The Tegan Chronicles

Too Busy for Love 4

Janet didn't think she'd even seen Tegan nervous. No, she was pretty sure she hadn't. Even when Tegan was doing something outside her comfort zone like a medal ceremony she still exuded an air of confidence. Tonight that air was thin at most.

She'd been fine until they'd gotten inside and she'd told Janet to open her eyes, then suddenly she didn't know what she was doing. It all felt like a bad idea, the wrong way to go about it. She turned to Janet and forced a smile as she put her hands under her shoulders. "I want you to feel something?"

Janet nodded giving her permission to lift her, and she quickly found herself sitting on the counter that divided the kitchen from the dinning room. Even in the candle light she could tell the entire first floor of the duplex was open and spacious. If she turned her head she could see into the living room. "Granite?"

"Yes." Tegan nodded and slid Janet's shoes and socks off.

"Don't want me getting the floors dirty?"

"Something like that." Tegan leaned in and kissed her cheek.

Janet felt the trembling of lips as they fluttered over her cheekbone. "Tegan?"

"Hmm?" She pulled back.

"What is all of this?"

Tegan looked away, definitely not the way she wanted this to go. The candles in the dinning room threw a romantic yellow light that flickered in Janet's eyes. The brown irises that were growing black with impatience, or curiosity; Tegan wasn't sure which, she just knew it wasn't passion.

Janet watched as she stepped back and thrust her hand deep into her brown leather jacket. She couldn't be pulling out a ring, she couldn't be asking Janet that question, not here, not now. Her heart beat wildly. No, her brain screamed, it was after all her logical side. Her heart on the other hand continued its unrestrained dance, leaps of joy and shock all in one. It was impossible, military regulations and all. It really didn't matter if state laws were in their favor, which they weren't. The new president still hadn't done anything with the 'don't ask don't tell' policy. And it didn't matter if General Hammond would give his blessing, he wasn't Uncle Sam, he couldn't keep them from losing their jobs if found out. And she wasn't even sure if she could do the whole marriage thing, again.

"Janet?" Even in the candle light Tegan could see she'd paled. She pulled her empty hand out and touched her cheek.

"I'm still waiting." Janet breathed out, no box, no ring. Despite her brain, her heart sank.

"I guess I wanted this to go differently." Tegan took a deep breath. "I mean, we could just pretend we're trespassing and could be caught at any minute."

"We're not trespassing?" Janet's eyes narrowed on the woman standing in front of her. "So this is just…"

"Janet," Tegan stopped her. "Please, let me explain before you jump to conclusions."

Janet tapped her foot in the air. It wasn't the same as if she'd been standing so she crossed her arms over her chest. "Go on."

"I uh…" She put her hand back in her coat pocket and fiddled with something. "You wanted to know why I've been so busy, spending so much time with Sam and Dana."

Janet set her jaw.

"They've been helping me. While I was putting down the pine floors and ceramic tile they were helping paint. In fact Teal'c help me put in the counter top you're sitting on. Everyone helped, well Daniel and Jack came over and drank beer and watched once or twice. Siler even came over and helped me put in some fixtures in the bathroom."

"It's a brand spanking new house, when did you become a part time construction worker?"

"I was trying to add personal touches, save a little bit of money." She took a deep shaky breath. "Janet the house I'm living in sold, I have to be out by the end of the month."

"Then move in with me."

She wasn't sure if Janet didn't follow or was intentionally playing dumb. "And sleep where?"

"With me or in the guest room. Dana's moving out, she found an apartment. She told me this morning."

"I'm moving here Janet." She sighed, why didn't anything ever go the way she envisioned it? "As soon as I walked in here with you tonight before I told you to open your eyes, I realized how presumptuous it was of me to have done this without consulting you. But… I wanted us to have something that was ours."

Janet slid off the counter top.

"This house is different Janet, its special." She turned around to hide the tears brimming in her eyes, but not before Janet caught a glimpse of them in the candle light.

Janet didn't want to hear her out. She wanted to tell her to take her home. But Tegan didn't get nervous, and she certainly didn't cry. Not normally. "What's so special about it?"

"This isn't really the way I wanted tonight to go." She ignored the question, but took it as prompting to continue talking. "I wanted us to come in and have a light candle lit dinner. I wanted to sing to you."

Janet looked at the guitar case over in the corner by the basket of food.

"I…" She lifted her shoulders and let them fall as she exhaled. "I didn't even… I don't want an answer tonight. I don't want you to feel pressured or anything."

Janet put her hand on her elbow. "So why is this house special? Why is it different?"

"Do you want to take the tour?" Tegan's eyes were drier when she turned to look at Janet.

"Ok." She nodded her consent.

"Well, this is the dinning room." Tegan smiled lightly. "And beyond those sliding glass doors is the back yard, with a beautiful view of the setting sun when the time is right. This is also the last house on the street, and there are no houses behind us, too much of a slope, plus the national forest."

Janet smiled lightly, even if they weren't technically trespassing it was fun to watch Tegan try and play real estate agent.

"Oh, and under your feet, are hardwood floors that were laid with love, sweat and maybe a little blood. They run throughout the entire house except the kitchen and bathrooms where I put down ceramic tile." She took Janet's hand and led her around the counter. "This is the kitchen, with the newest state of the art appliances. Including a ceramic cook top, it's a great selling point. Cassie can't complain and make you clean the stove when you boil something over.

"Uhm…" Tegan reached around finding the light switch. "It might be better to see with the lights on."

Janet tried not to gasp when she saw the black granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. The oak cabinets, it was beautiful.

"This…" She led Janet to a room off the kitchen. "Is an office and behind those bi-fold doors is the washer and dryer. Again state of the art, the only thing they don't do is iron and fold your clothes. Unfortunately the only place in this blueprint to put a bathroom was in here. The other door goes to the garage. The attached duplex is the exact same, basically a mirror layout of this house, except this room has ceramic tile, a freestanding shower and sink, so it's a more a really nice mud room.

"Now," Tegan walked them back through the kitchen and into the spacious living room. "You know what this room is, but I bet you don't know what's behind door number one."

Tegan let go of her hand and pointed to the door that led under the stairwell.

"Storage."

"That's a really good guess, but why don't you open it and see."

Janet walked over and pulled the door open. She looked back at Tegan who was right behind her. "Another door."

Tegan reached around her and slid the door into the wall opening it. "It has dead bolts so the house can be sold as a duplex, or one side rented out."

"Is that why this house is special?"

"One of the three."

"Three?"

"Yes. Let's go upstairs."

"Lead the way." Janet already knew she could never afford this house, unless hers sold. Just one side was bigger than any duplex she'd ever seen. In fact she was pretty sure it was bigger than her house. And there was still the whole issue of the housing market.