For Disclamer see chapter 1

Chapter 9

It was the Saturday of the barbeque. Sam, Cassie, and Janet had made all the salads and had everything ready, and now, were getting changed into their outfits.

Standing back, Sam looked at her reflection in the tall mirror, that was standing in Janet's room. "Don't you think this is a bit much for just a barbeque!"

"Nope I don't think so! It's our barbeque, and we can wear what we want," Cassie said. "Right, Mom?"

"Right!" Janet said with conviction, and then paused. "Within reason for you, though, Cass."

Cassie frowned slightly. She would have frowned even more if she had heard her mother mumble under her breath, "I swear, if her skirts get any shorter!..."

They had all gotten ready in their outfits – Janet in the light pink halter neck dress she had been looking at in the shop, and Cassie in a hot pink strapless dress – when the door bell rang.

"I'll get it," Cassie said, making her way down the stairs.

"Ready to go, Sam?" Janet said quietly, looking at her friend, who was still looking at herself in the mirror.

"Yeah, just not used to wearing a dress," Sam said with a silent sigh.

Sam started to walk down the stairs to the hall; with Janet behind her.

Cassie opened the door and saw the three people she was expecting; the men of SG-1. "Hi, guys!"

Daniel walked through the door with a slight wave. "Hi, Cassie."

Teal'C followed. "Greetings, Cassandra Frasier."

Jack was the last to enter. "Hey, Cassie."

Just as they had all gotten through the door, and had filed up in the hall, Janet and Sam were reaching the bottom of the stairs. Jack took one look at Sam and couldn't move. He just stood motionless in his last position, which was with an open mouth.

The rest of group looked at Jack and Sam, highly amused. After Jack unfroze, he tried desperately not to look at the bust area of Sam's dress, and Sam was looking anywhere but at Jack. Her cheeks were bright red.

Janet spoke up, deciding to take the attention away from the two adults in the room who were acting like teenagers. "The barbeque's out the back." She walked towards the back, and Jack, finding it hard not to look towards Sam's assets in the dress, immediately followed her. Behind him, Daniel and then, Teal'C followed as well.

Cassie took Sam's arm in hers, and gently pulled her outside.

Outside on the lawn, there were enough recliner and deck chairs for everyone. The barbeque was at the right hand side (where Daniel and Jack had already begun putting on the charcoal) and there were pretty citronella candles spread about, creating a sweet scent that flowed freely throughout the garden. Teal'C quickly found a recliner chair, and lay back on it.

Janet sighed with affection at the sight of Teal'C relaxing, and headed over to her daughter and her best friend who were busy chit-chatting.

"…and then Dominic tells him to mind his own business and..."

"And what, Cass?"

"Erm, nothing, Mom. Hey, shouldn't we have some drinks? I'll go get the punch," Cassie said, rushing off back into the house.

"What was that about, Sam?"

Sam smiled, and then explained, "Nothing really. Cassie was just telling me about the goings-on at school."

"So, the men are here." Janet said, trying not to laugh at the memory of Jack gawking at Sam.

"Yep," Sam said nervously.

As if on cue, Daniel and Jack walked over to them.

"I assume the meat is in the fridge?" Daniel asked, indicating the kitchen.

"Yep, there's sausages, burgers, steaks... there's a load of stuff in there."

Daniel headed into the kitchen, leaving Jack behind with the two women.

"So Jack, do you like the barbeque?" Janet asked a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Yes..." Jack said, gazing at Sam.

Janet placed her hand over her mouth to stop herself from cracking up.

"You look good, sir," Sam said, looking at Jack in his black leather jacket, tight black top and jeans.

Janet observed the two of them and the fact that they looked like they needed to say things to each other, without her presence. "I forgot, there are some donuts in the cupboard, that I bought for today. I'll just go get them."

Jack and Sam didn't seem to notice she had even gone, as they were still looking at each other, but Jack had noticed. He wouldn't have said what he was going to if he hadn't.

"I'm so sick of this!"

"Sick of what, sir?" Sam said, startled at Jack's sudden outburst.

He gently pulled Sam into a corner of the garden behind a wall of the house, so they were out of the view of the others.

"Sick of not being allowed to tell you how beautiful you look."

"You can tell me," Sam said allowing herself an ecstatic smile.

"Problem is, I would be telling you all the time."

Sam blushed. "You've never been this honest before. Well, apart from that incident with the zatarc testing."

"I just have had enough of hiding for once. I want to be allowed to tell you,.. that I..."

"I know."

"Let me say it, just this once."

"No... if you do, then, there will be nothing stopping me from telling you how I feel, as well."

"Then why don't we… you know, just tell each other how we feel."

Sam sighed, "We aren't allowed to, you know that."

"Don't you think it's about time, we brought it out of the room?"

Sam didn't say anything to that; she simply looked down sadly at the ground.

"C'mere."

Sam leaned forward into Jack's arms, and he held her tenderly, sniffing her hair. Both of them closed theirs eyes, with the calm that was caused simply by being close to each other.

Janet, who had been secretly watching, wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes and walked off, thinking, 'Something has to be done.'