A/N: As usual, they're not mine, except for Emma. I made it a two story house...it'll come into play later on in the story. Let me know what you think! Thanks for the reviews so far!
Three days later, Emma was strong enough to be taken off the respirator. Her heart was beating strong and Janet finally released the girl to walk around the base. Emma still walked with a slight limp, her arm still in a thick cast. She wandered up to the third level, where Sam's lab was. She knocked on the door and entered. "Hey," Sam said, looking up at Emma. "How're you feeling?"
"Better," Emma said, pushing herself up on a stool, "The doc let me out for a little while."
"Ah," Sam said, "Well, I was about to get lunch. Would you like to join me?"
"Sure," Emma said, hopping off the stool.
"What's that," Emma asked, sitting across from Sam at the table. She studied the blue stuff that seemed to be jiggling on Sam's spoon.
"It's Jell-o," Sam said, "Here. Try some." She spooned some out of the plastic cub and put it on Emma's plate. Emma eyed the blue substance and finally tasted a little bit of it.
"It's…good," Emma said, taking another bite.
"I thought you might like it," Sam said. "I'll go get you one of your own." Emma nodded and watched as Sam went to get her a cup of Jell-O.
"I see the doc's let you out of jail," she heard a familiar voice say from behind. She turned and saw Colonel O'Neill standing behind her.
"Yeah," Emma said, pushing the sleeves of her shirt up.
"Nice clothes. Couldn't find some in a smaller size," he asked, sitting across from her.
"No," Emma said with a soft smile, looking down at the fatigues she wore. They had been rolled up, but the pants were still too big for her. "Sam's getting me some…blue jiggly stuff."
"Ah yes. Jell-O. The lunch of champions," O'Neill said. "Hey Carter." He looked up as Sam sat back down, sliding a cup of Jell-O towards Emma. The girl took it hungrily and ate it.
"Easy tiger," he said. "Didn't know you'd be such a fan."
"It's good," Emma said, between mouthfuls.
"Has Dr. Frasier said when you could be released," Carter asked.
"No," Emma said, "I don't have anywhere to be released to." She pushed the empty cup away and toyed with a piece of lettuce from her sandwich.
"C'me on. I'll walk you back to the infirmary," Sam said. "Janet'll need to give you your medication." Emma groaned, but followed Sam to the infirmary.
Sam stayed with Emma until she fell asleep. "Hey," Janet said, walking out of her office, "She do okay?"
"Yeah," Sam said, looking down at Emma as she slept. "Janet, where's she going after this? You took Cassie…but, who will take her?"
"I don't know," Janet replied, "Have you considered it? She's older than Cassie was."
"Janet, I'm not ready to be a mother," Sam said. Apart of her though wanted to take Emma home with her. She hadn't spent much time with the girl, but a part of her felt connected to her.
"Sam, just take her home for awhile. It'll come naturally to you. Look at all you've done with Cassie," Janet said.
"Okay," Sam said, "How long until she's ready to go?"
"A few more days," Janet said, "I want her to gain at least five more pounds before leaving here. It'll help her heart." Sam nodded and brushed a strand of hair from Emma's eyes gently. She squeezed her hand gently, then left the infirmary.
"What's that," Emma asked, crossing her legs as she sat on her bed. She watched as Sam placed the black and white checkered board on the tray in front of her.
"It's called chess," Sam said, sitting on the bed across from her. "I'm going to teach you how to play."
"Oookay," Emma said, watching her setup the pieces on the board. Sam began to explain the various pieces, and how they moved. Emma watched intently, memorizing every word of what she said.
"Think you got it," Sam asked, as she finished explaining the game.
"I think so," Emma replied.
"I'll be white, so I move first," Sam said. Emma watched as Sam moved one of her pawns forward, then she moved one of hers.
The game continued, with Sam never having to correcting on of Emma's moves. She knew that Emma was intelligent; she had seen the things the girl had built in the laboratory.
"Check," Emma said, startling Sam out of her thoughts. "That is the correct term, isn't?"
"Yes, it is," Sam said, studying the board. She wasn't sure how Emma had done it, but she had. She had checked Sam's king. She moved her rook, undoing the check. Emma moved again and Sam was able to checkmate Emma's king.
"You won," Emma said, studying the board.
"Yeah," Sam said, "Let me show you how." She went back through the moves, helping Emma understand the moves. Then she set up the board again. This time, Emma won the game.
"Have you thought any more about taking Emma home with you," Janet asked as Sam left Emma to sleep.
"It'll only hurt her when she goes to a new family," Sam said, picking at her lunch.
"Maybe, but it'll give her a home for now," Janet said. "She'll be ready to leave the base tomorrow."
"Okay," Sam said, "We're doing a mission to PX3-579. We should be back by 1700."
"I'll have her ready to go. I brought some of Cassie's old clothes for her to wear. They're a little big, but they fit better than the fatigues," Janet said. Sam nodded and finished her lunch.
"Dr. Frasier told me I'm going home with you tonight," Emma said, watching as Sam got her check-up before leaving the base.
"Yeah," Sam said, "Be ready to go when I get back." She hopped off the bed and headed for the door.
"Major Carter," Emma called as Sam moved to walk out the door. Sam turned and saw Emma sitting on the bed, her blue green eyes wide, "Be careful."
"I will," Sam said. "I'll see you tonight." She smiled as Emma smiled back and left the infirmary.
"You and Emma seem to be getting along well," Colonel O'Neill said as they walked along the planet's surface.
"Yeah, well Janet wanted me to take her home until something more permanent can be found," Carter replied, "I'm afraid she'll get too attached."
"That could happen," O'Neill said, "But she doesn't seem to cringe when you walk into the room."
"She's afraid of men in general, sir," Carter said, "She seemed to be alright at lunch." O'Neill snorted, then walked ahead to meet up with Daniel.
"She's been asking when you'd be back," Janet said as SG-1 exited from the wormhole.
"Is she ready to go," Sam asked, pulling off her helmet.
"Yeah," Janet said, "Let's do your check-up, then debrief." Sam nodded and went with the rest of the team to the infirmary.
"You're back," Emma exclaimed with a smile as Sam walked in.
"Yeah," Sam said, "But, we need to be checked-up, then debriefed, so it'll be another hour or so."
"Okay," Emma said, "I'll wait here." Sam smiled, then nodded before climbing onto a bed for her check-up.
At seven o'clock, Sam walked into the infirmary to collect Emma. "You ready to go," Sam asked, approaching Emma.
"Yeah," the girl replied, sliding off the bed.
"Don't forget your things," Janet called from her office. Emma shouldered the backpack containing the clothes Janet had brought and pulled her ponytail so it wasn't stuck underneath her backpack strap.
"How far away do you live," Emma asked as she climbed into Sam's car.
"About forty-five minutes," Sam replied, "But, I need to stop and get something for dinner. How does Chinese sound?"
"What's that," Emma asked.
"You'll love it," Sam said, pulling out of the parking lot.
Emma helped Sam carry the food into the house and followed her into the kitchen. Emma sat down at the table while Sam unpacked the food and pulled out plates. She poured them both glasses of milk, then sat down at the table. "Go ahead and take these," Sam said, laying two pills on the table. "You need to take them with food."
"Okay," Emma said, taking the pills with the milk. She looked at the food on the table and up at Sam, her eyebrow raised.
"Try it," Sam said, "You'll like it." Emma took a small piece of the food and ate it slowly. She smiled and took more to put on her plate.
"You know, Dr. Frasier has a daughter about your age," Sam said, as they ate.
"Yeah. She was telling me about her today. She's alien, like me," Emma said.
"Yeah," Sam said, "I bet she'd love to meet you."
"I'd be up for that."
"I'll see what I can do," Sam said, smiling softly.
After dinner, Emma helped clean up the kitchen, then followed Sam up to her room. "It's not much for a teenager, but you have your own space," she said, turning on the lights.
"It's better than the infirmary," Emma said, setting her backpack on the ground. The room had a twin-sized bed covered with a quilt and a desk with a chair. A dresser stood against one wall of the room.
"Go ahead and get settled in. I'll be back in a few minutes to check on you before bed." Emma nodded and watched as Sam left.
She pulled off the jeans, t-shirt and zip-up sweatshirt and pulled on the pair of flannel pants and a t-shirt to sleep in. She readjusted her ponytail and folded her clothes up on the desk. She put away the few things she had with her and pulled the covers back on the bed. She sat down on top and crossed her legs, looking out at the stars through her window.
She didn't recognize the constellations or star positions. For the first time, she realized that she was far from the home she had known her entire life.
"What'cha thinking about?" Startled, she turned to see Sam standing in the doorway.
"Home," Emma said, looking down at her hands, "I…was looking out the window and I didn't recognize any of the stars or constellations."
"Maybe we can get you some glow-in-the-dark stars," Sam said, "Then we can make your own constellations." Emma nodded and yawned. The medication Sam had given her was beginning to kick in.
"You need anything before you go to sleep," Sam asked, pulling the covers over Emma.
"No," Emma said, yawning.
"I'll have to wake you up early," Sam said, "We have an early morning mission."
"Where will you be going?"
"To a planet we've already been to. We just need to negotiate from some naquadah," Sam said, "You can hang out in my lab, if you want to. I know it's not interesting, but…"
"I'll find something to entertain myself with," Emma said, yawning again.
"Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." She patted Emma's arm gently, then turned the lights out as she left the room.