The Tegan Chronicles
Too Busy for Love 2
Tegan tried to help with dishes but Cassie and Dana kicked her out of the kitchen so she went into the living room and kicked back on the end of the sofa. When Janet came in twenty minutes later with a slice the chocolate turtle cheesecake she'd picked up on the way home she found Tegan sound asleep with her head rolled back and to the side. "Guess she doesn't want dessert."
"I don't think she's been getting enough sleep." Dana sat down in the chair.
"Yeah, I wonder why?"
"Don't look at me." Dana wasn't going to give out any information. "I don't like worms, so don't even try fishing."
Janet shrugged. "I was just thinking out loud."
After Cassie had headed to bed Janet shook Tegan's shoulder lightly.
"Hmm?" She opened her sleep clouded eyes and glanced at Janet. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to doze off."
"It's ok." Janet smiled slightly; she liked to see Tegan blush. "You should stay the night."
"No, I need to get out of here." She stood up. "Dinner was great, sorry I'm such a party pooper."
Janet followed her as she stumbled to the front door with a stagger akin to a drunken monkey. She pulled her leather coat off the rack and slipped it on, her right hand reaching in her pocket, her brow wrinkled when it came out empty. She checked her left pocket, repeated the process with her front jeans pockets before patting the back pockets and turning around in a circle examining the floor with a still half dazed expression.
"Looking for these?" Dana stepped into the hallway holding up Tegan's car keys.
"Yes." Tegan reached for them clumsily as Dana snatched them back in her fist.
"Not getting them." Dana pursed her lips into a thin line and shook her head for a second. "You can sleep with Janet, it won't bother me, but you're not driving, not tonight. You're too tired."
Tegan ran a hand through her hair and looked from the short redhead to Janet. Both of the women were close in height and even closer in their bullheadedness. "You put her up to this?"
"No, but she's got a point. You're in no shape to drive, and at least this way I won't have to worry about whether you made it home."
Tegan nodded and shook her coat free.
Janet helped her up the stairs and as soon as Tegan was in a t shirt and boxers she was out like a light. Janet had to struggle to pull the comforter out from under her to wrap her up. She climbed in behind Tegan and ran her fingers through red locks and listened to the rhythmic breathing for about an hour before she cut her bedside lamp off and put her arm around her. Sometime around midnight she drifted off knowing Tegan was sleeping soundly beside her.
Tegan sat in the driveway looking at the house. She'd had a nice night. She and Janet had gone to see some romantic flick that had been high on Janet's list to see. Janet had cried through all the sappy sad parts, and they'd held hands and shared popcorn. Then they'd headed to Mac's to hang out a little longer.
When Tegan made her way to the jukebox a man Janet had seen a handful of times when Tegan had been performing walked up behind her. Janet stood just in ear shot.
"Hey pretty lady." The blonde with dimples put his hand on Tegan's right butt cheek causing her to jump.
"Um, hello?" Tegan cleared her throat. "That's my rear you're touching."
"And such a nice ass too."
"It happens to be taken." Tegan reached around and grabbed the man's wrist removing his hand.
"I know how you military types are, don't ask don't tell." He stepped forward pinning Tegan against the jukebox. "I won't ask, and I certainly won't tell."
"What makes you think I'm interested? I told you I was taken."
He smelled like a brewery and Tegan was about to find out what one tasted like as the drunk man planted a sloppy wet kiss on her lips. She pulled back and slapped him.
"What part of I'm taken do you not understand?" She pushed her way out of his arms and walked toward Janet.
"Maybe your lady friend wants a piece of the action." He lurched forward grabbing Janet's wrist.
Tegan grabbed his free hand pulling it backwards until it was just past a forty-five degree angle. "Unless you want to see how far I back I can bend it, I suggest you let go."
He dropped Janet's wrist. "I was just hoping we could have a little three way action baby."
"Grrr!" Tegan rolled her eyes and brought her foot up, wishing she'd worn something sturdier than her Birkenstock clogs as she made the connection with his groin.
"Ahhh, bitch!" He cried out grabbing his manhood with both hands.
"Yeah," Janet leaned in and whispered, "But she's my bitch."
Tegan looked over at Oscar who was watching the interaction from behind the bar. He just shook his head. He wasn't about to call the cops on her and get his best entertainer in trouble, not to mention he liked watching her take care of business.
After that Tegan took Janet home and kissed her on the porch before telling her she needed to go home. When Janet had asked if they could get together the next night Tegan declined. She could still see the flicker of disappointment in Janet's eyes. She took a deep breath and opened the car door. She hoped this was all worth it.
Tuesday morning Janet appeared in the doorway to Tegan's lab. "I thought you said you were working last night."
"What no hello?" Tegan glanced up from the microscope to see Janet shake her head. "Checking up on me?"
"I tried calling the lab, and when you didn't answer I called security. They said you left at 1730."
"I had stuff to do off base."
"Oh."
There was that flash of disappointment again. Tegan pretended not to notice. "So, what'd you call for?"
Janet shook her head. "I just wanted to tell you goodnight."
Tegan smiled.
"What?"
"That's sweet. Mushy, but sweet."
"Hey kid." Tegan walked into the living room carrying two grocery bags.
"Hey." Cassie looked up from her history book. "Where's mom?"
"Medical emergency on base."
"And you didn't stay to help?"
"Nope."
"Get kicked out?"
"Something like that."
"So, why are you here?" Cassie knew Tegan had been too busy with stuff to spend much time with her mom lately.
"I'm making dinner."
"Need help?"
"You can cut up the salad and set the table if you want."
"Ok."
Tegan thought back:
"Medical team to the embarkation room." The klaxons started blaring as Tegan stepped into the elevator. She instinctively pressed the button for sublevel 28 and got off when the doors opened.
"Kiser?" Jack looked at her faded blue jeans, loafers, and the button down blouse that nicely accented her figure.
"I was on my way out." She explained her lack of uniform. "What's the emergency?"
"SG 9 and 14 came back with a couple staff wounds." He stepped out of the way as Dana came through with a wounded member of SG14 on a stretcher.
"Do you need help?"
"Ask Janet." Dana continued toward the elevator bays.
Tegan gave a quick nod before jogging into the gate room to find Colonel Coleman standing on the ramp with a gash in his forehead. Janet was busy with a couple of medics assessing Captain Buckwalter who appeared to have a rather nasty wound to his thigh. She walked up the ramp passing Janet and put her hand on Colonel Coleman's forearm. "Let's get you to the infirmary sir."
Janet looked up with a frown as Tegan escorted him by.
Earlier in the day Janet had stepped into Tegan's lab. "Hey."
"Hello." Tegan glanced up and smiled warmly.
"What?"
"Nothing." Tegan grinned. "You look cute today."
"Cute?" She hadn't done anything different.
"Yeah."
"Did you eat lunch?"
"Are you kidding? I never pass up the opportunity to eat lemon roasted chicken that tastes like rubber."
"I'm serious."
"So you're here as my doctor or my friend?"
"Both."
"Well, I did eat and I have an alibi."
"I trust you."
"Good." Tegan braced herself against the counter with both hands and took a deep breath.
"Tegan?" Janet stepped forward watching the color drain from her body.
"I'm fine."
"No you're not." She pointed to a chair. "At least sit down."
"Give me a minute."
Janet grabbed Tegan's office chair from behind her desk and swiftly rolled it behind her. "Sit down before you fall down."
Tegan did as instructed.
Janet reached out and took Tegan's wrist between her thumb and forefinger.
"It's nothing, I'm fine."
Janet didn't let her distract her as she watched the second hand on her watch and counted the beats.
"I told you." Tegan said with a self satisfied grin when Janet released her wrist. "You just wanted an excuse to hold my hand."
"You honestly want me to believe it was nothing?"
"You tell me, you checked my pulse."
"I saw you turn as white as that lab coat you're wearing and…"
"And what?"
"I thought I saw you retract."
"It was a deep breath, a yawn."
"You've been working too hard." Janet looked at her for a minute. "I want you to take the rest of the day off."
Tegan frowned.
"Off as in go home, and I do mean home. I don't want you leaving base and going to do whatever it is that's been keeping you so busy when you're off lately."
"Jealous?"
Janet avoided the questions. "I wish you would tell me, but I'm not going to push. I am however going to tell you to leave base and that I will be calling you at random intervals this evening to make sure you're home, and that you're still alive."
"As my friend or my doctor?"
"As chief medical officer." Janet paused for a second. "And don't think you can have your calls forwarded to your cell phone. I know the difference."
"Would I do that?" Tegan often wondered why she even bothered with a house phone, she was barely home anyway.
"Do birds fly?"
"Not all of them."
"I told you to go home." Janet pulled Tegan aside in the infirmary as soon as she had a second.
Tegan indicated her clothing with her hands.
"Over two hours ago." She growled.
"I can help…"
"Two hours Major. Don't make me call security."
"Fine." Tegan pulled her gloves off.
"I'll be calling."
"I'm sure you will."
"Cassandra, we're ordering out…" Janet walked into the house and turned to Dana. "What's that smell?"
"I don't know but it smells good." Dana pocketed her cell phone, and shook her head.
"She's not answering?" Janet turned back around to see Cassie standing in the hallway.
"Stop scowling mom." The teen smiled. "She's in the living room."
"Who is?" Janet played dumb.
"The bogeywoman." Cassie rolled her eyes. "Tegan, who else?"
"You know we could have been talking about Sam."
"You wouldn't have been scowling if Sam wasn't answering her phone."
"Have you finished your homework?" Janet changed the subject, as any good parent would.
"Of course." She moved out of the way as her mother shooed her with her hands.
"Hey." Tegan looked up from where she was sprawled on her back on the couch.
"I told you to go home."
"She fixed dinner." Cassie thought she was helping the situation.
"After I told her to go home and rest."
"Opps." Cassie mouthed 'sorry' to Tegan.
"It took me ten minutes to throw dinner together, ask Cassie. And I've been resting every since." She made air quotes around the word.
Janet turned to Cassie.
"Fifteen minutes tops and she even turned down playing video games with me."
"Oh the horror." Janet shook her head.