"Damnit!" Sam cursed when the doorbell rang. She had just stepped out of the shower, running late as usual. Sam had hoped that Janet would be late as well, since she wasn't the one on vacation. Nevertheless, Janet seemed to be the epitome of promptness. Sam wrapped herself in a towel and went to let her guest in. It wouldn't do to leave her standing on the porch. Sam peeked through the peep hole to verify that it was, indeed, her date, erm, companion for the evening. Sure enough, there was the top of the petite woman's head. Sam sighed and flipped the latch, opening the door and making sure to stay behind it.

"Come on in, Janet. I'm running a little behind, sorry," Sam apologized as Janet made her way into the foyer. She closed the door behind her and waited for the inevitable. Janet turned around and her jaw dropped at the sight of Sam in a towel. Small beads of water were dripping off her hair and trailing down the sides of her neck to roll across her collar bones and down her chest to meet the towel. Sam watched Janet watching her and finally cleared her throat.

"Oh, um, hi!" Janet said. "That's fine, take your time."

"The living room is this way." Sam headed around the corner and to the left. She motioned toward the couch. "You can have a seat or whatever. I'll only be a couple of minutes." Sam turned and quickly headed to her room.

Janet watched her go, admiring the long legs and wondering what was beneath that she couldn't see. Realizing that the last thing she needed to do was get herself all worked up before they went out, she turned her attention to Sam's book collection. Most were about space, astrophysics, and botany. So, Sam was a plant lover. She skimmed the titles of some of the fiction books, glad to see that they weren't all cheesy romance novels. There was a fair amount of fantasy and science fiction, and then there were some horror novels that didn't look like they'd ever been read.

"You're looking nice," Sam said from behind her. Janet whirled around to see the blonde in plain jeans and a vintage Atari t-shirt.

"Atari?" Janet asked.

"Yeah. I used to love Asteroids when I was little so I had to grab the shirt when I saw it." Janet snickered and Sam smacked her arm playfully.

"Oh, stop it."

"Sorry, it just didn't seem like something you'd be into."

"And how would you know what I'm 'into'?" Sam raised an eyebrow and waited for an answer from her friend.

"I, well, I don't really. But I'd like to." Janet looked up. "From your book collection I gathered you like the sci-fi/fantasy stuff, and horror, I guess."

"Ugh, I hate horror, but my brother, Mark, keeps getting me those stupid books for my birthday. I just don't have the heart to tell him I don't like them." Sam turned to Janet. "So, you ready for your surprise?"

"Yeah!" Janet smiled. "You said to dress down in the email, so I hope this is good enough." She motioned to her faded jeans and dark green tank top.

"I dunno. . ." Sam took a moment to look her up and down, pretending to be analyzing the woman's attire. Really, she was just getting a good look at Janet without raising too many suspicions. Sam walked a circle around the doctor and got a good look at her ass in the tight jeans. "Yeah, it'll do."

"Sam, next time you want to check me out, you don't have to have false pretenses," Janet said, "now, where are we going?" Sam visibly paled at having been caught. Janet noticed Sam clam up and get quiet again. She snapped her fingers in front of the blonde's face, "Earth to Sam, hey, you there?"

"Uh, yeah. And it's still a surprise," she said as she moved to grab her keys off the hook in the foyer. Janet started to follow her, but didn't. She'd had enough of this walking on eggshells. It was time to get things straightened out.

"Sam, we need to talk." Sam stopped dead in her tracks. 'Great, she's gong to tell me to fuck off and never go near her again,' Sam thought.

"What?" Sam asked.

"We need to talk about what's going on, what's been going on." Janet stood still and waited as Sam made her way back across the living room.

"What's that?" Sam whispered, afraid to speak too loud.

"Us. We need to talk about us. It seems like we can't even joke around and make little innuendoes around each other. Why is that? Why do we clam up and act weird when one of us says something?" Janet wanted Sam to answer on her own, but it was looking like that wasn't going to happen. Sam stood there, suddenly fascinated by her shoes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sam finally said.

"Sam, it's obvious." Janet sighed, hoping that when she had said her piece, she would still have a friend. "The rodeo," Janet said.

"What about it?"

"Sam, stop it! I know it was you at the rodeo! It was you I was staring at and you know it. I was infatuated with you from the moment I laid eyes on you! And if my memory serves me correctly, you seemed pretty damn interested in me too." Janet stopped to see if Sam would jump in, or defend herself, or just say anything. She remained silent. "Then when you saw me on base you did everything in your power to avoid me. Only after I confronted you and practically forced you to take a break from work and relax did you even speak to me of your own accord. I enjoyed night before last more than any other night I've had in a very long time."

"Janet, I. . ." Sam began.

"What, Sam? Why did you just recently decide to speak to me? I had no idea why you wouldn't even look at me. Then I thought that maybe, just maybe, you liked me and were embarrassed or something equally childish. Yes, I'm sure I've had my babbling moments too, but at least I damn well tried to engage you in conversation." Janet was letting Sam have it, reaming her up one side and down the other.

"Janet, stop." Sam finally met the other woman's eyes. For a moment, Janet thought she had gone too far. "I was having issues, Janet. I've never liked anyone quite the way I like you. The mission SG-1 went on a few days ago when we were supposed to be on leave, well, the guy that had convinced the locals he was God was my ex-fiancé." Janet gave a slight gasp at this revelation. She had been wrong all along. Sam didn't like her the way she had hoped at all and Janet felt like a fool.

"I'll go." Janet made for the door. Sam jumped in front of her and placed her hands on Janet's shoulders.

"No! Let me finish." Janet waited, ready for Sam to deal the final blow. "When he died, it was like part of me had been freed. Even though I had left him years ago, he still haunted me. I didn't feel like I was allowed to do anything I wanted because it had been ingrained into me that I had no independence; that I had to do what he said, and only what he said. Are you following me?" Janet nodded, feeling the dread beginning to lift from her shoulders to be replaced by the warmth of Sam's hands. "That chapter in my life is over now, it's done. I've finally moved on, and you helped me." Janet couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"But why were you so distant when we met?" Janet still couldn't quite figure it all out. Why then, if she had helped Sam, had Sam avoided her so intensely?

"I was scared. I was confused. I was feeling things I hadn't felt in a very long time, things that I thought had been a phase at one time in my life. You brought all that back to the surface, but I was still too used to not being allowed to think for myself that I just tried to avoid it so I wouldn't have to think about it." Sam took a breath and Janet seized the opportunity to jump in.

"Okay, but you finally did pull yourself out of it, so why are you still acting like I'm the plague and need to be avoided at every little comment I make about us?" Janet was so frustrated with the woman in front of her that she really just wanted to get out of there and leave Sam to her own thoughts. Maybe she could figure it out on her own if left alone long enough.

"Because I like you, Janet. I really like you. It's different than anything I've felt before and I don't know how to deal with it. I'm scared to death because I've only known you a few weeks and these feelings are overwhelming me!" Sam had said it, and now all that she could do was wait. She dropped her hands from Janet's shoulders and stood there, waiting for Janet to either say something or walk out.

"I know exactly how you feel." Sam was surprised by this revelation.

"There's no way you can understand," Sam said.

"Sam, when I saw you at the rodeo, all I could think was that I wished I could get lost in your eyes every day. I'm having to come to terms with these feelings too. I was married once," Janet admitted.

"What?!" Sam's brow furrowed.

"Yes. To a complete jerk. We divorced because he didn't approve of my joining the Air Force. He wanted to marry me for the money I was sure to make once I was a doctor. Though, when I began to realize that every time a pretty girl walked by both our heads turned, I knew the relationship was doomed. It was a mutual separation but I don't think either of us was sorry to see the other go. Neither of us had really been in love. We did things together because it was expected, but at the end of the day, he'd rather hang out with his buddies and I honestly didn't miss him. The sex was so-so and now I realize why I wasn't really into it." Janet stopped when she realized that her previous sex life was probably too much information. "I'm sorry, I got carried away," she apologized.

"Janet, it's okay." Sam chuckled before taking on a serious tone. "It sounds like we've both got our own issues to work through. Maybe we can help each other."

"Maybe we can." Janet smiled. "I've only recently been acknowledging these feelings I'm having towards women, Sam. I buried it deep when I joined the Air Force, so this is new for me too. But the way you make me feel, I can't think of anyone else I'd rather discover myself with. I know it's crazy." Janet moved and sat down on Sam's couch, no longer able to keep standing after all of the revelations that had been made. Sam sat on the coffee table and faced her friend.

"Janet, I hardly know you, but I'm dying to. I want to get to know you better; I want to spend more time with you. When I'm near you I feel like something is waking up inside me and I want to find out what it is." Sam reached out and grabbed Janet's hands and clasped them between her own.

"I like you too, Sam," Janet admitted, both out loud, and to herself. By saying it, Janet felt like it was more real. It was no longer a hidden feeling, flaring up when Sam was near. It was tangible, almost as though she could reach out and touch it. Sam smiled and let out a relieved breath.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Sam brought Janet's hands up and kissed the back of each one. "Exactly what I wanted to hear."

"So, now what?"

"Whatddaya mean, 'now what'?" Sam wondered if her internal celebration was about to be cut short.

"Now that we know that I like you and you like me, what do we do? I hadn't actually thought this far ahead when I called you on this. Where do we go from here?" Janet hoped with all her heart that Sam wouldn't tell her to go home.

"Now, we go out. I've still got that surprise for you, right?" Sam hoped that Janet did not want to go home.

"Good! I don't think I would have been able to sleep tonight without knowing what the surprise was." Janet let fly a little sarcasm and was rewarded with a smile.

"You're a smart-ass, Janet Fraiser," Sam said. "And I like smart-asses." Janet stood and headed to the door, anxious to find out where they were going. "And I especially like your ass," Sam quipped and waited for Janet's reaction. She was not disappointed. Janet craned her head around, trying to see her own rear end.

"Really? I never really thought much about it. I mean, when I fall, it's always there to catch me. And when I. . ." Sam had swept across the room and planted a firm kiss on Janet's lips. That shut her up real quick. When Sam pulled back, Janet stood in awe of what had just transpired. Not really thinking, she said the only thing she could muster.

"Do you do that to everyone?"

"Huh?" Sam grabbed her keys and reached for the doorknob. Janet huffed.

"Do you kiss everyone whenever you feel like it?"

"No, just you." Sam threw a cocky grin in Janet's direction.

Well, two could play that game. Janet reached out, grabbed Sam's arm, spun her around, pushed her back against the door, and laid a kiss on her that Sam would have never expected. Warning bells were gong off in Janet's head, telling her that this wasn't the best idea she'd ever had. She ignored them and pulled Sam down as she rose up on her toes to meet her, deepening the kiss. Sam was completely dumbstruck and just went with it all, reveling in the feeling of Janet's lips on hers. It was exquisite and Sam never wanted to stop. Unfortunately, Sam also knew that if they didn't stop immediately they'd never make it out of the house. Sam pulled back, banging her head on the solid oak door. Janet snapped into doctor mode almost immediately.

"Are you okay, Sam?! I'm so sorry, I don't know what I was thi. . ."

"Whoa, Janet, relax. I'm fine. I'm better than fine, I, wow." Sam stopped talking to take another much needed breath. She smiled down at Janet and noticed a bit of hair that became dislodged from its clip in all the commotion. She pushed it back behind Janet's ear. Janet closed her eyes, concentrating on the sensation of Sam's hands on her.

"Sam, I think we'd better get going to wherever it is you're taking us, otherwise we might not make it." Janet said breathing deeply, still pressed against Sam.

"I, yeah, probably," Sam agreed. Neither of them moved.

"Come on, Sam." Janet pulled back and reached for the doorknob, forcing Sam to move. Sam, still clutching her keys and grinning like an idiot, followed Janet out the door and locked it.

...

"Sam, I cannot believe you!" Janet raised her voice a little to be heard over the rattles and clangs and electronic whistles of the arcade.

"What?" Sam reached over and pulled Janet closer so she could hear her.

"I said, 'of all places, why an arcade?'" She was amazed that Sam would have thought of something so off the wall. Janet had been expecting to go to the movies, or maybe even a walk in the park. Now, here she was, standing beside the woman of her dreams in an arcade, watching her feed dollar bills into the token machine. Sam leaned down to Janet's ear so she wouldn't have to scream.

"I just wanted to show you I could let loose and have fun. And I wanted to make sure you could do the same. I can't very well date someone who can't enjoy themself, can I?" Sam grabbed the handful of tokens and stuffed them in her pocket.

"Wait, date? Is this a test? Are you testing me to see if I'm dateable material?!" Sam blushed like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Well, what if I am?" she chided.

"Then I'd say you ain't seen nothin' yet!" Janet giggled and tapped Sam on the rear. "Let's go. I gotta kick your ass at air hockey!"

"Pssshaw, you kick my ass?! You're too short to properly work the table. Let me show you how it's done." Sam followed Janet to the corner of the room with the air hockey tables and fed the tokens into the machine. The puck dropped down and Sam grabbed it. "I'll even let you serve." Sam tossed it to Janet.

...

Three games later, Janet remained undefeated. Sam couldn't believe that she just had her ass served to her on a silver platter. Janet had bested her with scores at a minimum of double Sam's.

"I don't suppose I could blame my lameness on being sidetracked by the most gorgeous lady I've ever seen, could I?" Sam tried to maintain a small bit of dignity. Janet turned around to look for the said woman.

"I don't see any ladies over there. I don't know what you're talking about," Janet said with an air of faked confusion. Sam walked around the table to stand before Janet.

"I'm looking at her," Sam said, her voice low with a hint of sultriness. Janet blushed; she couldn't believe this was the same person who had been avoiding her like the plague the week before.

"How about some basketball?" Janet suggested and pushed past Sam, being sure to rub against her in all the right places. Sam groaned, but Janet was too far away to hear over the commotion of the arcade. Sam made her way over to the basketball hoops just as Janet was feeding the machine tokens.

"Basketball, eh?" Sam got a gleam in her eye.

"Yeah, you gonna say I'm too short for that as well?" Janet dared Sam to say it.

"No, no. I've learned my lesson, thank you very much." Sam stepped up to the line and grabbed a ball. She started shooting as the timer clicked down. Sam made most of her shots up until she noticed that Janet was watching her intently, leaving no question that she was openly lusting. After that, Sam's game went downhill.

"You are such a wench," Sam whispered into Janet's ear as Janet took her place at the line. The machine chimed and released the balls. Janet picked up the first one and shot it into the hoop, nothing but net. Sam gawked and couldn't believe that Janet was going to kick her ass again. She watched Janet's finely toned muscles as her arms flexed, thankful that the small woman was wearing a sleeveless shirt. Sam got so wrapped up in watching Janet's arms and body that she didn't even notice that Janet wasn't making very many shots. Sam's thoughts wandered to what other muscles might be in just as good shape and before she knew it, Janet's game was over.

"You win," Janet said.

"Huh?" Sam blinked and pulled herself back to reality.

"You win," Janet repeated. Sam eyed the scoreboard and saw that she had beat Janet by six shots.

"Well, I'll be damned," Sam whispered. She leaned over and kissed Janet's neck. To any onlookers it would have appeared that she was getting closer to speak over the noise.

...

A couple of hours later and few dollars poorer, the ladies headed back to Sam's house, exhausted from all the excitement and activity. Upon arriving, they sat in silence in the car. Sam wanted to invite Janet in, but didn't want her to think she was trying to take advantage of her. She was at a loss for how to tactfully pull that off. Janet, however, had no shame.

"So, mind if I come in?"

Sam gawked at Janet, wondering if she had somehow read her mind.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, yeah, you can come in," Sam stuttered.

They made their way inside and Sam went into the kitchen. Once there, out of Janet's sight, she did a little victory punch in the air, then sighed.

"Sam? You okay in there?" Janet's voice wafted in from the living room.

"Yeah, I'm good. Want something to drink?" Sam opened up her fridge to check its measly contents. "I've got Diet Coke, milk, apple juice, and water." Sam began to wish that she had saved the bottle of wine that she opened the week before the rodeo.

"Yeah, I'll take some water, thanks," Janet replied, her voice closer than it had been. Moments later, she entered the kitchen as Sam was reaching for a glass. She filled it with ice, then water and handed it to Janet.

"Janet," Sam began, "I don't want to sound like I'm rushing you or trying to take advantage of you or anything, but," Sam took a deep breath, "would you like to sleep over?" Sam stood in silence and watched Janet take a sip of her water.

"I don't want you to think I'm trying to get you into bed or anything, but I'd love to," Janet shot back at her and took a gulp of the cold water to clear her head. She would not think those thoughts with the subject of those thoughts standing right in front of her.

"Great! I'll pull out some sleeping bags and we can have a good old-fashioned sleep-over in the living room! Maybe we can work on that getting-to-know-each-other-better thing." Sam all but sprinted out of the kitchen and to the closet in the hall. Janet followed her as far as the living room and moved the table out of the way while Sam grabbed the sleeping bags. Sam returned and rolled them out and went back down the hall and into a room. Janet waited and soon she saw Sam on her way back with two pillows.

"I, uh, hope this is sufficient." Sam motioned to her newly created sleeping area.

"Well, it would be better if I had some PJs," Janet hinted.

"Oh, right!" Sam disappeared into the room again, then stuck her head out, "Are you coming?"

"Yeah, sorry." Janet followed Sam and realized as she walked in that this was Sam's bedroom. 'Bad Janet, bad!' Janet thought to herself when lewd thoughts sprang to her mind. Sam was already at the dresser pulling out clothes.

"How's this?" Sam handed her a matching set of sea foam green satin pajamas.

"That'll work," Janet said.

"Sorry, I've only got the silky ones. I get too hot in cotton." Sam blushed.

"Usually when I get to hot, I go sans jammies, but to each her own. Where's the bathroom?" Janet looked up form the clothes to see Sam blushing more furiously than she had before.

"It's down the hall, only door on the right." Sam tried to get images of Janet naked out of her head without success.

"Thanks, I'll meet you in the living room." Janet strode out the door and Sam sagged down onto the bed. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Flirting with Janet Fraiser was like playing with fire. It was only a matter of time until she got burnt. Not that she'd complain, but Sam didn't want to rush anything. The last thing she wanted to do was push away the one person who had made her feel alive for the first time in her life.

Janet couldn't believe that she's said that. Then again, perhaps she could. She was pushing Sam, trying to see how far she could go without her claming up again. The huge breakthrough they'd made earlier seemed to have opened them up to each other phenomenally. It felt like she had known Sam for years, even if she knew essentially nothing about the woman. Tonight would definitely be a test of willpower for her. Why had she asked to come in? And why the hell had she agreed to stay the night? Sure, she wasn't on till the late shift tomorrow, but still. This was one of the rashest things she'd ever done.

Once she had the pajamas on, she went back to the living room to find that Sam had beaten her there. Sam was already flopped out on top of one of the sleeping bags, propped up against the couch on her pillow. Janet got comfortable beside Sam and they proceeded to talk the night away, telling tales of their childhoods and their journey through life that had, eventually, gotten them stationed at the SGC.