirrti experimented on her, right?"
"Yes." Her voice sounded cold even to Janet's ears.
Elizabeth, to her credit, didn't have much of a reaction. She just sat there, sipping her coffee.
"So, here's a crazy idea. And feel free to say no, of course. But I had taken a roast out of the freezer for tonight, and if I don't cook it, it will go bad. If I do cook it, I'll never eat it all. Any chance you'd like to come over for dinner tonight?"
Elizabeth blinked rapidly a few times before smiling. "Sure. That sounds nice. What time?"
Janet looked at the list of her current rotation as she quickly jotted down directions to her house. "Should all go well, seven?"
"Seven it is. I'll see you then."
Janet almost had to bite her tongue from saying 'it's a date' and stifled a laugh at the absurdity of it.
Elizabeth checked the address one last time and hoped that her paranoia over getting her lost in the unfamiliar neighborhood hadn't gotten her there far too early instead. She had already circled the block three times and figured anything more would definitely alert the neighbors that something was up.
Wondering why a she was fussing over a friendly dinner as if it was a very important dinner date, she stepped out of the car, grabbed the bottle of wine she had picked up for the occasion, and headed up the front walk.
Janet smoothed her blouse down and wondered not for the first time why she was fretting so much over what to wear. It wasn't like this was a date. Not like she had any romantic interest in Dr. Elizabeth Weir. This was two friends getting together for dinner. She should be wearing jeans and a sweater. Not black pants, her favorite green satin blouse and heels.
Checking her watch she noticed, again, that it was definitely too late for her to change. She was just going to have to stick with it.
Moving back out to the kitchen she checked on the progress of her dinner. Though it wasn't the birthday dinner she had planned to enjoy with Cassie, she looked forward to a relaxing evening with Elizabeth.
The ring of the doorbell pulled her from her critical examination of the roast. Moving through the kitchen, she grabbed a dishrag and wiped off her hands before opening the door.
"Hope I'm not too early. I thought I might get lost on the way over." Elizabeth smiled apologetically and produced a bottle of red wine from behind her back, holding it in front of her like a peace offering.
Janet laughed. "Not at all. It's probably a good thing. The roast is almost done and if it were to sit any longer it would probably dry out. Your timing is perfect."
Leading Elizabeth through to the dining room before retrieving the wine glasses, Janet surprised herself with the way she had set the table. She had never planned on going for the romantic approach, but looking at the table now it appeared that was just what she'd done.
Grabbing some chilled glasses, Janet turned toward the dining room and watched as Elizabeth browsed the pictures she kept displayed on the mantle. "Anything I can help you with?"
Janet smiled as she placed the glasses down. "If you want to pour the wine that would be great. Everything else is almost done. I even have a pie for dessert."
Janet watched and could almost visually see Elizabeth's ears perk up at the mention.
"Pie?"
Laughing lightly as she grabbed the last of the things from the kitchen, Janet asked, "What is your obsession with pie?"
"Obsession?" Elizabeth looked at her quite shocked. "I do not have an obsession."
"Oh, no, not at all. You're not obsessed." Even to her own ears she sounded mocking and thoughts of Jack O'Neill came to mind.
Smiling, Elizabeth picked up her wine glass and took a careful sip. "You're very close with them aren't you?"
"Pardon?"
"SG-1. You seem to be very close with all of them."
Janet instantly knew that her facial expressions must have given her away. She knew that Elizabeth had a keen eye. Knew that noticing the subtle changes in people and their reactions, and knowing the topics of concern for them would be a vital tool at the negotiating table. She knew that the woman possessed an almost sixth sense in those kinds of situations; she had not only read up on the woman sitting across from her, she had seen her in action. Having all of those talents focused solely on her for the evening caused a knot to form low in her stomach.
"Well, they've each spent a good deal of time in my infirmary. It's kind of hard not to form connections with these people."
Dinner had ended and both of them had been too stuffed to eat pie right away. The food had been wonderful and somehow Elizabeth found herself astounded that, among all of her other talents, Janet had turned out to be a magnificent cook as well.
Sitting in Janet's living room was nothing like she'd imagined it would be. The room was tastefully decorated in earth tones and accented by the stone fireplace along the far wall. The mantle held an array of pictures, mostly of Cassie and a dog, but there were a few that included SG1.
Seeing this, Elizabeth completely understood why her friend had been so vehement about wanting to go to Antarctica. And why Major Carter had been so insistent about going to Hala to try and contact the Asgard. O'Neill was so much more than a superior or co-worker to these women. He was so much more than a friend. He was family, they all were.
She picked up the picture, one that looked like it was taken in some sort of park. Everyone in the picture looked so happy.
"That's Cassie's favorite too."
Janet's voice startled her, pulling her from her thoughts, and she hoped that the other woman hadn't noticed her jump.
"It was taken not long after she arrived. She said it was the beginning of her feeling like this was going to work. Like she could make a real family here."
"It sounds like she's turning into quite the confident young woman."
"Sometimes a little too confident and headstrong for her own good."
Elizabeth laughed, "I'd have no idea why considering her obvious choice of female role-models."
Janet's cheeks visibly blushed. "I guess I never thought of it that way." Meeting Elizabeth's gaze, she smiled. "I guess my mother's curse worked then, huh. Regardless of the fact that biologically Cassie's not mine."
"Ah, that would be the everlasting nature versus nurture debate, Janet. Do we really want to get into that on what has been such a lovely evening?"
Elizabeth suspected from their backgrounds alone that a debate on that particular topic would be incredibly interesting. She also knew that it could become rather heated if they allowed it. Combine that with the amount of wine she'd consumed with dinner and it wouldn't make a good combination.
Janet shook her head smiling. "No, not tonight. Though I might call in a rain check on that debate sometime."
"You've got it."
Looking around the house, wondering what other topics she could bring up that wouldn't lead to talk of painful/sensitive memories, she was drawn to a painting on the opposite wall.
To most it would have been a rather interesting fantasy piece. The sunrise on a distant lake with the planet's twin moons approaching the horizon. While all of the other paintings in the house were of everyday terrestrial objects or landscapes; this one stood out. Its carefully blended colors seemed to transition seamlessly and you could tell that this, above all the others, was a work of passion.
"Did Cassie do this?"
Janet's attention followed hers before nodding. "I've never found out where it's supposed to be, though from what I know it's not Hanka. She's mad that I hung it. Constantly claims it's not right. That there's something wrong with it."
"It's gorgeous."
"That's what I tell her. She's got that artistic perfectionist thing going for her though."
"As perfect as it is, it's not capturing something that she sees or feels when she pictures it in her mind."
"Exactly."
"She's extremely talented. Has she ever thought of selling any?"
Janet shrugged. "It doesn't seem to be like that with her. She's done one or two for friends, but I don't think she's ever tried to sell any."
"Do you think she'd be interested?"
Janet seemed truly surprised by the question. "I don't know. I suppose I could ask her though."
"I'd appreciate it."
A comfortable silence stretched over them before Janet rubbed her hands on her thighs. "Ready for some pie?"
"Definitely."
The silence had been comfortable for her, but she now had the feeling that it hadn't quite been that way for Janet. Turning to follow the other woman into the kitchen, she asked, "Need any help?"
"Sure. You want tea or coffee?"
Elizabeth turned to Janet with a shocked, hurt look on her face. "Have you really learned so little about me? It's coffee. Almost always coffee."
Janet laughed lightly, "True, but it is getting late and I figured you may want to sleep tonight."
"Ah, yes, but there was also wine with dinner. And I would like to get home too."
Janet seemed to grow quiet with that before gently replying, "You could always crash in the spare room."
Feeling her lips curl up in a light smirk, and an odd sense of delight twist in her stomach, Elizabeth responded, "In that case, should we finish off the wine bottle?"
Janet's face turned to her, her eyes dancing with delight. "Now that sounds like a plan." Handing Elizabeth the knife, "You cut the pie, I'll rinse out the glasses."
Taking the proffered knife, Elizabeth smiled. "I think I can handle that. You have any whipped crème?"
Janet turned from the sink, shaking off the two glasses. "I'm sure there's some in the fridge."
Elizabeth retrieved the whipped crème from the fridge and grabbed two plates. Placing them beside the pie on Janet's kitchen table, she spun to grab the wine bottle from the table in the dining room, and almost collided with Janet in the process.
Quickly throwing her arms out to steady the other woman, Elizabeth laughed lightly. "Maybe more wine isn't the best idea for either of us."
Janet's face flushed a bit as Elizabeth's hands rested on her shoulders. It might have been the wine, Elizabeth could never be completely sure, but something compelled her to move her hand.
A stray lock of hair was dangling in front of Janet's eye. The thought that it was extremely attractive flitted through her mind, before she leaned in. Her finger gently brushed the lock of hair out of Janet's face, hooking it behind her ear as her lips approached the ones before her.
She felt Janet gasp, felt the rush of air move across her face, and watched as the eyes before her fluttered shut in preparation of the oncoming kiss.
Janet sat in her office, her cup of coffee firmly ensconced in her hand. So much had happened in the past week, the interrupted evening at her place being the least of things.
She still wasn't sure if the ringing phone that had stopped her and Elizabeth from kissing had been a good thing or not. The information received from the call – that Colonel O'Neill's body, and the stasis pod he had been encased in, had been literally beamed away – had been wonderful news. Trying to figure out how to approach the topic of what had almost happened between them with Elizabeth was something she was still hesitant about.
SG1 was back. O'Neill and Sam had both been medically cleared. Though Janet was sure they both needed the downtime the team had been given more than they would ever let on.
Looking at the clock, Janet put down the long-cold cup of coffee, closed her date book and started to shut down her computer.
The knock on her door was light but insistent.
"Mind if I come in?"
Janet shook her head, a nervous smile coming to her face. "Not at all."
Her stomach did a slight flip-flop, but she knew there would be no avoiding the oncoming conversation forever. It comforted her slightly to realize she wasn't the only one battling with conflicting emotions over this. Or at least that's what she assumed as she watched Elizabeth take a seat in the chair across from her desk, the woman's hands uncharacteristically fidgeting while she sat.
"It's been quite the week…." Janet almost winced as she heard the lame conversation start to slip from her lips.
"That it has." Elizabeth looked around the office, but never quite met Janet's eyes. "A lot of changes are going on."
"Oh?" Something in the way that she spoke lead Janet to believe that O'Neill's return wasn't the only thing Elizabeth was referring to.
The other woman's eyes again traveled the length of the room before coming back to meet her gaze. "O'Neill is being promoted. Though he claims he doesn't want it, and he balks at the idea of taking it. I'm sure he will. This base needs a military commander, and a good one. It's time for him to step up and fill the shoes."
"Ah." Janet wasn't sure what else to say. What had almost started for them… what they'd almost done… none of it really amounted to anything at all if she was leaving now. "So you're on your way back to Washington, then, I assume?"
"Actually, no." Elizabeth smiled, the first real expression to cross her face since she'd entered the office. "The Antarctica expedition needs someone to head it up that will be able to work with all of the countries involved. I guess they figure a diplomat/negotiator is just the person for the job."
"Wow." To say Janet was shocked was putting it a bit lightly. With Jack heading up the base she had figured SG1 would be disbanded, as much as a tragedy as that would be. Sam would be able to take over one of the science teams, getting the command that the woman so righteously deserved. Teal'c would be able to do several things, either going off to truly lead the free-Jaffa or taking another position within the SGC. That would be the perfect set-up for Daniel to lead the Antarctica expedition and uncover the lost city of Atlantis.
"Yeah, not exactly where I expected I would be off to a year ago."
"I would imagine not." Janet looked down for a moment. "Though I guess a lot has happened in the last year that you wouldn't have expected a year ago if someone asked you."
Elizabeth's features took on a thoughtful look. "Ain't that the truth." Her hands fiddled in her lap for a few seconds before she took a moment to jump into the next topic. "Listen, about what happened… er, almost happened… at your house that night…."
Janet smiled nervously, her raised hand stopping any further discussion. "You're leaving. You're taking a wonderful position half way across the globe. Besides, nothing actually happened." Janet shrugged, "I say we chalk it up to a nice evening with too much wine."
Elizabeth wasn't sure if it was the need to share her wonder and excitement with someone who would understand or the need for something else, but before long she found she was speaking with Janet more than Simon.
Even given the odd tones under which they'd left things, conversations with Janet seemed to flow easier.
"So, any chance you'll be heading down to check out our digs here when Dr. Jackson and the General do?"
Elizabeth watched the way Janet avoided looking directly at the screen for a moment and instantly knew the answer was no.
"I'm afraid with everything that's been going on here lately there's no way I can get away. I trust there are no issues with Dr. Beckett, though?"
"Carson? No, not at all. Watching he and McKay interact has turned into a study in itself though."
Laughing Janet bowed her head. "McKay should be a study all to himself. The only problem being that would boost his ego even more and make him even more impossible to deal with."
"Very true."
"So… everything's working out?"
"Pretty well. Seems to be coming along better than expected actually. Every time someone sits in the chair it seems like we learn something new from it."
"Good."
A slight pause passed over them before Elizabeth spoke again. "So, since you won't be able to hop down to our subtropical paradise. The next time I'm on the mainland I'll have to return the favor and cook you dinner. It's not a well known fact, but I happen to be a great chef."
"Sounds like a … plan."
Elizabeth heard the moment of hesitation and wondered if Janet had been about to say 'date'. If she were honest with herself, she probably wanted it to be more like a date than just two friends getting together after a while apart. She wasn't sure when the shift in their relationship had begun or what had started the rift between her and Simon.
Ending the conversation she went back to her work and tried to put her more personal thoughts to the back of her mind for the moment.
Walking back into the underground hallways of the SGC felt more like going home then going back to anywhere in Washington ever had. She had spent such a short time there, but it seemed like it had affected everything about her life from that point forward – changed so much about her.
Hand picking her team for the Atlantis expedition had been something that she'd been both thrilled and terrified about. How did you pick someone knowing that you could quite possibly be pulling them away from everyone and everything that they had every known for good?
After making sure that everything was in order with the General there was just one last stop she needed to make before they could attempt this.
Janet stared at the woman across from her in disbelief. Would everything around them be about nothing more than good-byes?
"You're actually going?"
"It's the job of a lifetime. Most people wouldn't even dare to dream of such a chance."
Janet knew her voice, when she was able to find it, would be barely more than a whisper. "Antarctica wasn't far enough away?"
Elizabeth moved to sit in one of the chairs across from Janet's desk, running a hand over her face and pinching the bridge of her nose. "You know it was never about that, Janet."
She sighed heavily. "This is almost certainly a one way trip. I guess I just thought that we'd have a chance to figure things out a bit better before you'd be heading off somewhere again."
Getting up and moving around to Janet's side of the desk, Elizabeth perched on the edge and took her friend's hand. "I think we both know what's going on here. This went way beyond friendship a long time ago."
Janet felt the heat color her cheeks but she didn't say anything to confirm or deny what Elizabeth was saying. This was new-found territory for her and somehow voicing it; especially given their current situation, made it a little more real than she was ready for.
"You could always come too…."
The laugh that escaped Janet's lips sounded a bit harsher than she'd meant it to. "And do exactly what with my daughter? She's already lost everyone she loved and been completely alone once. I can't do that to her again."
"I know… I just wish things could be… simpler."
The two women remained in silence for a bit just enjoying each others presence, Elizabeth's thumb gently rubbing the back of Janet's hand.
"I left a message for Simon. He won't get it until long after I'm gone. He has to have noticed the distance over the last year, but I hope it doesn't completely throw him off."
Janet's eyes couldn't move up to meet Elizabeth's. They remained completely transfixed on the movement of the other woman's thumb on her hand. "He's a man. They're a little slow on the uptake at times. I remember the call I got from Michael after he'd been served with the divorce papers wanting to know when I'd be coming home and stopping this nonsense."
"So, are women any easier?"
Janet thought for a few moments before she swallowed and gave her answer.
"I don't know. I guess just like everything else it depends on the person – man or woman. Never tested the theory though..." For the first time since Elizabeth had perched herself on her desk, Janet looked her in the eye. "I have to say, I'm a little disappointed that I won't be able to."
Elizabeth's eyes went to the floor before coming back up to meet Janet's stare. "You never know, sometimes things happen for a reason. We might get our chance yet."
Pushing off the desk Elizabeth took two steps towards the door before turning around. Walking back, she placed one hand on each side of Janet's face before she leaned down to brush her lips against the other woman's.
Janet wasn't sure which surprised her more, the fact that this was happening in her office or the fact that it was happening at all.
Elizabeth's lips were soft, smooth and silky. The moist, cared-for lips, that she supposed any woman would have, were a complete contrast to anything she'd ever experienced with a man. And something she found unbelievable considering the woman had been in an underground, frozen base for the last few weeks.
A series of brief kisses followed; slow, hesitant, testing kisses that explored the boundaries but didn't press forward.
Janet's hand clasped at Elizabeth's elbow before slowly making its way up her arm, across her shoulder and into her hair. Elizabeth seemed to take this as a sign, parting her lips and deepening the kiss. Not to a deeply passionate, intense kiss like Janet may have imagined. Rather to a slow, erotic, exploration of each other.
The two separated slowly, Janet taking a deep, centering breath to help steady the light-headed buzz that overtook her.
"Consider that my rain check for later." Elizabeth whispered before leaving the office.
Being back at the SGC after a few months on Atlantis felt odd, to say the least. Coming back to find that Janet Frasier was not in the Infirmary seemed even more unusual, though Elizabeth was sure the woman had to take a day off somewhere.
Getting her car from wherever the government had chosen to store it didn't seem to take General Hammond long and Elizabeth enjoyed feeling the wind through her hair as she put the top down and headed down the mountain. She couldn't possibly head over to Janet's house, though. No one had been expecting them, no one had heard from them in months – had no idea if they were alive, even.
So, instead, she drove home. Walking up to the house and seeing Simon had been good. She had indeed missed him a lot; just as she had missed everything that Earth had to offer.
His kiss had been wrong though. She wasn't sure how else to explain it, other than wrong, utterly, horribly wrong. The kind of feeling that twisted at her gut and wouldn't let go. She had fled as soon as the call from the General came in.
Sitting in the Observation Room of the SGC she now itched to speak with Janet Fraiser. Her reassignment from Atlantis and everything else notwithstanding, she needed to get at least one aspect of her life in order.
The soft knock at the door frame jarred her from her thoughts.
"Mind if I come in?"
Elizabeth's head shot up at the sound of the familiar voice. To say she was pleasantly surprised would be putting it lightly.
"Not at all. This is going to sound weird but… I was just thinking about you."
"Good thoughts, I hope."
Elizabeth's head cocked to one side, was Janet openly flirting with her?
"I guess you could say that. I was thinking about calling in a rain check."
"Ah…" Janet's smile was accompanied by a wicked glint in her eyes. "The dinner invitation or something else…"
"I was thinking maybe a combination of the two."
Janet laughed, maybe a little too freely – it all seemed a little too freely. "My, my, your time on Atlantis has made you more adventurous, Elizabeth, hasn't it?"
"Perhaps. Say, my place at seven thirty?"
"It's a date."
Smiling, Elizabeth got up and left the Observation Room to find Rodney. Something was definitely wrong. Things were… off… here.
Elizabeth sat at her desk on Atlantis, her stylus twitching rhythmically between her fingers. She had spent the better part of the morning recording messages to the families of people that she had lost in the seemingly short time that they had been here. It was exhausting, more so because it was emotionally draining.
She hated falling into the old clichés of every loss being a personal one, but especially with such a close-knit group it really was true. She hadn't been completely prepared for all of this when she'd signed on for this mission, but if there was one cliché she definitely fell into it was the fact that it was way too late to back out now.
And now with the Wraith on their way she was going to lose even more people, possibly even the entire city and everyone in it. She'd recorded a message to Simon, told him that she understood it wasn't fair to expect him to sit there and wait for her to come back. Told him not to.
Sitting here, now, she wondered if she'd done that more because there was such a great chance that things would go badly in the coming weeks and she wouldn't be going back to Earth or if it was because she needed to say, even in the subtle terms that she had, that it was over.
Glancing at the tape recorder, Elizabeth mulled over the last name on her list. Janet Fraiser. What would she say? Would it be nothing more than a good bye? Was their relationship about nothing else?
Hitting the record button she retook her seat, stylus still between her fingers, before replacing and carefully folding her hands before her.
"Hello, Janet, it's been a while." Elizabeth ducked her head, pausing, she had run through some of the things that she wanted to say several times, but now that she was recording it – picturing Janet sitting in a chair across the desk from her with a cup of coffee as they had done so often before – it all seemed so inadequate.
"I've spent most of the morning taping condolence messages. Not the best way to spend a day. There's a lot about this mission that I didn't sign on for. A lot that at times I wonder if I can handle. But I don't think I would trade it for anything. I really do wish you could see it out here, Janet. It's magnificent. We're sending all the information back, just in case things don't fare well for us, but it won't be the same seeing the files." She paused for a moment, unsure of how much she really wanted to show, really wanted to say, on a tape that would never truly be private. "I just wish I could have shared this with you… even just for a little while."
Elizabeth stopped the tape and thought briefly about rewinding and doing it over before she turned off the camera and left the room. Ford could get it later.
Elizabeth stretched, being on Earth, back in the SGC, seemed oddly surreal. The fact that Janet Fraiser was once again absent from the infirmary when she arrived only brought forth the uneasy reminder of her 'fantasy' trip back.
"Everything seems to be in order, Dr. Weir. You're free to go." Dr. Carolyn Lam said as she pushed back the curtain.
"Thank you." As Elizabeth hopped off of the hospital bed she turned, "You don't by any chance know what time Dr. Fraiser will be coming on, do you?"
The woman paused briefly, "I'm sorry, Dr. Weir. Dr. Fraiser is away for a few days. She won't be back until Monday."
"Thank you."
Two weeks. She would only be on Earth for two weeks and she had to wait four days to speak with one of the two people that she needed to.
Janet's absence leaving her with no other option, and all of her immediate responsibilities handled, she left the base for 'home' and some fresh clothes.
Sitting in the corner of the commissary, coffee cup in hand, Elizabeth stared at nothing in particular.
The weekend had been one of the longest of her life. Simon wasn't going to Atlantis with her on the return trip. It was terrible news – as far as she was concerned – for the medical staff, but in some small way she was almost relieved. While her feelings for him were far from what they once were, the realization that he had moved on had stung.
To make matters worse, she had no idea what she was going to do or say when she came across Janet Fraiser. After so many goodbyes would the woman even give her the time of day knowing she'd only be leaving again?
"Does it feel good to be home?"
Elizabeth started, then couldn't help the smile that sprung to her face at the close voice as the woman from her thoughts took a seat across from her, setting a tray with coffee and a small bowl of cereal in front of her.
"Would it sound odd if I told you it didn't feel very much like 'home' at all?" She asked, turning in her chair so she could fully face Janet.
Smiling, Janet shook her head around a mouthful of cheerios.
"Not at all. Sam told me once years ago, that at times her house seems more alien to her than some of the worlds she visits."
Elizabeth nodded; her expression pensive. "There are times I can't believe we've been gone a full year and then there are times I can't believe it's only been a year."
"What's the thing you missed the most?"
Elizabeth laughed lightly at the scientific tone to Janet's voice. "This, actually."
Janet looked up from her breakfast questioningly.
"Our chats over coffee. The Athosian equivalent isn't bad but it's not the same, and there's no comparison with the company."
Janet blushed slightly and continued to eat her breakfast. Elizabeth stared at her coffee for a few moments and then decided it was now or never.
"Listen, I know you won't join the expedition and go back to Atlantis with me, so I won't bother asking. But if you're not against the idea, I would like to spend time with you while I'm here."
Janet looked around cautiously before replying. "I'm not against the idea… just a little… reserved."
Smiling, Elizabeth nodded. "I would say that I'd cook you dinner, but I asked the General to have the Air Force make the arrangements to sell my half of the house to Simon. I won't be needing a place on Earth that much it seems, and it will be one less 'loose-end' for him to have to explain." Pausing for a moment, she swallowed the last of her coffee. "How about if we go out? There used to be this great Thai place."
Slowly, Janet nodded. "You know, if you have things that you're not taking to Atlantis and you don't want to get rid of, or have them collecting dust in some military storage facility, I could always hold onto them for you. Cassie's room doesn't have a lot in it anymore and the spare room is almost completely empty. And that way you don't have to stay on base the whole time you're back."
Elizabeth wasn't sure what to say. "If you're sure… it wouldn't be much."
~ 1 week later ~
Elizabeth sat on the back porch, coffee cup in hand and an afghan over her shoulders. It had been so long she had almost forgotten what the Springs could be like at night, how quickly the temperature could drop.
The back door to the house opened and she didn't need to turn around to know Janet had followed her out.
"I'm sorry; I didn't want to wake you."
"You didn't."
Janet sat on the bench beside her and moved the covering so that it protected both of them from the night chill.
"I was lying in bed thinking."
Elizabeth felt her brow arch. "That's never good."
Janet took the coffee cup from her hand, gently taking a sip before handing it back. "You need creamer in that."
Smiling, Elizabeth took another sip of her own. "What were you thinking about?"
She felt Janet shrug against her. "This past week. Everything that's happened. And how Atlantis really isn't all that far away in the grand scheme of things any more."
"Oh?"
Elizabeth shifted slightly, moving her arm so that she could look down at the smaller woman more closely. Janet took the opportunity to shift against Elizabeth's side, drawing her legs up onto the bench beside her.
"Well, it's only an 18 day trip on the Daedalus and General Landry has been saying that they're considering ninety day rotations for some of the staff. And I know Sam was eager as anything to get her hands on some of the information that McKay brought back. I'm sure between the two of them and with the Asgard's help we could be moving back and forth between Atlantis and the SGC in no time within the next few years."
The two women sat quietly for a moment, Elizabeth holding Janet the slightest bit closer with her arm. "Ninety days is still a while to be away from home…" She said softly into Janet's hair.
The smaller woman shrugged again, tilting her head up to meet her gaze. "It's far from perfect, but at least it's something."
Leaning down Elizabeth kissed her softly. "Regardless, no more goodbyes."
Janet smiled, returning the kiss with one of her own before standing up, the afghan falling from her shoulders as she held out a hand to Elizabeth. "Come on, let's get back to bed. Somewhere I have one of those Nature's Sounds CDs. You can fall asleep listening to the ocean like you're used to."
Taking Janet's hand Elizabeth smiled. She wasn't sure how Janet had pinpointed exactly what had been causing her sleeping problem when it seemed like even she wasn't sure, but it did seem credible. And Janet was right, the possibilities before them were far from perfect, but it might be the best chance they'd had yet.