Stargate SG1 is somebody else's, probably MGM/Gekko Corp/Sci-Fi, and I freely admit that whoever's it is, I'm borrowing their show and they retain all rights, etc.
Author's Note: Gen. Sam and Janet friendship. Written for the femme_fic community ficathon on LJ. Set S2 of SG1, spoilers for around that time. Thanks to Denise for the beta as always.
No Regrets
The campfire crackled and popped, sparks flying into the dark sky as a log shifted and crumbled.
Janet Fraiser took a moment to poke at the flames before sitting back on the wide bench that she and her daughter, Cassie, had dragged to the spot while their remaining camping companion, Samantha Carter, had pitched the tents. Janet cast a look toward one tent where Cassie was tucked up in a sleeping bag, asleep as soon as her head had hit the travel pillow.
The park was tucked into the base of the mountains. It had worked hard to create a family-friendly, safe environment in the great outdoors. The base campsite was huge, providing plenty of privacy but it had showers and toilets, a small shop and diner, and was regularly patrolled by wardens. Janet had figured it was a perfect spot for Cassie's first camping trip on Earth.
Sam handed her a tin mug of coffee laced with something alcoholic. Janet breathed in the aroma before she took a swallow and felt the burn of whiskey. There was just enough to make the coffee interesting; not enough that either she or Sam would be hampered in an emergency.
'I've been meaning to say thanks for inviting me.' Sam murmured beside her.
Janet glanced over at her friend. They were both dressed in sturdy hiking boots; denim jeans; cotton shirts with large woolly fleeces over the top. Sam's short blonde hair was a mess; rumpled by the breeze and the day's work. Her face glowed in the firelight; flames and shadows dancing across the classically beautiful planes of her face. There was a small smear of dirt by her left cheekbone and Janet held back the mothering instinct that made her want to lean over and wipe it away. She took another sip of her coffee.
'You're welcome.' Janet said dryly. 'But I feel that should be completely honest and confess that I had an ulterior motive.'
Sam smiled. 'The leaving me to the tents kind of gave that away.'
Janet gave a throaty laugh. 'You should have seen me in basic training. I swear the Sergeant almost broke his larynx yelling at me.' She took a breath and screwed up her face. ''That's not the way you pitch a tent, Fraiser!'' She almost had the bark down pat.
Sam laughed. 'I don't mind. It's kind of nice to be staking a tent out on, uh...'
'American soil?' Janet suggested, understanding why Sam had trailed off so abruptly. There was no-one in the immediate area but neither of them was going to start talking about classified information in an open environment.
'That'll work.' Sam agreed. She took a large swallow of her own coffee. 'So, Cassie told me this is some kind of Fraiser tradition?'
'Yeah,' Janet breathed in the scent of the coffee and the whiskey mingling with the pine around them; the wood-smoke from the fire and the dirt at their feet. 'When my Mom wants to spend time with us, she always takes us on a camping trip.' She frowned. 'Come to think of it, she's never let me pitch a tent either.'
'My Mom took me for manicures.' Sam remembered fondly. 'And we always had lunch at this little cafe afterwards. Just us girls.'
Somehow, Janet believed the last three words were probably a quote. She and Sam had established a good friendship and Janet was aware that Sam's mother had died when Sam was a teenager.
'Cassie's thrilled that you're doing this with her.' Sam murmured.
And there it was: the rush of jealousy because Cassie had shared her delight with Sam when she'd barely said two words to Janet about it. As much as it hurt Janet to admit it, almost a year after their rescue of the small Hankan girl, and even after Sam's episode with Jolinar, Cassie still preferred Sam. Or any other member of SG1. Despite the fact that it had been Janet who had adopted her; who had stepped in to parent her.
'I think she's more thrilled that you came with us.' Janet said evenly, fighting to keep her jealousy out of her voice. It had been Cassie's first question: 'Can Sam come with us?' She wrapped her hands around the mug.
Sam snickered suddenly and Janet looked at her curiously.
'I was remembering the guys' faces when you told them they couldn't crash.' Sam explained.
'Unless you've changed sex overnight, Colonel, and Lord knows that's probably going to happen at some point around here knowing my luck, I think you'll find you all have the wrong equipment, sir.' Janet drawled as she slapped the file into the cabinet and shut the drawer with a clang.
'Daniel has regular PMS and Teal'c's the biggest gossip on base.' Jack O'Neill wheedled. 'Doesn't that count?'
'Hey!' Daniel Jackson protested.
Teal'c raised an eyebrow, silently promising Jack that there would be retribution later.
'Women only.' Janet decreed, her arms folded over her white medical coat.
Jack glowered but sighed. 'Fine.'
'They were a picture.' Janet was very fond of all of SG1 and her daughter adored them all - unsurprisingly as they had saved Cassie's life. But sometimes when they were around, it was as though Janet ceased to exist for Cassie. Stupid, Janet thought, to be so jealous of them all when she was the one who was there for Cassie every day; who tucked her into bed; who got to see her when she woke up. Maybe the Colonel understood. Jack had lost one child and sometimes she would catch him looking at her and Cassie with a certain look, pain and longing flitting through his dark eyes.
Janet knew the look; she'd seen a variation of it on her own face too many times after she realised that she couldn't have children. Nobody at the SGC knew except Phil Warner, and that was only because he was her doctor. It had been the final nail in the coffin of her marriage - Will had definitely subscribed to wanting his wife barefoot and pregnant. Sometimes she wondered what she had seen in him and then she remembered the great sex. She had done her grieving for her potential motherhood and her failed marriage with her own mother on a camping trip. She could still remember her Momma's words ringing in her ears:
'Don't regret living and learning, Janet. Life is all about making choices and dealing with the hand you're dealt. If all you end up with is regrets, that's not a life to remember.'
It had been the echo of that advice that had her signing up to work at the SGC and Janet wondered idly as she stared into the fire if it hadn't made her impetuously offer to adopt Cassie. That and a deep well of maternal longing pent up from believing she wouldn't ever be a mother herself. She knew she couldn't replace the mother Cassie had lost, but she hoped that maybe the two of them could find some peace with each other. But a year on, Cassie was polite and friendly, but she hadn't let Janet any closer than that. Janet shook away her disappointment and reminded herself of what the therapist had said; it would take time for Cassie to completely accept her, not to push it.
'You OK?' Sam asked, breaking into Janet's thoughts.
'Just tired.' Janet covered.
Sam nodded, although there was an expression on her face that said that she didn't quite believe Janet. 'So what usually happens on these camping trips?'
'The only rule is we have fun.' Janet replied firmly. They had planned a hike into the mountains on a challenging trail the next day; they'd stay overnight at one of the park's hiker stops and make their way back down in the morning. Despite her banning the rest of the SG1, she'd made the Colonel aware of the plan and provided him with the maps just in case. He was looking after Cassie's dog for the weekend since the park only allowed guide dogs.
'Sounds good to me.' Sam yawned and stretched. 'I think I might turn in. We need an early start.'
'Good plan.' Janet agreed. 'I'll bank the fire and head in myself.' She waited until Sam had disappeared into the single tent before moving.
The trip would be good for her and Cassie, Janet determined positively as she dealt with the fire. They had Sam to provide a buffer and act as a catalyst for bonding; Cassie and Sam had a bond, Sam and Janet had a friendship, and Janet and Cassie had something, however nebulous. They could - would - build on it.
It was her final thought before she entered the tent and zipped it up for the night.
o-O-o
Sam enjoyed the outdoors which was a good thing given her job consisted of a lot of camping trips and tromping through fields and forests. But it had been a long time since she had camped out on Earth and the difference had been startling her ever since Janet had driven into the park the night before.
For one thing, a campsite with hot and cold running water beat a patch of defensible ground and an ice-cold stream within walking distance (if they were that lucky) hands down. Then, Janet had pulled out luxuries like air mattresses and travel pillows. It was the most comfortable she'd been camping ever. Her Dad had never thought about that kind of stuff either, Sam remembered fondly.
Her heart skipped a beat and she tried to blame it on the steep path they were in the middle of hiking but truthfully she knew it was just because she had come so close to losing him. He was so stubborn. He'd only told her about the cancer grudgingly; refused any attempt to stay with him as fussing. There was something about almost losing her only remaining parent that scared Sam more than facing a battalion of Jaffa. But Jacob Carter was alive - thanks to the Tok'ra.
Sam's lips twisted into a grimace.
She really didn't know how she felt about the Tok'ra. Almost immediately she felt the whisper of my people and home but she knew those feelings were Jolinar's not hers.
Jolinar.
The Tok'ra symbiote who had turned her life upside and down. She wasn't the same Sam Carter who had stopped to help an injured man escape a Goa'uld attack. She was changed; physically, emotionally. It had been a long recovery. Her team had helped. She had no idea what she would have done without the three men surrounding her with support.
Meeting the Tok'ra had also helped, seeing the people in her dreams for real and finding a context for the half-thoughts and memories that drifted through her at times. Sam knew deep down that they were on the good side even if Jolinar herself had been ruthless in taking what she needed to survive. It had helped more that her Dad had joined with one of their symbiotes willingly to save his own life and act as liaison between their people; that his symbiote Selmak seemed the opposite of Jolinar.
Sam's eyes flickered up the path to where Cassie was walking, her freckled face alight with pleasure. She was so lucky that the little girl had accepted her back into her life after what Jolinar had done. She closed her eyes briefly at the memory of Jolinar threatening Cassie using Sam's voice and body to do it; of herself screaming impotently inside her own head at Jolinar to leave Cassie alone.
God.
Sam stopped and took a breath. She looked out unseeingly at the vista to give the impression she was just enjoying the view. It was a spectacular view.
Her eyes caught movement further down the path and she studied the dull shimmer of two matching green parkas. A couple, maybe? Or buddies? She frowned Janet had talked with the park ranger before the trip and they'd checked again before setting out that they would be the only ones on the trail; the only ones to use the cabin. Of course, that could have changed in the few hours they had set off; there was no way of reserving the trail specifically for them and it was entirely possible someone else had decided to try the same hike. It was just unfortunate.
'Sam?'
Janet pulled Sam away from her thoughts and Sam smiled apologetically as she caught up with her friend.
'What's up?' Janet asked, panting a little.
'Hikers further down the path.' Sam informed her briskly. 'It looks like we'll have company tonight.'
'Male?' Janet's dark eyes darkened with concern. Neither of them said it out loud but they weren't keen on sharing a small cabin with strange men.
'They're too far away to see.' Sam said. She shrugged. 'We can always give them the cabin and camp outside.'
'We don't have the tents.' Janet said dryly. They'd left them in the car, presuming they'd have the cabin.
'We can sleep out under the stars. I can build a lean-to.' Sam suggested. 'It'll be fun.'
'I guess we're getting a little ahead of ourselves.' Janet said. 'They could just be hiking for a couple of hours and intending to turn back.' She waved a hand. 'We could do that ourselves.'
'Yeah, and it's also possible it's a couple of women or a couple.' Sam agreed cheerfully. She shrugged. 'They'll probably pass us by lunch-time and we can see then.' She tried to shake off her worry.
'Sam!' Cassie ran up and grabbed her hand. 'Come and look!'
Sam shot Janet another apologetic look - Cassie always asked for Sam - but allowed herself to be tugged away to look at a small bird Cassie had found in a bush. After patiently answering that no, she didn't know what the bird was and no, she didn't know what it was doing in the bush, Cassie ran ahead again, leaving Sam with the faint tingle across her skin she always got in the presence of naquadah or a symbiote.
She knew Cassie felt it too. It had been the tingle that had given away the presence of Jolinar to Cassie. She'd asked Cassie if she was OK with it once Jolinar had gone and Sam was alone in her own head again. Cassie had said yes; that she liked that she and Sam had something they shared. A miracle, Sam reminded herself; it was a miracle that Cassie accepted her back so easily.
It was also a miracle that Janet had allowed Cassie to spend time with Sam after what had happened never mind inviting her along on a camping trip. And Sam was incredibly grateful to her friend. Sam adored Cassie; had fallen head over heels in love with her in a small room under Cheyenne Mountain when they had first brought Cassie back from Hanka. Luckily Janet had fallen in love with her too because otherwise Cassie probably would have ended up adopted by a couple with appropriate clearance and Sam might have been fortunate to get an occasional weekend with her.
Sam slowed and Janet threw a grateful glance in her direction as she caught up. They set off again at an easy pace.
Sometimes Sam felt incredibly selfish for not wanting to have adopted Cassie. Her reasons all seemed childish and self-centred; her career, her role on SG1, her life of going off-world and into danger constantly; some of it was ambition, some of it was duty and honour to her oath and her mission. But she knew she couldn't continue with her life the way it was if she parented a child. She knew what it was like to lose a mother and she wouldn't, couldn't, do that to her child - to Cassie.
Janet managed it, a voice in her head noted tartly.
Sam frowned. Janet rarely went off-world and when she did, it was usually with lots of back-up. She worked long hours as the CMO of the SGC but she was usually home to tuck Cassie into bed and read her a story; to check her homework; to do the other million things Moms did with their daughters even when their daughters didn't seem too appreciative of their efforts.
Guilt wormed through Sam again. Janet loved Cassie. But Sam could see how Janet's lips tightened every time Cassie ran up to Sam and not to her, every time Cassie asked for Sam and not for her. Sam repressed the urge to sigh. Part of her delighted in knowing that her own special status with Cassie hadn't altered too fundamentally with her decision not to adopt Cassie; part of her fumbled with enough guilt to drown a small army because Janet deserved to believe she was first in Cassie's affections, and so long as Cassie kept coming to Sam, she wouldn't.
Sam did know Cassie loved Janet. On their days out together alone, Cassie would babble happily about her adoptive mother, but when Cassie was with Janet, Sam couldn't deny that there was a hesitancy in Cassie's behaviour towards Janet; a subtle keeping of distance that Sam could see was hurting Janet. Sam wasn't an expert but she assumed it was a way of Cassie protecting herself from another loss and, in a bizarre way, actually proved how important Janet was to Cassie.
Not that she'd said anything to Janet because Sam honestly didn't know if it would make things better or worse.
She believed the camping trip had been Janet's way of trying to bond with Cassie and Sam didn't think she had been on the initial invite list. But she was there and she was determined to help her friend achieve her objective.
'Sam!' Cassie came running up again. 'I have to show you something!'
Sam held onto Cassie's hand as she made to pull her away and brought her into line with her and Janet. 'Hold on and you can show Janet and me together.'
Cassie rolled her eyes but she skipped along beside Sam, holding her hand. Janet's appreciative look warmed Sam and she wished she had done it the first time Cassie had run up to pull her away.
By the time they stopped for lunch, Sam deemed that Operation Bonding, as she had labelled it, was going well; Janet knew more about the local flora and fauna than she did so when Cassie asked what the little white flowers were and Sam had floundered, Janet had been able to answer. Cassie was beginning to ask Janet instead of Sam. It was good.
Sam ignored the faint tug of jealousy. She hated not knowing stuff and looking stupid but it was in a good cause and, in truth, she didn't know everything.
They opened up the sandwiches they had packed. Janet made Cassie eat an apple and Sam ate one too. They lingered, partly to enjoy the view; partly to allow the hikers behind them to catch-up and make a decision on whether to continue or head back.
Sam checked her watch. She glanced down the pathway. She had expected the hikers to have passed by them a half an hour ago. She pulled her binoculars out and zoomed in. The two parkas were right where she had last seen them pause. All she could make out were two green parkas again; there were too many trees and bushes in the way to see anything else. She had checked when Janet had called a lunch break and the parkas had stopped walking a few moments after themselves. Sam had assumed they were taking a break for lunch just like themselves.
Her mind skipped over all the stops and breaks she, Janet and Cassie had taken in the last few hours. She frowned.
'Something wrong?' Janet finished packing the remnants of the lunch into the plastic box and checked around to make sure they hadn't left any litter behind.
'Just wondering where our company is.' Sam said, lowering the binoculars.
Janet raised an eyebrow and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. 'Maybe they headed back.'
'No,' Sam shook her head, 'I checked. They're still behind us.'
Janet automatically looked to check whether Cassie was in earshot; the young girl was fixated on a bush a bit further up the path. 'OK, you want to tell me what's going through your head?'
Sam winced. 'Look, maybe I'm being completely paranoid which, you know, with the job is possible, but...' she struggled to put her concern into words, 'I think they're following us as in following us.'
Janet looked at her blankly for a moment before her face transformed into a professional mask. 'What do you mean?'
'They stop when we stop.' Sam said simply, putting her half-formed thoughts into words. 'They are two adults alone hiking; they should be making better time than we are. They should have passed us this morning.'
'As much as I hate to say it,' Janet murmured, 'you're right.' She looked towards Cassie for a moment and her expression broke - worry and fear all tangled up. Janet looked back at Sam sharply. 'Do you think...?'
They're after Cassie. Sam felt her breath catch; her own fear bubbling up and closing her throat momentarily. 'It's possible.' She swallowed hard. 'Or me.' She bit her lip. 'They know where we're going so they either plan to ambush us at the cabin or take us off the trail this afternoon.'
Janet nodded briskly and Sam was pleased to see her straighten her shoulders becoming Major Janet Fraiser and not Janet, her friend, or Janet, Cassie's Mom. 'What's the plan?'
Sam figured it was time she became Major Carter instead of Sam, Cassie's big sister. She hunted out her cell phone. The signal was terrible. She stuffed it back into her backpack. 'We need to call for back-up.'
'There's a radio at the cabin for emergencies.' Janet offered.
'To the park ranger station?' Sam checked. She didn't want the park ranger; she wanted her team. She was already pulling things out of her backpack and rearranging it, cursing under her breath that she hadn't brought a satellite phone.
Janet was also rearranging her own backpack, hunting out her sidearm and loading it, one eye on Cassie who seemed content watching whatever it was that she was watching.
'We need to get off trail where they can't find us.' Sam said, finding her own weapon. 'Get back down the mountain to a point where we can pick up a cell signal.'
'OK.' Janet took out the map and her compass and passed them to Sam. She bundled her bright blue parka into the backpack, leaving her with a green fleece.
Sam pressed her lips together and did the same.
'Cassie?' Janet coaxed Cassie out of her yellow parka and into a second sweatshirt.
'What's going on?' Cassie asked curiously.
Janet looked over at Sam before she dropped to a crouch in front of her daughter and took Cassie's hands in hers. 'We think some people are following us who shouldn't be. So we're going to head home but a different way that we came. OK?'
Sam looked away. She would have made something up, some lie to gloss over what was happening, but it was Janet's decision and if she wanted to tell Cassie the truth it was up to her.
Cassie's expression screwed up tightly. 'Are they going to hurt us?'
'Not if we have anything to say about it.' Janet said, firmly. 'But we need you to be really good and do exactly what Sam and I say.'
'I will.' Cassie promised. 'Don't worry. Sam will protect us.'
Janet smiled tightly. 'I'm sure she will, honey.'
Sam tried to smile gamely at the vote of confidence. 'I think we should head to that bend first.' She said instead, pointing. 'They'll be expecting to lose sight of us for a long while on that section and there's more tree cover when we leave the trail.' She nodded at Janet. 'You take point; I'll watch our six.'
Janet clasped Cassie's hand in hers and headed up the path.
Sam took a moment to check on their potential abductors. The two people were still where they were the last time she had checked. There was a small chance she was wrong about their intentions but she didn't think so. And if she was then no harm - she, Janet and Cassie would just have a bit of an adventure.
They made good time to the bend. Sam's heart pounded. Her skin crawled with the pressing urge to runrunrun. Janet looked back at Sam and she gave the signal. They ran.
o-O-o
Janet could feel the burn in her lungs; could hear herself wheezing. She took care of herself; used the SGC gym three times a week like clockwork, stretches every morning at home. She passed her fitness quals with no issues. She was in good shape; had to be in good shape. Evidently she wasn't in as good a shape as she had thought. Possibly, Janet mused dryly, running a few miles on a running machine wasn't quite the same as running through forest terrain with a full backpack. It reminded her far too much of basic training.
Sam had taken point as soon as they went off trail. She was leading them in a winding formation, occasionally back-tracking, to muddy the trail before catching them up again. Her blonde hair was mussed and her face shiny.
Cassie was keeping up with Sam effortlessly and, while her forehead shone with sweat, she wasn't panting breathlessly like Janet.
Janet looked up in time just as Sam slowed and gave the hand signal to rest.
'Oh thank God!' Janet muttered and bent over double as she tried to catch her breath. She hoped to hell the bad guys didn't catch up with them any time soon because she could barely breathe. She hooked an arm around Cassie and pulled her close. Cassie settled against her.
Sam pulled her cell phone out again and checked it. 'Still no signal.' She put it back and reached for the binoculars.
'Can we stop running now?'
Cassie's question had the plaintive tone of children everywhere. Janet stroked a hand over Cassie's curly auburn hair and replied with the answer of parents everywhere.
'We'll see.'
'They don't appear to be immediately behind us.' Sam confirmed. 'But we should keep moving.' She checked her watch. 'They'll maybe give us five more minutes to reappear on the normal trail before they try to see where we went off and come after us.'
Janet checked her own watch they had a thirty minute head start on their pursuers, a five hour walk back to the main campsite, and about seven hours of daylight left. She looked up straight into Sam's eyes and saw she was thinking the same thing.
Sam pointed towards their left. 'The going's steep over here, lots of rocky outcroppings but there's plenty of cover. We'll have to walk; it's too steep to run without risking a broken leg.'
'Walking is good.' Janet agreed.
Sam smiled. She rubbed Cassie's shoulder. 'You OK, kiddo?'
'I'm OK.' Cassie looked up at Sam, her face wide open with hero worship.
'Let's go.' Janet said.
Sam nodded.
They set off again. Janet glanced back over her shoulder at the empty mountainside. They had lost the two people following them but she knew they couldn't count it that for long.
The going was tough. There was nothing but wet leaves, mud and slippery grass beneath their feet. The ground was covered in boulders and sharp rocks; heavy, dense forestation all around them.
Sam set a fast pace. She was careful on patches that were clearly risky but she was surefooted and she stopped to help Cassie and Janet where needed. It wasn't the same as running flat out but after the first hour, Janet's t-shirt stuck to her back, her bra strap was rubbing uncomfortably against her damp skin, and her hair was plastered against her face.
Cassie picked up on their tension and Janet was thankful when the result was that she was subdued rather than hyperactive. She had eschewed Janet's hand early on, sometimes going it alone as though to prove she could do it; occasionally accepting Sam's.
Janet tried hard not to feel jealous. They were in a risky situation and Cassie was scared. Of course she was going to turn to Sam for protection because Sam was her hero - just like the rest of SG1. If Teal'c had been there, Janet figured it would be his hand Cassie would reach for. Janet wished Teal'c was there; she wished all of SG1 was there. Sam was good and Janet had confidence in her own ability to handle a weapon but she wished it wasn't just them.
They had been on the move for over an hour and a half when Cassie slipped. It was a patch of dead leaves, slick with dew and moss. Janet saw it happen, life slowing to a frame by frame motion as Cassie's foot twisted horribly underneath her and her body began to fall.
Janet was already reaching for her, her fingers brushing over Cassie's sweatshirt and missing by millimetres as momentum tossed Cassie down the steep incline. Janet's cry mingled with Cassie's own panicked shriek. And all Janet could see was the rocky outcropping Cassie would sail straight over headfirst.
Somehow, from nowhere, Sam threw herself sideways and caught Cassie. Their bodies slid to a half, a foot from the outcropping.
Janet rushed down, her heart in her mouth. Her feet slipped and slid as she made her way towards them. She could hear Cassie crying.
'Cassie!' Janet dropped to her knees beside her daughter and reached for her hand. Cassie's cheek was sporting a large bruise and graze and she was clutching at her ankle.
'My ankle hurts.' Cassie cried, sobbing.
'I know, baby.' Janet soothed, pushing Cassie's bangs back from her eyes. 'Let me take a look at you.'
'I think it's sprained.' Sam said. Her voice was calm but Janet could see that her eyes were filled with concern. 'Her pulse is strong but racing.'
Janet nodded at her absently as she took a deep breath and tried to pull on her doctor persona. She dug out the medical kit she had packed. She did the usual checks; pupil dilation, airway check, pulse. Cassie began to calm down in the face of Janet's usual efficiency.
'Why don't you hold onto Sam's hand while I look at your ankle?' Janet said softly. She moved down and gently examined it. Cassie began to cry again and Janet hardened her heart.
'Hurts.' Cassie sobbed.
'It's sprained.' Janet deduced.
'So, the boot stays on?' Sam checked.
Janet sighed. 'The boot stays on.' It would support Cassie's ankle better than a makeshift bandage. She kissed Cassie's forehead and handed her some soluble aspirin for the pain; cleaned the wound on her cheek. She wrapped Cassie in her parka; her daughter was a prime candidate for a stress reaction. Cassie snuggled into her side and Janet tucked her in closely.
'She's not going to be able to walk.' Janet said, evenly. That they couldn't carry her the whole way went unsaid.
Sam raised the cell phone in her hand. 'Still no signal.' She looked around. 'I think we should find a spot for you and Cassie to wait it out. I'll go on alone and hopefully they'll follow me.' She chewed on her lip. 'Stay here. I'll go look for somewhere.'
'Don't go!' Cassie cried out anxiously, squirming out of Janet's hold to reach for Sam.
Janet repressed the urge to haul her back, shooting a look at Sam for her to help. Reassuring Cassie was more important than who did it, Janet told herself briskly.
Sam crouched down immediately in front of Cassie and held her shoulders. 'Cassie, you remember in the bunker I told you to be brave?'
Cassie nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks.
'Well, this is like then. I'm going to leave you and you're going to need to be brave for you and Janet, OK?'
'OK.' Cassie agreed, hiccupping. 'I can be brave.'
Sam leaned forward and kissed Cassie's forehead. 'I'll be back soon.' She nudged Cassie towards Janet.
Janet shifted to hold her daughter again, pleased when Cassie moved closer rather than resisting or pulling away.
Sam gestured and moved off to find a safe spot. She took only the cell phone and her gun, leaving behind her backpack.
Janet searched for her own weapon, wrapped one hand around it. She felt too exposed at the edge of the outcropping; the forest looming behind them. She looked back up the slope and her hand tightened on her weapon.
Whoever was after them had to have heard the cries when Cassie had fallen, Janet thought pragmatically. They would be able to zero in on their direction; on their location. Sam would only have minutes to find them a hiding spot.
It took a second to realise her chest was tight and the reason for that was because she had stopped breathing, fear rippling through her. She sucked in air and forced herself to calm down. She was an Air Force doctor; she had been trained to fight, to hold her own. She knew how to shoot and if someone even appeared over the brow of the slope, she swore she'd take them out rather than let them get to Cassie.
There was a crack, loud and echoing through the trees.
Janet wet her lips and shifted her grip on the gun. She looked left; right; above her.
Everything was quiet.
Too quiet.
The urge to call out to Sam tickled the back of her throat. No. If Janet called out, she would just give away their position. She had to remain quiet.
'I'm scared.' Cassie whispered, holding tightly to Janet's free hand.
'I know but Sam will be back soon and everything will be fine.' Janet promised in a low voice. She wondered where Sam was. Had she fallen? Had she run into the people following them?
Another crack.
Janet's head turned sharply to the left and when she whipped it back around, there was a man standing at the brow of the slope.
Janet raised her gun and shuffled Cassie behind her. 'Don't move, Cassie. Do you understand?' She said in a low voice.
'Yes.'
'Hey, there!' The man slid down the slop toward them. Dark hair, dark eyes, stubble adorning his jaw; he was young, slim, handsome. The haircut was military.
He was out of range for her to shoot.
'Don't come any closer.' Janet said firmly.
He held up both hands. 'Look, we heard someone shout and it's clear you need help.'
'Then, you can leave, head to the ranger's station and report our whereabouts but if you come any closer, I will shoot you.' Janet replied. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her palms had started to sweat.
Haircut Guy took another step. 'I can help.'
Janet took off the safety. 'I said; stop where you are.'
Haircut Guy sighed dramatically and shook his head. He reached behind him and pulled out a zat. 'You couldn't make this easy, could you, Doctor Fraiser?'
Janet stood up and kept her feet firmly placed. She brought her other hand up to support her hold on the gun. 'Drop the zat.'
'Oh, I don't think so.' Haircut Guy smirked. 'Guess which one of us is in range to shoot?' He waggled the zat at her. 'If you're hoping your bodyguard is going to show up, my associate should be taking care of Major Carter right about now.'
Sam.
Janet's mouth went dry with worry. Sam wouldn't be along to save them; to save Cassie. A wash of maternal protectiveness swamped her.
'You are not taking my daughter!' Janet growled.
Haircut Guy shrugged. 'I don't want your daughter. It's you we're here for Doctor.'
'Well, you're not taking me either.' Before she knew what she was doing, Janet took a step forward and fired.
The gun jolted in her grip and Haircut Guy stumbled back as the bullet tore through the ligaments in his shoulder; the arm with the hand holding the zat would be useless and if on cue, he dropped the zat. She raised her weapon again.
Haircut Guy gave a loud cry and threw himself forward.
Janet fired another shot but it missed; bouncing off the bark of a tree. So close...so close... He was almost on top of them.
She took a stumbling step back, aimed and...
He slid straight into her, grabbing hold of her gun arm with his good hand and slamming her and it into the ground. She let go of the gun. Her head rang sharply as it hit something hard; her vision darkened ominously.
'No!'
Cassie's horror-stricken cry galvanised Janet into action, fighting to remain conscious. She couldn't give up; she couldn't; she had to protect Cassie. She thrust her knee upward but couldn't get any purchase to connect. Haircut Guy grunted as he wrestled with her. His good hand was around her neck, squeezing...
The zing of zat came out of nowhere and Haircut Guy toppled on top of her, unconscious.
Janet scrabbled for breath. Her head hurt. She blinked furiously against the dark. The weight of Haircut guy was pulled from her abruptly and she sucked in a deep breath.
Sam's face appeared in her blurred vision.
'Janet!' Sam called out her name but it seemed to come from a long distance away.
'Cassie?' Janet managed to form the word. She had to check on Cassie.
'She's OK, Janet.' Sam said.
Cassie was safe. Sam was with her.
'It's OK! I've got you!' Sam seemed to be yelling. Why was she yelling? 'The Colonel's on his way with back-up! Janet! Stay with me!'
Janet slid into the darkness.
o-O-o
The soft beeping of a familiar machine sneaked into Sam's dream and made her frown. Why was the campfire beeping? The dream faded away, taking with it the warmth of the fire and the smell of wood-smoke. All that was left was the beeping. A groan had her eyes flying open. The infirmary formed around her; the green walls, the all too familiar beds in the rest of the ward. The scent of disinfectant and medicine permeated the dry air.
Sam sat up in the chair and checked immediately on the occupied bed beside her.
'Ow.' Janet attempted to lift a hand to her head and stopped abruptly.
She'd probably felt the tug of the IV line, Sam mused. She inched forward into Janet's view. 'Hey.'
'Hey.' Janet croaked.
Sam poured her some water and handed over the plastic glass.
Janet sipped thirstily before she pushed the glass back at Sam. 'Cassie?'
'She's fine.' Sam reassured her quickly. 'She's with the Colonel and Teal'c getting something to eat. She has a sprained ankle, and some bruises, but she's otherwise OK.'
'And me?' Janet asked dryly.
'You have a concussion.' Sam informed her with a half-smile. 'I should probably go a doctor to poke you and ask you the standard questions.' She took a half-step away from the bed.
'I am a doctor.' Janet argued, halting Sam from going any further. 'And I know my name, the President and the day of the week.' The latter one caused her to frown and regroup. 'It is still Saturday, right?'
'Still Saturday.' Sam confirmed.
'What happened after I, uh...?' Janet asked.
'Took a nap?' Sam suggested cheekily.
Janet glared at her. 'You're spending way too much time with the Colonel.'
Sam bit her lip but didn't say anything. Janet was probably right about that. She folded her arms over her BDU shirt. 'The Colonel showed up with back-up. The two men who attacked us are in custody. They're not saying much but we think they're related to the guys who took the Medrona touchstone. You were the target so you have a fun conversation with General Hammond to look forward to about your security.'
'He said that. He also said the other guy was taking care of you.' Janet gestured at her. 'Are you OK?'
Sam shrugged. 'I was lucky. I was on the phone, and I moved a step to my left to get a better signal just as he tried to zat me.' The memory of the blue lightening flashing by her zipped through her again. She rocked back on her heels. 'I dropped the phone and shot him.' She waited a beat. 'I think I may have given the Colonel a mini-heart attack.'
Janet nodded sympathetically. 'I take it he yelled at you when you picked up the phone again.'
'Oh, yeah.' Sam grinned. It had been wonderful. 'Although he yelled at me more when he turned up.' She gestured at Janet. 'I hung up on him because I had to get back to you and Cassie.'
That had been a truly heart-stopping moment; seeing Cassie sobbing; the guy on top of Janet almost strangling her. She was just grateful she'd picked up the zat from her own attacker.
Janet chuckled and raised a hand to her head. 'Don't make me laugh.'
Footsteps by the door had them both turning in time to see Teal'c enter, carrying Cassie piggy-back style on his back. Unsurprisingly the rest of SG1 was right on his heels; Jack O'Neill sauntering in with a smirk and Daniel Jackson hurrying in with an abstracted expression that gave away that his thoughts were somewhere else entirely.
'Doc! You're awake!'
Sam watched amused as Janet ignored him to drink in the sight of her daughter. Cassie had been changed into a fresh pair of jeans and sweat-shirt, one foot was heavily strapped up in bandages.
Cassie whispered something in Teal'c's ear and he set Cassie down on Janet's bed very gently. Janet held out her arms and Cassie flung herself into Janet's embrace.
Sam felt Daniel nudge her arm and the questioning look in his blue eyes asked if she was OK. She nodded.
Janet cupped Cassie's face between her palms and smiled at her. 'How are you doing, honey?'
'My ankle hurts but I'm OK.' Cassie informed her. 'Sam saved us.'
Sam blushed at the adoration in the simple sentence.
Janet looked over the top of Cassie's head and smiled at her. 'Yes. She did.'
'I'm staying with Uncle Jack tonight because Sam says you have to stay here. Uncle Jack says I can have ice-cream.'
Sam ducked her head to hide her smile as Janet shot the Colonel a cool look.
'Did he now?' Janet said dryly.
The Colonel moved a touch closer to Sam, almost as though he was seeking cover. 'Just a small bowl, honest, Doc.'
'Hmpf.' Janet huffed. She stroked Cassie's hair back and smiled at her daughter. 'I guess a small bowl couldn't hurt.'
'Excellent.' The Colonel lifted an eyebrow. 'We need to spend time on the shooting range, Doc.'
'Yes, Colonel.' Janet smiled at him but her face contorted for a moment and Sam caught the flicker of pain through Janet's dark eyes.
Sam cleared her throat. With Janet being the patient, she guessed someone else had to be the sensible one. 'We should probably clear out and let Janet get some rest.'
'In a minute, Carter.' The Colonel motioned at Cassie.
Cassie squirmed and turned to Janet. 'Uncle Jack said I could ask you.'
'Ask me what, sweetheart?' Janet said.
Sam looked over at the Colonel who gave a shrug but his brown eyes were filled with warmth and affection; a silent instruction to watch.
'If I can call you Mom now.' Cassie smiled shyly at Janet.
Janet looked thunderstruck. 'You want to call me Mom?'
Cassie nodded enthusiastically.
'I'd like that.' Janet said thickly. 'I'd like that very much.'
Sam blinked back tears. She could see the Colonel grinning madly beside her and Teal'c's warm approval shining all over his usually inexpressive face.
'Cool.' Cassie hugged her and Janet returned it as much as she could from her awkward position in the bed. Cassie moved away finally, gesturing for Teal'c and the Jaffa crouched down so Cassie could climb on his back again.
'We will take our leave of you, Doctor Fraiser.' Teal'c intoned solemnly.
Sam rubbed Cassie's shoulder as they passed.
'Get some rest, Doc.' The Colonel gave a wave. His eyes landed on Daniel who was surreptitiously rubbing his eyes under his glasses. 'Something in your eye, Daniel?'
'Can it, Jack.' Daniel smiled a goodbye at Janet and followed his team-mates out.
Sam was left alone again with Janet who couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Sam passed her a tissue.
'Sorry.' Janet said. 'I just...'
'You're her Mom.' Sam repeated. She felt a rush of happiness for her friend, knowing it was the type of connection Janet had been hoping to make with Cassie on the camping trip.
'And you're her hero.' Janet blew her nose and smiled brightly at her. 'Mine too. If it weren't for you I wouldn't be alive right now to see her grow up.'
'Well, that makes us even because if you hadn't adopted her, I'm not sure I would have been in a position to see her grow up at all.' Sam rejoined. She hesitated and decided to say what was lurking in her mind; what had been lurking in her mind during the trip. 'I don't regret not adopting her, Janet, because I think, no, I know I'm not ready to be a Mom. But believe me when I say that I completely appreciate that you did and she still gets to be in my life.'
Janet held her gaze as though examining it to see whether Sam was sincere or maybe, Sam realised, to make sure Sam believed her when she spoke. 'I'm glad you don't regret it,' Janet said, 'because I've never regretted adopting her even when all she talks about is you guys.'
Sam nodded. She pressed her lips together as she took in the lines etched into Janet's skin; the pallor creeping across her face. 'I'm going to find a doctor to check on you.'
'I'm just going to sleep.' Janet said grumpily.
Sam patted her leg and started out of the infirmary.
'Sam.' Janet called out after her.
Sam turned around, wondering what Janet needed.
Janet gestured at her weakly, raising a hand from her bed and lowering it again. 'She gets to have both of us. I think that's a good thing.'
Sam smiled happily. Cassie had both of them in her life, and she and Janet both got to have Cassie's in theirs. She watched as Janet's eyes closed again, as she drifted back into sleep to the careful beeping of the monitors again.
'Yeah,' Sam whispered, 'I think that's a good thing too.'
The End.