Samantha Carter stood at the top of the steps in the grand hall where the charity ball was being held. It was a one off ball that the air force was holding, in reality it was a chance for people to relax and mingle with higher ranking officers. Jack and Daniel turned just as she walked in and both let out a chuckle.

"I have never seen anyone less comfortable in a ball gown than our Sam" Daniel smiled.

Jack felt a smile creep on to his face and a proud feeling settle in his stomach, it had taken several hours of persuading to get Sam into that dress and it was well worth it. He felt like the big brother that was coaching his little sister. Sam nervously smoothed down the front of her deep turquoise ball gown and started to descend the stairs. Jack was at the bottom to greet her and whispered in her ear

"Will you look less nervous! It's a charity ball for gods sake, you face down hundreds of Jaffa every day and a little party gets you this on edge?"

"Its this dress! I feel so self conscious, I wish you had let me get those pair of smart trousers" Sam hissed

"Look around you Sam only the men are in trousers and they all have the bottom of their mouths on the floor since you walked in because of that dress" Jack gentle reassured.

Sam blushed slightly at this comment and hissed back

"Your not helping!"

"Look just come over and talk with Daniel and Teal'c and will you stop fidgeting"

He and Sam walked over and soon Sam had relaxed and had forgotten (mostly) that she was even wearing a dress.

Sam kept looking at her watch, a nice silver one that Daniel got her for last Christmas, and glancing over the heads of the people dancing on the dance floor. Daniel nudged her and asked

"Waiting for someone?"

"Erm… just wondering where Janet is, she said she was coming" Sam stuttered, embarrassed that she had been caught out.

"Well I'm sure she's around here some where" Daniel smirked. Sam was going to get a surprise tonight and he couldn't wait to see her face. Daniel wasn't the only one to have guessed that Sam had a crush on a certain small doctor, Jack also had a grin on his face as both he and Daniel had seen the petite doctor and knew she looked drop dead gorgeous tonight. Maybe tonight one of them would make a move because while Janet had no idea of Sam's feelings Jack was certain she would not be adverse to them.

The music got a little louder a while later and Daniel suggested a dance, the others agreed, Jack saying he was only doing it to give Teal'c a cultural experience. A lot of laughter later and Teal'c was finally getting the hang of moving with the music and everyone had relaxed with big grins on their faces. A couple of songs into their dancing session the music went quiet and General Hammond walked on to the stage.

"I'm glad to see every one is having a good time tonight and I have a special surprise for every one. When this charity ball was being organised I tracked down one very talented lady to sing tonight and after much coercion she finally agreed so here she is now. Please put your hands together for our very talented Dr Janet Frasier"

A loud round of applause rang out from the crowd and Sam started to say Janet sings? But only got as far as

"Ja…." When her eyes fell on the beauty in the deep purple gown that was walking on to stage. Sam stood pole axed with the bottom of her mouth on the floor. Jack came up beside her and whispered

"Catching flies Carter?" while Daniel on the other side physically shut her mouth for her. On stage Janet had come up to the mike and noticed Sam's reaction. She blushed and looked down then turned and nodded to the band behind her who started playing. Sam realised she would have to move and start dancing before any one else noticed her strange behaviour but she never took her eyes off Janet. The first few words came softly

"Is this a dream, if it is please don't wake me from this high

I'd become comfortable numb"

Sam couldn't believe she had never heard this precious voice before! 5 years of being Janet's best friend and she had never heard her sing before. It was only when Janet came to the chorus that she turned and looked Sam straight in the eye.

"I can't believe you found me

when no one else was looking

how did you know just where I would be

yeah you broke through all of my confusion

the ups and the downs and you still didn't leave

I guess that you saw what nobody could see

You found me"

Sam had to keep reminding herself to breathe, she was dreading when Janet came off the stage because she would actually have to talk and at the moment she thought the best she could go for was incoherent babbling. She was managing to sway slightly to the music which she thought was an achievement in itself, though she hadn't yet noticed the big smirks on her companions face's, even Teal'c lifted that corner of his mouth. However finally Janet uttered the last few notes and a massive round of applause drown out the last notes of the band playing behind her. As she left the stage Daniel turned to Sam and asked

"Enjoy that?"

"It was… I have never… I mean…" Sam stuttered. "Yes" she added weakly.

"Alright! We have lost radio contact with Sam!" Jack exclaimed as Sam turned and even more vivid shade of red. Janet approached them from the corner of the room, she was greeted with hugs from Daniel and Jack and a head nod from Teal'c.

"So how come you hidden this talent from us for so long Doc?" Jack probed.

"No one has heard me sing for a very long time, unfortunately General Hammond is one of them and he obviously has a long memory! Once he made it an order I couldn't really refuse" Janet chuckled

"Well I am amazed you were brilliant you there Janet" Daniel beamed while Sam plucked up the courage to speak.

"Yeah you were great" she said quietly, and gave Janet a hug. Sam's body felt as if it were on fire so she quickly ended the hug and made the excuse that she needed to powder her nose to escape to the bathroom. Once there she gave her self a pep talk.

"Come on Sam! Pull it together, you've been best friends for 5 years. Don't blow it now. We'll go out there and relax and have a good time! ok!" She gave herself a little shake and headed on out to enjoy the music and dancing with her friends.

Some time later Sam found her self sitting next to Janet watching the couples dance their way through a slow song. The boys had managed to snag themselves a lady to dance with and Sam was having a good time just tapping her foot to the music. Janet gave a sigh and stood up dragging Sam with her.

"Come on I'm sick of sitting on the sidelines when there's a slow song on, there's no rules to say that we can't dance"

And before Sam knew what was happening she was holding Janet in a slow waltz, rocking slowly to the music. They stayed that way for a few minutes while Sam told herself that she had far too much wine to control this situation. She suddenly regretted holding back in congratulating Janet on her singing earlier so she leaned down and whispered

"You were really great tonight Janet, your voice is beautiful. You are beautiful." Sam suddenly froze, she had meant to complement her on her dress but it had come out wrong. She pulled away from Janet and suddenly their mouths were way closer than protocol demanded. Sam fled. She ran to the double doors at the side of the room that were up a couple of steps. The cold air hit her like a slap in the face.

"Oh shit, shit, shit, shit!" Her tummy tightened in a knot, she had really done it this time. Janet would never be able to look her in the eye again, tears tried to squeeze themselves out the corners of her eyes. She would not be found crying out here, she would not!

"Sam?" The gentle voice behind her was the last one she expected. She thought Janet would have taken off and never looked back.

"Sam?" Janet put her hand on Sam's back "Sam look at me please" it would have been churlish not to have turned with the pleading in Janet's voice. Sam turned expecting to see anger in the eyes where she saw only confusion.

"Sam I don't understand, you've been quiet around me all night. I thought I had done some thing wrong. But you go and say something as sweet as that and then you run. What am I missing Sam?" She was demanding an explanation and wasn't going to budge until she got one. But Sam didn't have the words to explain, in fact Sam didn't have any words at all, so she did the only thing that came to mind. She kissed Janet. Their lips met and the world around disappeared, there was only these two women, lips entwined. Janet's eyes stayed closed when they broke apart and Sam stood waiting for the angry tidal wave she was sure would come. Janet's eyes opened and she uttered a small

"oh"

Sam winced and opened her mouth to apologise but Janet laid her finger on Sam's lips to stop her.

"Well that cleared up a lot of things, if that was all that was bothering you" Janet reached up and ran her thumb across Sam's cheek. She tilted her head upwards and pressed her lips against Sam's. Sam was still for a moment with shock but Janet's warmth soon brought her out of that shock and she kissed Janet back with such passion that both women felt as though they were surrounded by fire.

Neither woman noticed Sam's team mates looking out at them and doing a silent but enthusiastic jig by the window. All of Daniel and Jacks nudging of the two women had finally worked.