Tegan Chronicles
No Children 6
"What's wrong with us?" Tegan sat at the table after dinner staring into a mug of Pepsi.
"What do you mean?" Janet closed the door to the dishwasher and crossed back into the dinning area.
"Four weeks ago we were arguing over me working late, and how that was why I couldn't live with you, three weeks ago we're talking about having kids and moving in together. And now here we sit, no prospects of kids and…" She let her voice trail off.
"The baby thing was just a question." Janet wondered how many times she was going to have to say that before they started believing it. "It wasn't a let's do it now. In fact if I remember correctly you were the one who jumped into that one with both feet. Come to think of it you're always jumping into things without looking."
"I was looking." She defended herself. "I was going to gather information. Not get a popsicle of the sperm variety."
"But why the rush?"
"I don't know, I can't count the number of times I've cheated death. I guess life's too short, I don't want to miss out on anything or have any regrets when it's over." Tegan sighed.
"Well," Janet stood back up, "I think you answered your own question."
"Do you think I'm crazy?"
"I know you are."
"Thanks a lot." Tegan smiled lightly.
"You can go home tomorrow."
"When can I go back to work?"
"Another week and a half, maybe."
"Maybe?" Tegan whined as Janet turned off the dinning room light.
"I thought you were going home today?" Janet asked when she came home to the smell of meatloaf in the oven.
Tegan stood up and walked into the kitchen so Cassie could play her video games in peace.
Janet followed.
"You said I could go home, did that mean you wanted me to go home?"
"No." Janet pulled her hair free from its bun.
"Because if you want me to go, just say the word and I'll go."
"I don't Tegan," she sighed. "I just thought you'd be happy to leave."
"I'd be happy to stay, at least until I have to go back to work." Tegan pulled the lid of the potatoes she had boiling. "Unless you want me to go."
"Would you stop saying that? I don't want you to go."
That night Janet gasped into Tegan's ear, "I don't ever want you to go."
"Hey," Tegan whispered into the darkness.
"Yes?" Janet answered in a normal voice.
"Have you thought anymore about moving in together?"
"I have, I looked at my finances and I just don't see how I can do it. Not with the housing market in it's current slump. I'd have to sell this place first."
"Is that really the only reason?"
Janet nodded before she realized Tegan couldn't see the movement in the dark. "Yes."
"I found some new duplexes that are being built, would you come look at them with me?"
"Why the sudden urgency?" Janet thought Tegan hadn't been happy with her rental for quite sometime, but now all of a sudden she was looking.
"I go back to work in three days, who knows when I'll have a chance to look again."
"You can still stay here when you go back to work."
"It's not the same." She rolled with her back to Janet and was surprised to feel Janet press her body along hers.
"I know."
"What did you think?" Tegan asked as they left the last of the duplexes she had on her list, and her personal favorites.
"It was nice. A nice neighborhood, pretty nice views, not far from base."
"Would you want to live there?"
"I thought we talked about this?"
"I didn't mean now. Say I bought one side and in a year or two the other side came up for sale and the housing market was perfect? It's in Cassie's school district." She added for good measure.
"It is a really nice neighborhood." Janet smiled. "I don't think I'd mind living there."
Tegan smiled and looked out the window. "Thanks for coming with me."
Tegan cracked her knuckles while waiting for Janet to finish jotting in her chart. "I guess you heard where the spear came from?"
"I did."
"General Hammond locked the planet out of the dialing computer and canceled the mission. I guess I won't get to see any of those dog sized frogs."
"You're probably better off."
"Today's mission should be safe."
Janet nodded.
"I'll miss you."
"I know." She closed Tegan's chart and looked up. Every time it got harder and harder. "Have you thought about resigning your commission?"
Tegan nodded. "I actually tried to once, didn't make it very far. Evidently I'm too popular. I have to lose life or limb to leave the Air Force."
"I'm not surprised."
"Really?"
"Look at Colonel O'Neill; they pulled him out of retirement."
"So maybe if I stop saving his ass?"
"No, they'd probably still keep you."
"True, so am I cleared to jump?"
"You are." Janet closed her chart.