"I'm telling you, we have to get on 287, Janet. That will take us all the way to Ft. Worth!" Sam pointed at the map but Janet was driving and couldn't see where she was pointing.
"So where are we now?" Janet sighed, this was why she hated road trips, she sucked at directions.
"We're on 50, we'll hit 287 if we stay this course, and then we go south all the way though the Texas panhandle and to Ft. Worth and get on I-35 which takes us straight to Austin." Sam apparently had the entire trip planned out and was getting restless only 3 hours into it.
"Sam, you wanna take a break?" Janet didn't want her driving buddy to get too stressed out. This was supposed to be a fun trip, not excruciating.
"No, Janet, I'm fine, sorry. I'm just getting a little sick. Would you mind if I take over driving for a bit, it might help?" Sam rubbed her eyes and tried to fold up the map rather unsuccessfully.
"You can fly jets and travel through the Stargate, but a little roadtrip gets you sick?" Janet looked at Sam with an incredulous expression. Sam just glared back. "Okay, not a problem at all, hon." Janet looked for a good place to pull over and decided on the next gas station. When they got out to switch, Jack came walking up to talk to her.
"Hey Doc, Danny boy is getting a bit sick, so we're going to get him some Dramamine and take a little break." Jack motioned over his shoulder to Teal'c who was watching Daniel intently. Janet was trying to refold the map that Sam had crumpled up in the glove box.
"That sounds like a good idea, Colonel. We'll break with you." She looked at Sam who nodded an affirmative and went over to walk with Daniel into the little restaurant. "Sam wasn't feeling to well either, Sir. You head on in and I'll check on Tah." She carefully placed the re-folded map in the glove box and headed to the back of the trailer. She opened the smaller human-sized door to see Tah there munching on hay.
"Hey girl. How you doing?" Tah stopped chewing and look at her, then went back to her snack. "Yeah, you probably aren't having too much fun back here, huh?" Janet scratched her ears and reached for the brush. "When we make it to Texas, we'll stop and go for a little walk, how's that sound?" Tah snorted and continued to eat. Janet started brushing her neck and back, trying to make up for such a long drive that was not even close to half-way over.
...
"You smell like horse." Sam wrinkled her nose, but winked to show that she was kidding. Janet laughed and sniffed herself.
"Yeah, I've been brushing Tah when we stop to calm her down a bit. I didn't grab an extra shirt, sorry." Janet kicked her shoes off and wiggled her newly freed toes.
"Oh great, and now there go the shoes." Sam laughed and put a hand on Janet's thigh. "Hey, I don't mind, really. Women who ride horses are sexy. Women who ride horses also smell like horse. So logically, women who smell like horse are sexy!" Janet gave a hearty laugh at that one.
"Samantha Carter, it's moments like these that I realize just how much I lo. . ." she trailed off. Sam froze and kept her eyes on the road, her hand still on Janet's thigh. They sat in complete silence for several miles, thinking about what had almost been said, but was now being thought repeatedly by both. Sam gave Janet's thigh a little squeeze and pulled over on the shoulder. Janet was suddenly worried: worried that she'd gone too far, worried that Sam was upset, worried that Sam was going to ride with the guys. Sam looked over at Janet once the car had stopped.
"I love you too, Janet." They stared into one another's eyes and then Janet smiled and Sam started laughing. "That wasn't as hard as I thought it would be," Sam said after a few moments of laughter.
"Sam, you should laugh more often, its music to my ears," Janet grabbed Sam's hand and gave it a squeeze back. "I would kiss you, but the guys would have a field day over that one," Janet said.
"I'll bet they're all sitting and watching, wondering what the hell we're doing," Sam said, still giggling.
"I do love you Sam, I just wasn't certain how you'd take it, so I got scared for a minute." Janet heaved a great sigh and sat back in her chair looking out across the landscape.
"Don't ever be scared of me Janet, and don't be scared about what I'd think or say, okay?" Sam's face was serious and her tone was almost pleading.
"Okay, Sam." Janet looked back at her and started to reach up to stroke her face but pulled back. "Forgot the guys are back there, sorry. I want to kiss you so bad right now."
"Hey, the sooner we hit Austin, the sooner we can relax." Sam waggled her eyebrows and Janet laughed out loud.
"Then what are we doing sitting around here?" Sam laughed too and pulled back onto the road, not noticing that O'Neill had just stepped out of the truck to check on them. He stopped dead in his tracks, did an about face, and mumbled something about women drivers as he clambered back into the pick-up.
...
"What was that, Jack?" Daniel asked as the colonel pulled out behind the ladies.
"Nothing, never mind." O'Neill sighed. There was something going on, had been for a while, and he just couldn't quite put his finger on it. Daniel tried not to smile at O'Neill's frustration but failed. Teal'c sat in the passenger seat and said nothing. Jack looked in the rear-view mirror and saw Daniel's smirk.
"What is it?" Jack grumbled, still wondering what had just happened.
"Nothing, Jack. Maybe they were checking the map or something." Daniel got himself under control immediately, not wanting to give away the idea that had formed in his head over the past few weeks. It was not the sort of thing the military looked highly upon. He had discussed the idea with Teal'c who agreed with him, but he wasn't quite ready to let O'Neill in on it yet.
"Right, checking the map, they never once looked down!" O'Neill was not going to let it drop, and Daniel was worried that he'd still be griping when they stopped next and confront the ladies.
"O'Neill, CaptainCarter and DoctorFraiser were laughing. Did you not think that they pulled over so as not to be a danger to other vehicles?" Teal'c attempted to focus O'Neill's thoughts elsewhere so that he did not continue to seek out answers that he might not be prepared to find.
"Yeah yeah, fine, whatever," Jack said. "It's no big deal, y'all apparently know something I don't, I don't care." Jack thought to himself that it really wasn't his business what Carter and Fraiser were doing in their spare. . . His mind dropped into the gutter for that one moment it took for everything to click. But that was impossible, at the rodeo she'd been looking at Daniel! Or was she? Sam had been right there too. 'Oh, so that's why they've seemed so chummy lately.' It all made sense now and O'Neill grinned at having finally figured something out on his own. 'Well, this could definitely be a fun trip,' he thought.
"Jack. . . Jack!" Daniel's voice penetrated his thoughts.
"Huh?"
"You gotta take this exit." Daniel pointed to an exit ramp just a little ways ahead.
"Oh, yeah, okay." Jack signaled and followed Janet's car out of Wichita Falls.
...
"Are we there yet?" Janet asked from the driver's seat. They had made the final switch and Janet was driving them into Austin. After fifteen solid hours of driving and just under a thousand miles, everyone was exhausted and ready to just be there.
"No, the next city is Waco, then Temple, the Austin." Sam didn't even bother to look at the map anymore; she had the whole thing memorized.
"Next time Colonel O'Neill says, 'We can make it in one day, I've done it before,' I'm so not listening to him." Janet glared in the rear-view mirror, wishing that looks could kill. Teal'c was driving the last leg, Daniel and O'Neill having finally succumbed to sleep.
"Meh, just give him a full physical next go-around, and call it even," Sam suggested. Janet laughed and that thought was enough to get her to Austin.
...
"So, Carter, how was the room service?"
"What, Sir?" Sam was confused and O'Neill was grinning like he knew something she didn't.
"You just look awfully rested is all." Sam frowned, why wouldn't she look rested, she spent the night in the arms of. . . he knew. 'He has to know, that's the only reason for this line of questioning. But how can he know?' Sam shook her head.
"I slept well after a hell of a day yesterday, I could say the same of you, Sir, you look rested too. Then again, you got Teal'c to do the last of the driving," Sam mumbled.
"Awe, are you still sore about the drive being longer than I remembered? I'm sorry about that, really am. We'll stop overnight on the way home, how's that sound?" O'Neill tried to make it up to her, his original line of questioning forgotten.
"You'd have to take that up with Janet, Sir, it's her trip, her horse that would be spending the night in that little trailer." Sam walked away to go have that continental breakfast that probably consisted of a Dixie cup of orange juice and a donut. She ran into Janet just inside the door.
"H-ey Sam!" Janet waved her over to the table. Sam grabbed her orange juice and a blueberry bagel and sat down.
"Colonel O'Neill knows," Sam said the moment she was in the chair.
"Huh? Knows what?" Janet looked confused. Sam looked around the room for the other members of SG-1.
"About us," Sam whispered and took a bite of her bagel. Janet's brow furrowed in deep thought.
"But how? There's not anything that would give us away. We're not even that serious yet, we only just said 'I love you.'" Janet leaned across the table and whispered back. She sat back and took the last bite of her apple, waiting for a reply.
"I don't know, Janet, but he knows. I swear he knows." Sam took a sip of her drink. "Do you think that Daniel or Teal'c figured us out and told him? This isn't the type of thing that the colonel just puts together on his own."
"I don't know, Sam," Janet said, "I could believe Teal'c noticing something, he's been trained to study behavior, and Daniel is an anthropologist, so I'd believe that he could tell also, but Colonel O'Neill? Are you sure you aren't reading in to something that isn't there?" Sam shook her head. "Well, it doesn't really matter. If he knows, he knows. If he doesn't, he doesn't. But I've got a rodeo championship to win, so let's get going!" Janet stood and grabbed Sam's arm, dragging her out holding a half-eaten bagel.
Halfway across the parking lot, Janet spotted O'Neill watching them. She waved at him to come join them and he did as told.
"So, Doc, you ready to get going?"
"Yeah, Tah is probably wondering what the hell is going on. I feel bad for just leaving her at the stables like that last night." Janet was checking the car to make sure all of her and Sam's stuff they were taking for the day was there.
"I'll go grab the guys then, back soon." O'Neill hurried off to the room, not ready to interrogate the doctor yet.
"I don't know Sam, it doesn't seem like he knows much of anything." Janet laughed. "Don't worry about it, let's just go enjoy this rodeo and forget about it."
"Okay," Sam said and plopped down in the passenger seat. Daniel and Teal'c came wandering across the parking lot to see Janet as she was opening the door to get in herself.
"Hey, Janet!" Daniel called. She stopped and walked over to meet them.
"DoctorFraiser, we wanted to wish you. . ." Teal'c looked at Daniel.
"Luck, we wanted to wish you luck today," Daniel finished for him. Teal'c bowed his head in acknowledgement.
"Thank you, it means the world to me having y'all here to support me." Janet smiled and Daniel grinned, thinking that she probably appreciated Sam's support a bit more than theirs.
"Well, kids, let's get this show on the road!" O'Neill clapped his hands together as he walked past them and to the truck.
...
The smell of dust filled Janet's nostrils as she sat in the gate, waiting for it to swing open. Tah was excited about getting to run again, and Janet was excited because so far, her score was the best. This was her last run, and only three others went after her. She nodded towards the gate operator that she was ready and he signaled that the gate was opening. Seconds later, Tah was free and racing down the arena. Janet grasped the reins firmly, but with a light touch, just like Tah liked. Knowing her horse, though, Janet didn't really even need to be there. Tah knew exactly what she was doing, and did it even better because Janet was there urging her on.
A new personal record was set that day. Janet bested her previous score, and the crowd went wild. Now all she had to do was wait. When she dismounted, Sam and the guys were waiting for her.
"Janet that was incredible!" Sam ran up and hugged her friend; O'Neill watched intently for any signs of something more than a friendship. Seeing none, he finally gave up and just went with it.
"Yeah, Doc, you really showed them who was boss!" he patted the woman on the shoulder and grinned.
"Thank you, it's not over yet though. Now we wait and watch." Janet crossed her fingers and hoped that a fourteen point eight four second run would take nationals.
"I am confident in your ability DoctorFraiser, I would not worry." Teal'c remained stoic as ever, still not quite sure what the point of the rodeo was. He had gathered that there was an entertainment factor and that winning involved sought-after prizes. 'Perhaps that is the point,' he thought. He'd only ever had competitions to win respect from fellow Jaffa and Goa'ulds, and those ended with the death of the losers.
"Good luck, Janet, and bad luck to your competition," Daniel said. Janet laughed and turned her attention to the arena. They were down to two riders now, the first having failed to beat her score.
Janet held her trophy, beaming. SG-1 was congratulating her and photographers were taking pictures and asking questions. From the crowd of media people emerged a familiar bald head.
"Congratulations, Janet, you did us proud."
"Thank you, Sir." Janet stared dumbfounded at General Hammond. "How did you get here? Why did you come all the way out here for this?"
"I've got family in Texas, and that family likes rodeos. I flew in last night. I wouldn't have missed it for the world, literally." Hammond laughed. "Would you mind terribly if we displayed the trophy on base for a while?"
"But it's only second place, Sir." Janet didn't understand. She was thrilled to have placed at all and didn't mind not getting first, but why the general would want to display a second place trophy was beyond her.
"One of our best just won second place at the rodeo nationals. I'll be damned if I'm not proud of that! And I think it would liven up the briefing room a bit. Not to mention that when word gets around on base I doubt you'll have trouble getting anyone to show up for physicals for a while. From what I hear though, Colonel O'Neill is already first on your list." He chuckled at the thought of Jack shaking in his boots waiting for one hell of a physical.
"Ah, so you already heard about the drive, huh?"
"Yes'm, and I can't say I blame you. Take your time getting back, okay? I need to get back to my family, they're probably wondering where the old man wondered off to."
"Okay, Sir. Thank you for coming over to say hi. It means the world to me. And yes, you can display the trophy, at least until I find a place for it at home," Janet said and smiled at him. He waved and disappeared into the crowd as quickly as he had appeared.
...
After the award ceremonies, Sam found Janet in the stables giving Tah a good brush down and letting her sniff the trophy. Tah was checking to see if it was edible as Sam rounded the corner into the stall.
"Tah, that's not for eating, silly girl." Janet laughed and moved it just out of the horse's reach. Having not been noticed yet, Sam took the opportunity to just watch Janet. She was beautiful. Her jeans hugged all the right places and her shirt was unbuttoned quite a bit to make up for the Texas heat. Janet had let her hair down and it cascaded around her shoulders. She looked so carefree, like she had at the arcade. Sam was completely smitten with her. Janet turned around to set the brush down and saw Sam watching her.
"So, you like what you see?" Janet unbuttoned one more button, giving Sam a glimpse of her perfectly tanned cleavage. Sam looked around to make sure they were alone.
"Oh yes." Sam stalked up to her, as though Janet was prey soon to be captured for Sam to have her way with. Janet watched as Sam descended on her in three steps, grabbing her shoulders and kissing her fiercely. "I like very much." She said when she broke the kiss. Sam smiled and was about to speak when she noticed Janet had gone completely still. Janet's gaze was fixed at some point behind Sam, and her stomach sank.
"Ahem." A throat cleared behind her and Sam turned to face the source. She knew that cough, and sure enough, it was O'Neill, with Daniel and Teal'c not far behind him. Having no idea what to say, she stood ramrod still and waited for the reprimand.
"Jack, I told you not to. . ." Daniel was shushed.
"Ah, Daniel! Now, Carter, I'm not going to pretend I didn't see that." Sam paled and thought for a moment she might faint. "But I am going to say one thing."
Janet wanted to try to explain, but she couldn't move either, she was just lucky that Sam was blocking her from the colonel's view. However, she could see Daniel, and Daniel looked like he was a bit worried.
"Good catch." O'Neill waited for that to sink in.
"Excuse me, Sir?" Carter half whispered, having not quite regained her voice.
"Good catch. The Doc, she's a good one." Jack grinned at his clever fishing metaphor. Janet didn't know whether to be insulted that she was a 'catch' or elated that O'Neill didn't seem to care much. "If you're worried about me reporting you, Carter, don't be. I'm not about to do anything that would disrupt my team. And I doubt any other doctor we got would put up with my shit, so I can't chance losing her either."
O'Neill moved forward to put his hand on Sam's shoulder. "Hell, Carter, you two have my blessing." He looked over her shoulder at Janet and winked. "Keep her in line, Doc." And with that, he was gone. O'Neill turned and walked out of the stables, followed by Daniel. Teal'c, however, remained with the ladies.
"CaptainCarter, DoctorFraiser, I have been aware of the shift in your relationship, as has DanielJackson. Rest assured your secret is safe with us." Teal'c bowed and followed after the other two. When he had left, Sam turned back to Janet to find her chuckling.
"What?" Sam asked. Janet shook her head and reached for Sam, pulling her closer. Sam went willingly with a confused look on her face.
"Nothing. I love you, Sam. I love you so much." Sam cocked her head to the side to study the brunette. Her brown eyes sparkled back up at her, full of laughter at the situation, happiness of placing at the rodeo, and the love she had for Sam.
"I know, I love you too, Janet. I always will." Sam leaned down and kissed her lips tenderly. Janet brought her hand up to Sam's hair and intensified the kiss just a bit. Tah snorted and Janet broke away laughing. Sam glared at the horse.
"She's mine now too, you know," she said to Tah, smirking. Tah shook her head and whinnied. "Oh really now? I guess you'll just have to learn to share then," Sam continued conversing with the horse and Janet lapsed into a fit of giggles. Tah stared at them for a moment and then snorted again, turning away to eat a bit of hay in the corner. "I knew she'd come around. She's gonna have to share you now," Sam said to Janet who was wiping tears form her eyes. Tah stomped her foot and Sam jumped. Janet laughed again and gave Sam a quick kiss.
"You'd better scram. I know the guys are just dying to ask you all kinds of wonderful questions." Sam glared at Tah again.
"Yeah, sad thing is, you're probably right." Sam turned and walked away. As she left, Janet thought she heard her mumble something about 'damn lesbian horses.' Janet grabbed some oats and fed them to Tah.
"You know, she's right." The horse kept eating, ignoring Janet. "You are going to have to get used to Sam. She's part of my life now, and she's part of yours." The horse nudged Janet's neck and tried to eat her hair. "I'm serious, Tah. When we get back to Colorado, there's going to be a bonding session. You and Sam are going to have to get along."
Janet gave the horse one last scratch on the ears and headed out of the stables to find Sam and join in the questioning. Janet smiled when she walked out the door and found the team not twenty feet away with Sam in the middle. She shook her head, steeled her nerves, and headed toward the proverbial firing squad.
The End