Stumbled on by Luck or Grace

By Geonn

To Janet, it felt like preparing for the last day of school and then heading back to classes instead of going off for summer vacation. The offices she had seen packed up were once again occupied. People who moved through the halls with reluctant fatalism were revived. Not even Kinsey could deny that Earth would have been doomed without the actions of SG-1. Kinsey's recommendation to shut down the program was dismissed - shredded, Janet hoped - and the SGC was slowly coming back to life.

Despite the celebrations going on, and all the invites to bars, Janet couldn't bring herself to get excited about the resurrection. She was far too thrilled by her impending date with Samantha Carter. It was hard to imagine a year before, they had practically been enemies. Sam resented Janet, and Janet barely knew Sam beyond a "Dr. Carter, head of science" acquaintance.

They could have easily slipped into an adversarial relationship. Instead, they were going on a date. Dinner at La Hautain, a restaurant Janet picked when Carter seemed willing to settle for a steak house. If they were going on a date, Janet figured, they might as well go all out.

She was in the commissary a few days before their scheduled date, picking at a salad and watching members of other SG units celebrating at other tables. She didn't notice Daniel until he said, "Hey," and pointed at the empty seat across from her. "Mind if I--"

"No, go ahead," Janet said. She sat up straighter and focused on her salad, shuffling away thoughts of Carter for a later date. She looked at the food on Daniel's tray. "Big lunch. Planning on a hike?"

"Yes, actually," Daniel said. "P, uh... P76-843. The UAV showed a settlement three klicks away from the Stargate. Jack wants to check it out, since we'll be going anyway."

"He wants to check it out, or you want to check out ruins?"

Daniel shrugged innocently and took a bite of his sandwich.

Janet smiled and opened her bottle of orange juice. "I forget. P76-843. Is that the next mission or the one after that?"

"The one after next," Daniel said after he swallowed his mouthful. He smiled. "It's nice to have a list of future missions, isn't it?"

"Oh, yes," Janet said. "I almost hate to admit it, but I would miss all this action stuff. When the SGC was almost shut down, I saw myself going back to a lab jacket and high heels and working in some emergency room somewhere."

"I thought you loved working emergency rooms."

"I did," Janet admitted. "But that was before I got used to this kind of field medicine. I love being a medic-slash-soldier."

"We're lucky to have you," Daniel said.

Janet smirked. "You're just happy to have someone you can steal antihistamines from."

"I'm not saying there aren't side benefits."

Speaking of side benefits, Janet thought as she watched Sam walk into the commissary. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, "Sorry, Daniel, I know you just got here..."

He waved her off. "That's all right. Go on. Jack or Teal'c will probably be along soon to keep me company."

Janet picked up her orange juice and crossed the room. "Dr. Carter." Sam turned and offered a nervous smile. "I just wanted to be sure we were still on for this Saturday."

"Yeah," Sam said. "I'm looking forward to it."

Janet cleared her throat and looked at Sam's tray. "Sam... listen, I don't want to put any pressure on you. This is just a getting to know each other sort of thing. Where it goes from there, if anywhere..."

"I understand," Sam said. "But thank you. I've been going between dread and being... embarrassingly eager."

Janet chuckled. "Just remember you're just having dinner with little ol' me. No need to get excited or scared." She gestured at the tray. "Enjoy your lunch."

Sam nodded and Janet slipped away from her. She passed O'Neill and Teal'c as she left the commissary. "Hey, Captain," O'Neill said. "You already finished?"

She held up her bottle and said, "Just going down to the infirmary to make sure I still know how to wrap a tourniquet."

O'Neill nodded. "Keep me apprised. I like to know what my doctor is capable of before I pull dumb stunts off-world."

Janet scoffed. "Like anything would keep you from pulling dumb stunts. Um, sir."

He narrowed his eyes at her and headed for the buffet line. Teal'c was smiling slightly and bowed to her as he passed. Janet returned the bow and continued out into the hallway.

That was another thing the end of the SGC would have taken from her; she would have desperately missed being part of a team. There had been growing pains figuring out how to operate under a commanding officer, knowing when to pull medical rank and when to just shut her trap, but they had reached a comfortable détente. She knew how much leash she had with O'Neill, and he knew when she would wrap that leash around his neck and tug. It was a good balance, and she was grateful to the powers that be that she would get a chance to further explore it.

#

"Sorry about this," Janet said. They were walking down a dark neighborhood street, Janet's high heels dangling from the fingers of her right hand. "There's never any parking on this street. You didn't have to walk me to my front door."

"It's all right," Sam said. Her hands were stuffed into her jeans and she was watching her own shoes move against the pavement of the sidewalk. "I'm sorry about your stockings."

"I'd rather throw them out that have sore feet," Janet said.

Sam nodded. The street was lined on both sides by cars and trucks, the sidewalks overhung by high trees. A few houses had decorative gates protecting the lawns, and Sam felt like she was walking through some sort of strange tunnel. "So, you didn't finish telling me about your brothers."

"My test subjects," Janet said with a smile. "Bumps, scrapes, bruises, they all came to me with their battle scars. Like it took some special skill to apply a band-aid and antiseptic. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Just a brother. He lives in San Diego with his kids."

"Ah, you're an auntie. That's the best, I think. The joy of kids with none of the headache of responsibility."

Sam looked at her. "You don't want kids?"

"I can't have kids," Janet said. She waved off Sam's look of concern and said, "I made my peace with it a long time ago. It's easier to appreciate my own nieces and nephews when I get to see them than worry about what could have been. Besides, now that I'm exclusively dating women..."

"You've dated men in the past?"

"I've married men in the past."

"Oh," Sam said.

Janet shrugged. "This new assignment was going to cut into my social life anyway. And if I had to choose, I choose to be with a woman."

"Makes sense," Sam said.

They continued in silence until Janet pointed to a house without a gate. "This is me." Sam turned slightly, placing one hand on Janet's hip to guide her up the walkway. When they reached the porch, Janet unlocked the door and reached inside to turn on the porch light. "I had a really nice time tonight. We should do it again."

"It's going to be hard," Sam said. "Trying to work around times when you're not... on a mission, or the rest of SG-1 isn't pestering you to hang out with them." Janet started to nod, a crestfallen expression on her face, and Sam quickly added, "But it'll be worth the effort."

Janet drew in a deep breath and smiled. "Yeah. I think so. Thank you for a great night, Sam."

Sam stepped forward, and Janet inclined her head ever so slightly. Sam hesitated just as their lips were about to touch, so Janet closed the distance. Sam kept her eyes open, but she saw Janet's were closed. Janet's lips were soft and thin, pliant against Sam's. She shifted slightly, lips parting, and Sam felt a soft puff of air against her own lips. She pulled back slightly, kissed Janet's bottom lip, and then pulled back.

Janet kept her eyes closed as she withdrew, then she smiled and touched her bottom lip. "Night, Sam."

"Good night," Sam said. She planned to wait until she was out of sight of the porch before she even tried to catch her breath, but Janet stopped her by saying her name. Sam stood with one foot on the bottom step, the other on the walkway, and turned to look back up at Janet. She was backlit by the porch light, illuminated like an angel. Sam felt ridiculously like a knight before a vision of Mary.

"Look, this is ridiculous. We're talking about going out like normal people, but that won't be possible in this case. We're in the military. So we're going to be sneaking around, getting dates here and there whenever we can, going through the entire song and dance, and then what happens if it doesn't work out because we're incompatible?"

Sam nodded. "Okay... so... we shouldn't even try?"

"I'm not saying that at all," Janet said. "I'm just saying we should test the waters and make sure we're absolutely right for each other before we go to all that trouble."

"I suppose that makes sense. What did you have in mind?"

Janet grabbed the front of Sam's belt and tugged her forward. Janet pressed her lips to Sam's in a fierce kiss, her body lean and muscular against Sam's. Sam put her hands on Janet's hips and, after the initial shock wore off, she pressed her body against Janet's and let her hands roam. She cupped Janet's ass, which she had admired from the moment they met, and squeezed. Small, firm, a perfect handful, Sam was reluctant to let go.

Fortunately, she remembered they were two military officers on a well-lit, public street. She broke the kiss and left Janet gasping. Sam said, "Inside?" Janet nodded, found Sam's hand, and guided her up onto the porch. She pushed the door open and pulled Sam into the dark front room. Sam saw the silhouettes of a dining room table, the dark slats of a staircase railing, all framed by a window on the other side of the house. She barely had time to register the facts before Janet kicked the door shut and was kissing her again.

Sam shut off the scientific part of her mind and focused on the beautiful, intelligent woman who was currently working the buttons of her blouse. Sam shrugged out of her jacket and tossed it toward the floor, hoping she didn't knock over anything valuable. Janet pulled Sam's shirt free of her jeans and moved her lips down, kissing Sam's neck as she furiously tried to get the shirt open.

Sam moved her hands to Janet's hips and walked her back until they hit a wall. Janet's breath left her in a quite 'woof' and she leaned back against the wall. Sam realized her shirt was completely open, exposing her bra and bare stomach. Janet was using her hands to explore, running them hot over warm flesh, cupping flesh here, making gentle circles there, before she closed her palms against Sam's bra.

Sam's mouth went dry and she swallowed hard. She could barely see Janet in the dim light, her hair untidy and caught in her eyelashes. She was so focused on Sam's chest that Sam wondered if she could see in the dark. Sam reached up and brushed Janet's hair out of her face, then bent down and kissed her lips again. This time, Janet parted her lips and probed with her tongue. Sam took it eagerly into her mouth and sucked, moaning as Janet slipped her arms under Sam's shirt.

Their bodies thrust together for what seemed like hours, Sam becoming very well acquainted with the feel of Janet's muscular thigh between hers. She pinned Janet's leg there, and Janet gave a breathy laugh before kissing Sam again. Sam, heartened that she actually did remember how this sort of thing went, moved her hands to the front of Janet's jeans.

"The bed-bedroom is upstairs," Janet panted when Sam broke the kiss.

"Uh-huh," Sam said. She yanked Janet's zipper down and shoved the pants out of her way. A quick sweep of her hand revealed soft, thin underwear, and Janet groaned. She sagged against the wall, her right arm stretching out to some object Sam couldn't see for support. Sam kissed her way down Janet's body, pausing at her breasts before moving lower. She lifted Janet's shirt and kissed her belly, licked a circle around it, and then kissed her way lower.

Janet couldn't move her legs, shackled by her lowered jeans, so she bent her knees and folded them out so Sam would have more room. Sam ran her hands over Janet's thighs, kneading the tight, strong muscles as she nuzzled her cheek against the crotch of Janet's underwear. She used a trembling hand to pull the underwear out of her way and gently placed a kiss to Janet's mound. She kept her head there for a long moment, breathing deeply, eyes closed, and then she wet her lips and tilted her head forward.

She started with slow, gentle kisses to the sensitive flesh, exploring with her wet lips and the tip of her tongue. Janet's body seemed electric, shuddering against the wall. She could hear Janet's labored breathing from above, quick pants and long, drawn out sighs, and hoped that was a sign she was doing well. She pulled back long enough to lick one finger, bringing it up to brush the knuckle against Janet's labia.

"Yes, Sam," Janet grunted. Sam curled her tongue, seeking and finding Janet's clit. She circled it, drew it into her mouth, and sucked gently as the sounds from above grew more desperate. Sam's finger slipped easily into Janet, so she followed it with another. She put her free hand between her legs, pressing the heel of her hand against her crotch and rubbing in slow circles. The material of her underwear and her slacks provided a barrier, but they felt wonderful against her aching flesh.

Sam moaned, and Janet gasped, "Don't stop..."

Sam pulled back and lifted her head, kissing Janet's belly. She extended her thumb and brushed Janet's clit with the pad as she continued to thrust with her two fingers. She kissed Janet's breasts through her shirt, felt the pounding of her heart, and rested her head against Janet's chest. Janet put a hand on the back of Sam's head and held it there as she said, "I'm coming, Sam. Don't stop. Don't stop, please..."

Sam felt a thrill when Janet said her name, so she said, "Janet, Janet."

Janet groaned, rocked her hips against Sam's hand, and came with a quiet gasp. Sam eased her hand free and looked at her fingers, glistening in the dim light. She wondered if she was supposed to suck them clean; that seemed like the sexy thing to do, right? The decision was taken from her when Janet grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her up. "Get up," Janet grunted, wrestling Sam to her feet. They kissed, Janet's tongue aggressively exploring Sam's mouth now.

They groped each other in the doorway, Sam inadvertently brushing her fingers on Janet's shirt as they explored. Her hip made contact with the edge of the dining room table and Janet said, "Down."

"On the floor?"

Janet said, "Hey, I offered you the bedroom." She began to lower herself, pulling Sam with her. A moment later, they were both on their knees, and Janet pushed them to the side. Sam felt gravity take over and hit the floor with a muffled thud. Janet pushed herself up, towering over Sam, and said, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Sam said, although her shoulder was a little sore. She was sure it would fade. Janet straddled Sam's hips and quickly shed her blouse, tossing it onto the table. She reached behind her, unhooked her bra, and let it skitter down her arms. She tossed it, and the black lace disappeared into the shadows.

Sam was captivated by the first sight of Janet's breasts. She brought her hand up and brushed her knuckles against the outer curve, using her thumb to tease the nipple. Janet rolled her head back and half-laughed, half-moaned as Sam explored. The breast was large, and filled Sam's hand as she cupped it. She sat up and kissed the upper swell before sliding her mouth down to Janet's nipple. She rolled her tongue over the tight bud before sucking gently.

"Ah, Sam, that's so good," Janet whispered.

Sam repeated the move on the other breast, then cupped it with her other hand. She sat up straighter and kissed Janet's neck. Janet squeezed her thighs, rocking against Sam. She bent down, kissed Sam's temple, and said, "How about we get your pants off, Doctor?"

Sam leaned back, flat on the floor, and unbuttoned her slacks. As she pushed them down, Janet lifted herself and tugged. Janet sat down again, her bare thighs warm against Sam's, and ran her hands over Sam's torso. Over her stomach and breasts, up to her shoulders and then back down. She rearranged herself, stretching her legs out and lying on top of Sam. She slid her hand between them, cupping Sam's mound.

Janet stretched up so they could kiss, her tongue circling Sam's as her fingers moved in slow circles over the crotch of Sam's boy shorts. She broke the kiss and moved her lips across Sam's cheek in a series of feather kisses until she reached her ear. She traced the shell with her tongue and whispered, "I'm going to make you come right here on the dining room floor, Sam." She kissed Sam's cheek and pressed her face into the curve of Sam's neck.

Sam closed her eyes and moved her lower body against Janet's hand. They were both panting, Janet's breath hot against her neck and Sam's kicking up the loose strands of Janet's hair. When Janet pushed Sam's underwear out of the way, her fingers brushing against wet, sensitive flesh, Sam cried out and arched her back. She moaned Janet's name a syllable at a time, dragging it out, struggling for breath before she trembled and dropped back onto the floor.

Janet kissed Sam's shoulder and neck, her chin and her lips as she eased her hand back up Sam's body. She played her wet fingers over Sam's lips, and then sucked them into her own mouth. Sam watched, eyes wide and unblinking, and chided herself for not tasting Janet on her own fingers. They kissed again, and Janet exhaled and rolled to one side. She kept one leg stretched across Sam's body, resting her hand on Sam's stomach until one of them had the strength to move.

After a moment, Sam kissed Janet's forehead. She was trembling, her eyes wet with tears, fighting to choke back a sob. She released a tremulous sigh and said, "I'm enjoying the tour of your house."

Janet laughed and kissed Sam's shoulder. She toyed with the strap of Sam's bra and said, "May I see your breasts?"

Sam nodded, rolled to one side, and closed her eyes as Janet undid the clasp. She lifted her arms and Janet lifted the bra up and off. Sam lay back on the floor, eyes still closed. She hated being naked with someone new, always worried they would find some blemish or flaw. She held her breath, and gasped as Janet's fingertips touched her skin. Sam watched Janet as she explored, locked on her eyes. They widened, or closed, as she took in the sight of her new lover's naked body. Janet traced lines all over Sam's chest, down to her belly and then back up to her nipples. She circled each nipple with one fingertip, then bent down and lightly kissed each one. Sam swallowed and realized that whatever she may have lost or given up or had stolen by the powers that be, that was all right. Because she won, in the end. Things worked out for the best.

"I'm happy I'm here," Sam whispered. She brushed her thumb across Janet's forehead, wiping away a sheen of sweat.

Janet lifted her eyes to meet Sam's. She smiled and said, "Me too." She closed her eyes as Sam's hand roamed into her hair. She arched her back and bent down to kiss Sam's chest. "Let's go upstairs now."

Sam nodded and Janet stood up. She took Sam's hands, hauled her up off the floor, and pulled her close. They kissed in the middle of the dining room, arms wrapped around each other, Janet standing on her toes to make up for the difference in their heights. She finally pulled back and took Sam's hand in her own, turning and walking her to the stairs. Sam looked up at Janet as she was led upstairs and she smiled.

All the pain and anguish of the past year was worth it. Screw going through the Stargate.

#

"Are you sure it's just the hair?"

Janet looked up from her file. "Pardon?"

Colonel O'Neill was squinting at her from across the table. He rested his chin in the palm of his hand and shook his head. "There's something different about you. Daniel insists that it's just the haircut, but... I don't know."

Janet self-consciously reached up and touched her hair. After years of wearing it long, there were now stricter military codes to live up to. General Hammond gave her a bit of leeway during the first year of the program, but he took her aside after a briefing and told her that it would probably be best to get it cut. So, reluctantly, Janet went to a hairdresser and had her beautiful, chestnut hair chopped off. Now Daniel's hair was longer than hers and, she feared, probably prettier.

"It's just the hair, sir," she assured him. She wasn't about to admit the truth; that she and Samantha Carter had spent nearly every night of the past three weeks jumping from one bed to another. They christened both of their houses, and one of the guest rooms at the SGC. Janet was surprised at how close they had grown in such a short amount of time. Long nights spent talking about family and career, lying naked in each other's arms as they shared life stories.

All this with the woman who told me to go to hell the first time we met. Wonders never cease.

"Aha," O'Neill said, shaking her from her reverie. She blinked and saw him pointing a finger at her. "That! That, that smiling thing. Smiling for no reason. What is that about?"

"I'm laughing at my commanding officer. He's endlessly entertaining."

Hammond arrived before O'Neill could argue any further. "At ease," he said as he took his seat. Daniel took the seat next to O'Neill. "Dr. Jackson has convinced me that the Nasyan people are eager to set up an alliance with us. Their planet sounds suitable for a research outpost, so the Pentagon has giving the mission a green-light."

"Sounds good," O'Neill said. "Nice quiet mission getting to know the locals, some glad-handing. Be nice to have an easy mission for a change."

#

Janet was paralyzed. Fear rolled through her like the peal of thunder in the middle of the night. She couldn't move, couldn't see, couldn't speak. All she was aware of was pain. Calm. Be calm. It's panic that will kill you. Just focus. You might not be able to move, but your mind still works. She steadied herself with a series of slow, soothing breaths and tried to remember what happened.

Nasya. We were on Nasya, and we were meeting with their leaders about an alliance. Colonel O'Neill wanted me to tour their hospital and see what we could offer in the way of medicinal help. I was there when the first Glider came down. Oh, God, the destruction. They came out of nowhere. I must have... I must have been hit. Oh, God, oh, no. Am I burnt? Am I... what if I'm still lying there? Would Colonel O'Neill leave me behind for the good of the mission, for the safety of everyone else and the Nasyan refugees?

She was aware of someone speaking to her but their words were garbled and made no sense.

Maybe I'm in a hospital. Burnt. In a burn ward. Wrapped head to toe in gauze. All I'll need are skin grafts and... oh, God.

Janet realized that the voice she heard was her own. She listened hard and realized she could feel her vocal cords moving, but... it was a dislocated feeling. Like localized anesthesia, only worse. She struggled to hear what "she" was saying, but it was like everything was in a fog. She knew, suddenly, that her eyes were open, but she couldn't see anything but darkness.

"Please stop."

The voice was like being touched in a room she thought was empty. Janet recoiled, tried to scream, tried to flee, but there was no escape.

"I do not wish to harm you. I only want to use the Stargate to get home."

Janet went still and realized who was speaking. You're a Goa'uld.

A long silence.

Answer me, damn it!

"I am of that species. However, I am not like the Goa'uld you have encountered. I am a member of a resistance called the Tok'ra. I do not wish to make you my permanent host. If you allow me safe passage, no harm will come to you, your people, or Earth."

How can I possibly trust you?

There was a tinge of regret in the voice when it spoke again. "Because you have no other option."

Janet retreated, her body no longer her own, and let the thick, dark fog envelope her completely.

#

Sam reached the control room just as SG-1's briefing was getting out. She handed a file to Walter and watched for Janet to appear at the top of the stairs. She followed Teal'c, apparently distracted by something for she didn't even smile when she spotted Sam. Sam moved to the base of the stairs and, when Janet approached, said, "Hey. Tough mission, huh?"

Janet stared blankly at her for a moment before nodding curtly. "Yes." Sam fell into step next to her, and Janet watched her from the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry. I'm not feeling like myself today. Maybe we can speak later."

"Oh. Sure. Sorry."

Sam stopped walking and let SG-1 continue to the elevators. She frowned at Janet's back, confused at the cold shoulder.

Walter noticed her lingering and said, "Doctor? Was there something else?"

"Hmm? Oh. No. Thanks, Walter."

She left the control room and saw that SG-1 had already disappeared. She swiped her card for the elevator and thought about the cold, alienating look in Janet's eyes. It was like they were complete strangers. Or worse, it was a return to their relationship a year ago. Sam knew that the antagonism between them had been all her fault, so maybe Janet was giving her a taste of her own medicine.

No, Janet wasn't that vindictive. That was all in the past. And even if it wasn't, surely Janet would have brought it up in the three weeks they'd been dating. She stepped into the elevator car and hit the button to return to her lab. Their relationship was brand-new, she told herself. She was just making mountains out of molehills. Of course Janet was out of sorts; a routine mission was just turned into a goddamned massacre.

She decided to make their date that night special.

#

She left the SGC early to prepare. Fish on rice, salad, a bottle of wine. She changed into a black dress and crimson blouse while the fish cooked, and arrived back in the living room as Janet rang the doorbell. Sam lit the candles on the table as she passed, then went to the front door. She opened it with a smile, trying hard not to show her disappointment at Janet's attire. She was dressed in jeans and one of the black T-shirts the SG units wore with their uniforms. Apparently she came straight from work.

"Hello, Dr. Carter."

Sam finally let her smile collapse. "Dr. Carter?"

Janet seemed to realize her mistake and said, "Samantha."

Sam resisted the urge to bite Janet's head off and exhaled sharply. "So what? Is this it? We had a good three weeks and now we're going our separate ways?"

Janet knitted her brow and glanced past Sam into the house. She took in the candles, the smell of cooking food, and Sam's outfit. "Oh. I'm sorry. It's been a long day. Of course I remember. Hello, dear." She leaned in for a kiss, but Sam put up a hand to stop her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I... it's..." Janet reached out and put her hands on Sam's hips. "I don't know what's going on with me." She dropped her voice to a seductive whisper and said, "Let's just go to bed. I'll be fine in the morning."

Sam reached up and felt Janet's forehead. "Did medical clear you?"

"Yes, of course."

"I'd like to give them a call. Just to make sure." She turned and went into the living room. Janet followed her, slamming the door. "You're not acting like your--"

Sam's voice was cut off by Janet wrapping an arm around her throat. "I can't let you do that." They spun and slammed into the wall, a gross parody of the first time they made love. Sam grabbed Janet's arm, trying to pull it away from her throat so she could breathe. Sam twisted in Janet's arms and pushed her away. Janet stumbled and hit the bookshelf. Her eyes widened... and flashed yellow.

"Oh, shit," Sam gasped. She grabbed a plate and fell on top of Janet, lifting the plate to strike her with it. Janet opened her eyes at the last second, and Sam only saw her girlfriend. She hesitated and lowered the plate. The Goa'uld stared up at her, clearly still expecting an attack. Sam shook her head. "I can't. Not to Janet."

She pushed herself up and went to the counter. She fumbled in a drawer and came up with a handgun. She leveled it at the Goa'uld and said, "I'll shoot. Don't think I won't. If the option is losing Janet or having a Goa'uld on the loose..." Her voice faltered, but her hand didn't waver. She went to the wall and picked up the phone. "I'm going to call the SGC. Don't fucking move."

"Please hang up the phone," Janet's voice said as it got to its feet.

"Stop it," Sam hissed. "Don't use her voice like that."

"I apologize," the Goa'uld said. Sam shuddered. She had heard recordings of the Goa'uld voice in the initial SGC briefing, but to actually hear it in person. To hear it coming from Janet. "You must disconnect the call. Give me an opportunity to explain. I do not wish to harm Janet Fraiser, or anyone at the SGC. On the contrary, I believe we could be allies."

"Allies?" Sam scoffed. "What could we possibly work together toward?"

"The end of the Goa'uld."

Sam stared at Janet. She heard a tinny voice speaking on the other end of the phone and tried to focus on it. The Goa'uld said, "You showed me mercy once. Extend that just a bit more. Please. Allow me to explain."

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Sam reluctantly lowered the gun. "Sorry. Wrong number."

#

Janet felt as if she were waking up from a coma. Her head seemed wrapped in gauze, and the room was too bright. She saw Sam through a golden haze, staring into her eyes, and was overcome with emotion. She wanted to say her name, wanted to touch her face. "Sam," she whispered, and she heard the word come from her lips. She froze, touched her bottom lip, felt her bottom lip. She choked back a sob and said, "Sam... Sam!"

Sam grabbed Janet and hugged her tightly. "Oh, God, Janet."

Janet sobbed against Sam's shoulder. "Is it gone? Did you... did you find a way to get rid of her?"

"No," Sam said. "She... is letting me talk to you. She wants us to trust her, Janet. She says she is part of a resistance that wants to stop the Goa'uld once and for all."

"She told me the same thing," Janet said. "Her name is Jolinar, and she's a Tok'ra. They broke away from the rest of the Goa'uld centuries ago and have been working as a fifth column ever since." She grabbed Sam's collar and said, "I don't want to go back. Please, Sam, I don't want to go back into the dark."

Sam touched Janet's face. "It'll be okay, Janet. It'll all be over soon. I promise." She leaned in and kissed Janet's lips.

Janet pressed hard against her, wrapping her arms around Sam's shoulders. "I love you," she said when their lips parted. "In case I don't get to say it later. In case she's lying. I think I'm in love with you."

Sam touched Janet's lips and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could, Janet's lips parted and the Goa'uld said, "You have spoken to her."

Sam recoiled and shuddered. "Goddamn it." To hear Janet's voice suddenly so alien, utterly devoid of the emotion she had just shown. She shook her head to clear it and then said, "All right. But the SGC won't let you just walk in. You're going to have to be taken into custody. You'll have to let them take you."

"You swear I will come to no harm?"

Sam nodded. "I won't let them hurt Janet's body. Not while there's a chance she can be saved."

#

Sam had rarely seen the SGC like this; every corridor was lined with armed guards, every elevator manned inside and out. The leaders of every SG unit on-base were on alert. The control room was locked down, no one in or out. Special Forces Officers escorted Janet, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, as she was led from the holding cells in shackles. When she arrived in the Gate Room, Sam had to look away. It's not Janet. It's not her.

Unfortunately, by turning away, she was looking directly at the rest of SG-1. O'Neill was pissed, Teal'c quietly terrifying, and Daniel distracted. Sam knew it was taking the two warriors every ounce of strength they had not to pounce on the Goa'uld in their midst, but apparently she had pleaded her case well. General Hammond was allowing the alleged 'Tok'ra' through the Gate to a neutral planet. And then, it was anyone's guess what would happen.

Part of O'Neill's ire, Sam knew, was directed at her. She had offered a Goa'uld sanctuary, no matter how briefly, and that tainted her in his eyes. She wondered if he would ever trust her again. His trust didn't matter. All that mattered was Janet's safety. The world could go to hell if it meant Janet was safe.

The Stargate began to dial and the guards allowed Janet to stand next to Sam. "Thank you for allowing me safe passage."

"Any signs you're trying to double-cross us," O'Neill said. "We take you down. No conversation."

Sam managed to contain the cringe those words caused. Could she bear to see Janet shot down? She wondered if she should just get used to the idea. A Goa'uld being successfully extracted from a human... all experiments they had attempted led to the death of the host, the symbiote, or both. Was the symbiote really willing to give its life for Janet? Sam couldn't bring herself to believe that.

O'Neill walked halfway up the ramp and turned to face the group. "McKiernan, Clint, Tierney. You three with me. Teal'c, Morgan... and Dr. Carter, with the prisoner. The rest of you, bring up the flank. Any sign she's trying to pull a fast one, take her down." There was a chorus of assent from the gathered soldiers and O'Neill said, "All right, move out."

As they started up the ramp, Sam glanced at the woman walking next to her. After a moment, the Goa'uld turned to look at her as well. "Thank you."

Sam looked quickly away and stepped through the Stargate.

#

Janet was kissing someone. Her mind filled with mornings waking up in Sam's bed, slow returns to consciousness with a warm body pressed against hers, the stirrings of foreplay already in progress. She opened her eyes and saw not Sam, but a complete stranger, and she recoiled. The woman tensed, lips tightly closed, and leaned back. Janet bent over double, coughing and spitting to get the acrid taste from her mouth. When she straightened, she saw a group of people in rough, cowhide clothing forming a semi-circle around her.

"We thank you for trusting us," a man with kind eyes said. Janet stepped back, for the man's voice was that of a Goa'uld.

"Captain?" O'Neill said. She turned and saw him approaching. They were in a clearing, and she was surrounded by armed soldiers. "You back with us?"

"Yes, sir," Janet said. "I'm here."

O'Neill put a hand on her back and guided her toward the group of armed escorts. One of the soldiers was a medical doctor, and Janet let herself be examined to make sure it wasn't an elaborate ruse. "All right. So how do we know we can trust you? This... Jolinar lady knows everything about the SGC."

"Your secrets are safe with us," said the woman Janet kissed. Though the voice was different, Janet somehow recognized it as Jolinar. "Just as ours are safe with you. Should we betray your trust, you need only tell the Goa'uld we exist, and how to find us."

"Mutually assured destruction," O'Neill said. "Always a crowd pleaser."

Janet rested against Daniel's side. "I want to go home," she said. He nodded and put an arm around her to help steady her.

A canteen suddenly appeared in front of her. "I thought you might need some water."

Janet straightened at the voice, following the arm up to Sam. "Sam..." She ignored the canteen and fell into Sam's arms. She hugged tight, as if afraid she would drift away again. She pressed her lips to Sam's ear and said, "I'm so glad you're here."

Sam held on to her until Janet let go, and then offered her the canteen again. Janet drank half of it in one go, gasping and wiping her mouth against her sleeve. The kind-eyed man was standing a few yards away, watching her. He smiled and said, "Janet Fraiser. I am Martouf. I wish to thank you for bringing Jolinar back to us. We feared she was lost. The trust your people have shown in her gives us heart that our two people will have a long and productive relationship."

Janet nodded. "Okay."

"Right," O'Neill said. He clapped his hands. "The body swap is finished. What say we part ways? Captain Fraiser has a week or two of downtime to catch up on."

Sam said, "Can you walk on your own?"

"Yes," Janet said. She took Sam's arm and pulled it across her shoulder, leaning heavily against Sam's side. "But there's no reason to advertise the fact."

Sam smiled and led Janet away from the meeting ground. When she looked back, the group of Tok'ra had disappeared into the trees.

#

Sam was in bed with a file open next to her, a laptop open on her lap. The sound of her typing mixed with the sound of Janet brushing her teeth, then spitting out her mouthwash, and Sam knew she should wrap up her work. She saved her work, closed the file, and was exiting the program when Janet came out of the bedroom. The vanity light was still on, backlighting her as she came into the bedroom. She wore a black T-shirt that just barely reached her thighs, revealing a peek at her white underwear as she crossed to the bed.

"Do you two want to be alone?" Janet asked.

"No," Sam said. She closed the laptop and set it on the nightstand.

Janet pulled the blankets back and slid into bed. She glanced at Sam and said, "Thanks for... letting me stay here. I know it's a hassle..."

"Not at all," Sam said. "I love having you here. Do you want to read for a bit?" Janet shook her head, so Sam reached up and turned off the light.

Sam settled down against the pillows, and Janet curled against her side. She rested her head on Sam's chest and stared at the golden aura thrown on the opposite wall by the vanity light. She felt ridiculous, like a little girl scared of monsters in the closet. She tried sleeping at home the first few nights after medical cleared her, but she didn't get any rest. Her mind raced with half-remembered thoughts and memories, remnants of Jolinar. No one told her that pieces might be left behind. She felt like she was trying to sleep in a room with a total stranger. There was no way for her to relax.

Having a light on helped, but being with Sam was the only thing that let her get any sleep whatsoever. It felt strange to trust someone so much, especially someone she had only known for a short period of time. But trust wasn't something that could be explained or codified. All she knew was that she felt safe in a bed with Samantha Carter, and spending the night with her was a small price to pay for rest.

She lifted her head and pressed a kiss to Sam's neck. They hadn't made love since Janet's abduction, but maybe it was time to rectify that. She moved her lips to Sam's and gave her a chaste kiss. Sam slid her hands down to the small of Janet's back and whispered, "You don't have to. I'm fine if we just sleep."

"I know," Janet whispered. She kissed the corners of Sam's mouth and moved on top of her. She bent her knees and tucked them tight against Sam's side, her shirt riding up. They kissed as Janet undid the buttons of Sam's pajama blouse and spread the two halves apart. She cupped Sam's breasts and began to rock against her. Sam ran her hands up and down Janet's legs, ending up with her hands under Janet's shirt.

Janet moved her lips to Sam's cheek. "I'm so glad I have you. I don't know what I would have done if..."

"Shh," Sam whispered. "It's okay. It's over." She lifted Janet's shirt up and off, tossing it across the room. Janet sat up and Sam ran her eyes over Janet's nearly-naked body. She slipped her hand into Janet's underwear, and Janet's eyelids fluttered shut. Janet reached back, running her hand up the inside of Sam's thighs until she reached the crotch of Sam's sweatpants. Soon, they were both panting, working to make sure they weren't the first over the edge.

Soon, however, Sam arched her back. She pressed her head into the pillow as she circled Janet's clit with her middle finger.

"Are you coming?" Janet panted.

"Yes..."

Janet rocked her hips against Sam's hand, groaning when Sam's finger slipped inside of her. Janet came a few seconds after Sam, collapsing on top of her and inhaling Sam's scent. She kissed Sam's chin and then her bottom lip, reaching up to run her hand through Sam's hair. "I am so lucky I found you."

Sam kissed Janet's forehead and said, "We both got lucky. Or blessed."

Janet smiled. "Blessed. Yeah." She closed her eyes and said, "I love you." She said it quickly, afraid that if she didn't the words might get away from her. She bit her bottom lip and rested her head on Sam's shoulder. "It's probably too soon to say that. But I said it earlier when I thought... when there was a chance I wasn't coming back. I just wanted to say it right."

"I understand." She rubbed Janet's back and said, "I don't want to say it just because you said it--"

"No, I know," Janet said. "Say it when you're ready."

"I'm close. It's surprising to admit how close, but... I'm getting there."

Janet smiled. "Let me know when you reach it." She kissed Sam and said, "Good night."

"Night." She pulled Janet close and looked past her into the lit bathroom. The last person she said those three words to was Jonas, and that relationship died a fiery death. Before that, she hadn't really thrown the words around. If she was going to say them to Janet - and truth be told, she wanted to - she wanted to make sure they meant something. She closed her eyes and turned her head against the pillow, waiting for sleep to claim her.

#

The weeks passed and, though Janet became more comfortable with the idea of spending the night alone, she was spending more nights with Sam in her bed that not. Sam tended to wounds Janet inflicted in the line of duty, while Janet described some of SG-1's missions. In the dark of Janet's bedroom, she described the fantasy world the Gamekeeper of P7J-989 created for her. "It was so real. I felt like I was fifteen again. And I tried so many different ways. I tried to tell Denise not to drive, I told her she'd had too much to drink, I took her keys, I flattened her tires. But every time, we got into the accident."

"Is that when you hurt your hip?"

Janet nodded. "I couldn't dance again. Denise... Denise died. I couldn't stop it. No matter what I did, it happened."

Sam held Janet tight. "Then maybe there was nothing to do. Maybe it all happened for a reason. If you became a dancer, we never would have met."

"Yeah," Janet said. "Maybe." She curled against Sam's side and held tightly to her shirt, waiting for the pain of reliving her worst memory to fade.

A week later, again in Janet's bedroom, Janet lay on her stomach with Sam straddling her. Sam rubbed her hands with oil before she continued to massage Janet's shoulders. "Daniel was supposed... ah, right there," Janet said, arching her back as Sam found a particularly tight knot. "He was supposed to negotiate our way out of the mines. But he got addicted to the sarcophagus."

"Wow," Sam said. "That would go a long way in explaining why the Goa'uld are the way they are. I wish I could have gotten a look at it."

"Yeah," Janet said. "Probably for the best that it was destroyed, though."

"Yeah," Sam agreed, somewhat reluctantly. "Is this good?"

"Mm," Janet said, resting her head on her crossed arms. "So, Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c and I were working the mines..."

Sam got used to their bedtime "debriefs," living vicariously through Janet's adventures through the Stargate. Janet tried to reciprocate, but Sam could tell that inter-lab politics and breakthroughs in minute calibrations didn't interest her. Sam wasn't offended; the stories of off-world drama were riveting for them both.

Nearly two months after the Jolinar incident, Janet stood at the foot of Sam's bed with an open suitcase. "I would feel weird taking only dress blues," Janet said. "Like I'm going to do nothing but work. But how many civvies should I take? I mean, if I take a lot, Colonel O'Neill may think I'm only there for the night life." When Sam didn't answer, Janet turned to face her. "I'm asking a serious question here."

"Why do you have so many clothes here?"

Janet frowned and said, "What? It's my dress blues. Mainly." She looked into the suitcase. "And the clothes I've left here to be laundered after you tore them off in a fit of passion." She smiled, but it faded quickly. "Is it a problem?"

"No," Sam said. She leaned against the doorframe of her bedroom and said, "We should move in together."

Janet hesitated. "And we would explain that, how?"

Sam shook her head. "I don't know."

Janet smiled. "Well, let me know when you come up with a theory, genius." She zipped the suitcase up and said, "I'm going to be in Washington for four days. You'll remember what it's like without me and tremble with fear at what you asked me to do." She wrapped her arms around Sam's neck and pulled her down for a kiss.

Sam smiled against Janet's lips. "I can't believe I hated you."

"So much for first impressions."

Sam rubbed Janet's arm and said, "I love you."

Janet froze, but only for the space of a heartbeat. She blinked, her smile widened, and she kissed Sam's lips. "I love you, too, Sam." She cupped the back of Sam's neck with one hand, dropped her feet flat to the floor, and said, "We'll talk when I get home, okay?"

Sam nodded.

Janet turned away and surreptitiously dabbed at her eyes with the cuff of her blouse. "Okay, um... can you help me take this down to the cab?"

"Sure," Sam said.

#

Hobnobbing with Air Force brass, while good for her career, was hardly the sort of thing Janet would call a good time. She didn't understand why they couldn't fly in, get their medals and then get back to work. Or loved ones. Loved ones who were waiting patiently while she went through this whole rigmarole. She poured a glass of punch and held the ladle out to the General standing behind her in line.

"Thank you, Captain," he said.

"Of course, sir."

She was about to move off when he spoke again. "George tells me you work with him at Cheyenne."

"Oh. Yes. My commanding officer and I are here to receive the Air Medal."

"Quite an accomplishment." He held out a hand. "General Jacob Carter."

Janet shook his hand and squinted. "Carter. You wouldn't by chance be related--"

"Captain Samantha Carter," he said. "She's my daughter."

Janet's eyes widened. Ah. Meet the parents time. "O-oh. Um... your daughter is absolutely amazing. I love... working with her." She swallowed hard and looked down at her punch. O'Neill and Hammond approached, and Janet said, "Ah. Sirs. This is General Carter..."

"Dr. Carter's pop?" O'Neill said. "Get out of town. Colonel Jack O'Neill."

Janet allowed herself to sink into the background, protected by the superior officers. She stood off to Hammond's left, trying to blend into the sea of Air Force blue. But it seemed like every time she looked at General Carter, he was staring at her. She smiled and averted her gaze whenever their eyes met, and she prayed for some distraction to separate them.

Finally, Hammond and Carter got wrapped up in their war stories, and Janet fled for the outdoor promenade. The sun was warm on her face, but the day was cool enough that she didn't want to doff her jacket. Cherry blossoms abounded, and she breathed deep to take in their scent. She wandered through the trees, politely greeting the people she met as she admired the foliage. She rounded a corner and nearly trampled General Carter. "Oh! God. Uh, sir. Sorry."

"Don't be," Carter said. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, sir."

He nodded. "Captain, I would like to speak to you privately, if I may?" Janet didn't trust her voice, so she just nodded. He gestured for her to join him walking the path and lowered his voice so it wouldn't carry. "I couldn't help but notice your reaction when I told you who I was. My daughter isn't just someone you work with, is she?"

Janet decided to play it safe. "Sam is a very good friend, sir."

Carter sighed and rolled his shoulders. "I hate pussyfooting around like this. I can't tell you anything without compromising my daughter, and you can't tell me anything without compromising yourself. I have no right to put my daughter's career at risk, so we--"

"Operation: Closet," Janet said quietly.

Carter looked at her for a minute and then nodded. "Sam, too. Since she was seventeen. So now that we have that out of the way..."

"For about four months," Janet said. Her heart was pounding. She was talking to a superior officer about her homosexual relationship with another officer. Worse, that officer was her lover's father. She clasped her hands behind her back to keep him from seeing that they were shaking.

"Captain, I appreciate your reluctance, but it's fine. I've known about Sam since she was a teenager. But..." He sighed. "I guess I just want to know if she's happy. Deep Space Radar Telemetry. It wasn't exactly what she dreamed about when she was a little girl."

Janet hesitated before she answered. Should she mention the strife of the previous year? She said, "She's very happy, sir. With her job and with... w-with me."

He nodded. "Well. That's good to hear, Captain. That's very good to hear." He looked down at his punch and Janet risked taking a good long look at him. The doctor in her wanted to gasp, wanted to offer condolences. She knew that look all too well.

She turned away and said, "General... if I may ask, are you all right?"

Carter looked at her. "It's that obvious?"

"I'm a doctor. It is to me." They stopped at the edge of the garden and faced each other. "What is it? I-if I may ask?"

"Lymphoma."

Janet winced. "I'm so sorry, sir."

He shrugged. "Well, it's not the enemy I wanted to surrender to, but what can we do? If you say Sam is happy, then I'll take your word for it."

"Don't. Come see Sam."

"She won't want to see me."

"It would destroy her if you don't. Please, sir."

He hesitated and then nodded once. "I guess I could make the time."

Janet exhaled and said, "Thank you, sir. I'm sure she'll be thrilled."

#

"My father?"

Janet's voice came from a distance, and Sam knew she was holding the phone away from her ear. She didn't care. "You invited my father to come visit?" Sam looked around the living room and saw only a huge mess. She started gathering up old mail and newspapers with one hand, the other still holding the phone against her ear. "What possessed you to do something like that?"

"It's a long story, Sam," Janet said. "I'll let him tell it. He's flying back out with me and Colonel O'Neill tonight."

"Already?" Sam said. "What about the ceremony?"

"There was an... incident. I'll explain when we get there. I just wanted to give you a head's up."

Sam found a pair of Janet's panties wadded up in the couch cushions. Oh, God. She sighed and said, "Thank you for that. Just... be careful what you say to him. He doesn't know I'm gay." She stuffed Janet's underwear into her pants pocket to deal with it later. She checked to make sure that the call was still connected. "Janet? Are you still there?"

"Um."

Sam dropped onto the couch. "Oh, my God. What did you say?"

#

Janet found Sam on the porch swing. She walked out with two beers from the fridge, holding one out until Sam noticed her and took the bottle. "Thanks," she said. She popped it open and took a long drink as Janet settled in next to her. Janet tucked her left foot under her right knee, using the toes of her right foot to push the swing gently. The night was chilly, but with a warm breeze, and Janet enjoyed the fresh air as she waited for Sam to speak again. Finally, Sam said, "He wasn't going to tell me, was he?"

"I don't know," Janet said. "I think he didn't want to unnecessarily worry you. There was nothing you could do, and you live so far away from each other..."

"He's my father," Sam said.

"I know. I didn't say he was right. Just maybe trying to explain his actions a bit." She looked across the street and said, "You guys haven't had the best relationship, I gather. I think he was trying to protect you." She looked at her beer and said, "I think I'm going to turn in. Are you going to stay out here?"

"For a little while."

"Your Dad is sitting in there on the couch pretending to sleep. Talk to him." She reached out and squeezed Sam's hand. "You can wake me when you come to bed."

Sam nodded. When Janet tried to leave, Sam pulled her back. Janet looked down at her and Sam said, "When you needed a shoulder after the whole Jolinar thing, I was there. Now that my Dad is..." She ran her thumb over Janet's knuckles and remembered what she had said before. "I don't care whether it was luck or grace. I'm just happy to have you."

Janet smiled and bent down to kiss Sam's lips. "Me, too," Janet said. She pushed herself up and stopped at the door. "For the record, I think it was a little of both. Night, Sam."

Sam smiled and watched her go back into the house. She sat on the swing for another few minutes, waiting to see if the night got any colder. Finally, she took a long drink of her beer, put the bottle down on the porch, and walked to the door. She stepped into the living room and said, "Okay, Dad." He lifted his hand from his face, giving up the ruse of being asleep. "Let's talk." She closed the door behind her.

#

Sam stormed into her office and looked for something to throw. Anything. She picked up a framed picture of her and the other lab techs and decided she liked it too much to break. As she put it down, the office door opened and Janet slipped inside. "If you're going to yell at me, you might as well get it out of the way now."

"You had no right," Sam said, her voice tight and dripping with venom. "Who do you think you are?"

Janet wasn't cowed. "I am your lover, and a member of SG-1. My suggestion benefits both sides of my life. The Tok'ra are a dying race, Sam. They need hosts. Human hosts. Your father is dying and he deserves to know you're living your dream. This could add years to his life. He could outlive both of us." She smiled weakly and said, "Just consider it, Sam. At the very least, we can provide him with the option."

"You should have talked to me about it privately."

"We didn't have time, honey," Janet said. She went around the desk and said, "The Tok'ra were nearly wiped out by a Goa'uld traitor. If they don't get new hosts soon, an entire generation will die. Along with one of the best hopes at stopping the Goa'uld. We can't let that happen."

Sam leaned against the back of her chair, and Janet moved behind her. She rubbed Sam's shoulders and said, "Put yourself in their position."

"Would you do it?" Sam asked.

Janet hesitated before answering. "If I had been blended with Jolinar in another way, a less traumatic way... if she hadn't felt the need to subjugate me for so long, then maybe I wouldn't have a problem with it. But even speaking from that experience, I think it's the best thing for your father, Sam. At least consider it."

Sam nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll consider it." She reached up and covered Janet's hand with her own. "Thank you for thinking of him."

"Of course," Janet said. She bent down and kissed Sam's neck. "I'll see you in the briefing."

"Yeah."

Sam watched Janet go and pulled her chair out from beneath the desk. She looked at the newest photo on her desk; a brand-new shot of Jacob wearing a turtleneck, his face pale and dark circles drawn around his eyes. He was smiling, leaning against the door of Janet's living room, but she could tell how weak he was. Telling him about the Stargate program would be a huge weight off her shoulders, but she couldn't help feeling like a failure as well.

"I work for an organization that sends people to other planets. That's why I don't want a transfer to NASA. Well, no, I personally don't go through very much. Well, I guess you could call me a lab technician. No, not like at the Pentagon. Not really."

She sighed and picked up the phone. She couldn't play games with her father's life simply because she was embarrassed.

#

Sam woke up on her day off and Janet was already gone. A note was resting on the nightstand, held down by Sam's watch. She picked it up and read it in bed, smiling when she got to the end. At first, Janet's scrawled handwriting was nearly impossible for Sam to decipher. Once she got the key, however, it was, as she'd once joked, "as easy as reading English." She folded the note and slipped out of bed.

Janet would be home for lunch and they would try to slip in a quickie before she had to get back to the base. Sam stretched as she went to the bathroom, trying to decide what to do during her day off.

By noon, news had reached her via the lab-rat grapevine that the SGC was cut off. It wasn't an official quarantine, but no one was quite sure exactly what was happening. Sam resisted the urge to run down to the base, but only because she realized she would only be in the way.

The next day, more reports were making their way out of the base. SG-10 dialed in to Earth but were either unable or unwilling to get through the Stargate. Their IDC came through slowly, and the MALP camera was reduced to nearly frame-by-frame resolution. O'Neill suggested a rescue op and Hammond agreed, but they found themselves unable to close the Stargate to open an outgoing wormhole.

By day three, Sam wasn't content to sit on her laurels and wait for someone to tell her everything worked out. She gathered her laptop and notebooks and rushed to the staging ground outside Cheyenne Mountain. She was annoyed to find none of her assistants or fellow technicians were present, so she put in calls to everyone to get down to the base ASAP. She turned and faced the access point Major Davis and Colonel Cromwell's team had used to get into the base. Janet was down there somewhere, and Sam was going to be damned if she let her down.

She found the command center where a group of her scientists were set up. As she approached, General Hammond spotted her and moved to intercept. "Doctor, I specifically told you not to come down here."

"And I specifically don't give a damn," she looked into his eyes, recoiled a bit, and said, "Sir. General, sir."

He barely restrained a smile and guided her into the tent. Felger had a whiteboard set up filled with equations of black holes. Sam drew in a deep breath a let it out slowly. She was a scientist faced with an impossible device - the Stargate - malfunctioning due to one of the biggest mysteries the galaxy had to offer - a black hole, with nothing less than the fate of the Earth hanging in the balance.

Janet was in danger. That was all that mattered.

She took off her coat, picked up a lab jacket, and brushed past Felger. He acknowledged her authority by stepping aside and handing her the marker. Sam scanned their calculations and said, "All right, folks. What do we know?"

#

Janet stopped in the doorway of the locker room, arms crossed over her chest, and watched Sam. She leaned back to check the hallway and then stepped inside, shutting the door and blocking it with the heel of her foot. "Doctor Carter," Janet barked, and Sam jerked. She looked over her shoulder and frowned. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Sam stood up and Janet said, "Did I give you permission to stand? Sit down."

Sam remained standing. "What's gotten into you?"

Janet moved away from the door and closed in on Sam. "What's gotten into me, Doctor, is that a scientist came in and showed me up in front of my team. Saved the day. Saved the world." Her voice softened. "Saved me."

One corner of Sam's mouth twitched but she contained the smile. "Terribly sorry, sir."

Janet put her hands on Sam's hips and said, "I will not abide such reckless disregard for my reputation. What do you suggest we do, Doctor Carter?"

Sam said, "Reassert your dominance, sir."

"And how do you suggest we do that, Doctor Carter?"

Sam moved her hands to the front of Janet's trousers and said, "What did you have in mind, sir?"

Janet grinned and pushed Sam into the locker area. They kissed passionately, pulling at each other's clothing. Sam broke the kiss with a grunt and tugged Janet's shirt up and off. Her dog tags tangled and clinked as they fell against her chest, and Sam manhandled Janet toward the lockers. Janet pushed her hands through Sam's hair and Sam dug her fingers into Janet's ass.

They fell into an open shower and Sam kissed her way down Janet's chest. She sucked hard nipples through thin cotton, swirled her tongue in Janet's navel, ran her tongue over Janet's belly. Janet grabbed the collar of Sam's shirt and yanked it up and Sam wiggled out of it. When Sam stood, she cupped Janet's face in her hand and kissed her hard.

"You saved us, and Earth," Janet gasped when Sam let her up for air. She shoved her hand down the front of Sam's pants.

"I saved you," Sam said, spreading her feet apart. She put out one hand and braced herself against the wall. "The Earth was collateral damage."

Janet smiled and kissed Sam again. "Mm. God. I'm so hot." She kissed her way down Sam's neck. "I'm supposed to be taking a shower right now. Colonel O'Neill and the guys are waiting."

"Your hair won't be wet."

"I'll pretend I blow-dried," Janet panted. "Take your bra off."

Sam slid her hand down Janet's back. She moved her hand to the wall and found a beveled glass handle. She said, "Yeah. Or..."

Janet yelped as the shower came on. She looked through her bangs at Sam, the water coursing over her face. "Our clothes!" Janet said, half-laughing and half-shrieking.

"We should get out of them as quickly as possible," Sam suggested.

Janet rolled her eyes and said, "I thought I was supposed to be in charge of this game."

Sam bowed her head and nuzzled Janet's neck. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. Won't happen again, sir. Please take off my bra, sir."

Janet sighed and followed the veiled order with a smile.

#

Janet stood in the observation room and watched the doctor's do their work. Never before had she seen medical professionals acting with such disregard for the patient's welfare. Bedside manner was nonexistent. She didn't blame them; it was just difficult to watch. The doctor part of her brain screamed for her to run down there and take over. A man was dying, and no one seemed to care.

The Goa'uld's eyes met hers and Janet was forced to look away. We should kill him now. Staff blast to the back of the head, nice and clean.

"The true measure of humanity is the compassion we show to our enemy." Janet turned and saw Sam entering the room. "Hi. They told me I would find you here."

"How are your tests going?"

"Fine," Sam said. "We managed to salvage quite a bit of technology from his Death Glider. We're going to be busy for months. Years, even."

Janet nodded and Sam put a hand on her shoulder.

"I want him dead," Janet hissed. "He's killed me before, Sam. He's ordered thou-- millions to their death. I want him dead. So why can't I bear to see him in pain?"

"Because you're human," Sam said. "Because you're a doctor." She stepped as close as she dared in a public forum and said, "Because you're a kind, compassionate woman who happens to be a soldier. He's not a threat at the moment and you're not cold-hearted." She squeezed and said, "You're you. Captain Doctor dichotomy. Healer soldier."

"Yeah," Janet breathed.

Sam moved her hand to the small of Janet's back and said, "Come find me later. We'll talk more."

Janet nodded, and Sam went to the door. Before she could leave, Janet said, "Sam." Sam turned around, but Janet kept her eyes on the patient below. "Thank you."

"Of course. It's what we do for each other."

Janet chuckled and lowered her chin, looking down at her boots. When she lifted her head, Sam was gone. "Yeah," she said softly. "Yeah, it is."

#

"It's not the strangest thing that's happened since the SGC opened."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Really."

Janet thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Okay. It's definitely up there. But little gray aliens, weather-controlling devices run amok, a bomb in a little boy's tooth... there was a robot duplicate of me last year."

"Whatever happened to her? Is she available tonight?"

Janet smirked. "Funny."

"I don't want her here permanently," Sam said. She finished her circuit of the room and gestured at Janet's body. "Just until... this is cleared up."

Janet looked down at herself. "I don't think it's that noticeable."

"You're a six-foot male," Sam said. "When you speak, I hear your voice... kind of. But it's also Colonel O'Neill. It's strange, Janet."

"We're working on a solution," Janet said. "But Colonel O'Neill ordered us to rest. He wants us all fresh, attacking the problem in the morning."

Sam stepped closer. "That's another thing. Are there guards on his room? I trust him as a commanding officer, but he is a man. And you are a very attractive woman."

"We discussed that," Janet said. "There are issues. Going to the bathroom, changing clothes, bathing. So we decided that in this situation, it would be best to adopt a don't ask, don't tell policy. What goes on behind closed doors has nothing to do with us."

"You're comfortable with that?"

Janet opened her mouth to speak and then looked down at her hands. "Sam, I'm not out to the rest of SG-1. But two members of SG-1 are out to me." Sam's eyes widened. "Colonel O'Neill and I discussed this. It's a golden opportunity to... experiment." She looked up, her eyes wide and dark, but different than normal.

Sam took a deep breath and stepped closer. "What are you suggesting?"

"I'm letting Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c use my body." She was shaking. "I thought... maybe we could do a little experimentation of our own. But if you're..."

Sam put up a hand to stop Janet. She looked down Jack O'Neill's body and felt her face flush at the thought of what she was considering. "Don't ask, don't tell."

"Finally it will work to our benefit."

Sam smiled and tentatively kissed O'Neill's lips. It was peculiar to kiss someone taller than her, someone with stubble. She pulled back and touched her bottom lip. "That was weird."

"Yeah," Janet said. She reached down and tugged on her trousers.

Sam noticed the adjustment and touched her belt buckle. Janet sucked in a breath and cleared her throat. She said, "Janet, I need you to keep talking. Remind me that it's you in there."

"Okay," Janet said.

Sam licked her lips and knelt in front of Jack's body.

#

Janet was in absolute bliss. A doctor and a soldier, she never gave the summer of love a second thought. A bunch of hippies listening to psychedelic rock, getting high, banging everything that moved. It wasn't her cup of tea. But under the circumstances, trying to fit in with a group of hippies during a cross-country van trip, things were different. And damned if she wasn't enjoying the hell out of herself. She wore a flowing dress dyed with every color imaginable, long enough to scrape the ground around her sandals. Her blouse was crocheted, and her glasses were rose-colored.

And the cigarette between her fingers was marijuana. She coughed and examined the smoking tip, watching it smolder. It wasn't her first experience with drugs, but it was the first time she remained clear-headed enough to appreciate what was happening to her. Daniel approached and eyed the cigarette. "Camouflage?" he said.

"Started that way," Janet said. She took another drag and offered it to Daniel. He declined. "We have a thousand more miles before we hit New York. I'll be fine by the time I have to do any heavy thinking."

"Well, when you put it that way," he said. He held out his hand and Janet gave him the cigarette.

Janet sagged back against the wall, staring up at the curved roof of the van. She was sprawled on a sea of pillows, and she patted them to test their softness. "Man, this thing is a real shaggin' wagon." Daniel chuckled and handed back the cigarette. Janet sighed and stretched her arms over her head. "I wish Sam was here."

"Dr. Carter? Why?"

Janet shrugged. "We've never been high when we had sex." She took a drag and exhaled it toward the roof. She glanced at Daniel, saw his stunned expression, and her smile faded. "Oh, shit."

"No, it's..."

"This stuff is affecting me more than I thought it would. Shit..."

"It's all right," Daniel said. "Don't worry about it. I've, ah, I've suspected."

Janet frowned at him and he shrugged. "When Kynthia was dancing for O'Neill on Argos, you couldn't take your eyes off of her. And your relationship with Linea was less than--"

Janet held up a hand. "That wasn't... yes, there was an attraction. But nothing happened."

"Still," Daniel said. He shook his head. "It's not exactly a state secret."

O'Neill came in from the front of the van, stretched theatrically, and eyed the butt in Daniel's hand. "What's goin' on back here?"

"Janet thinks she just came out."

O'Neill looked at her and dropped onto the opposite side of the van's floor. "Don't bogart that joint, Captain."

Janet, blushing at the fact they had known for so long, stretched out and handed O'Neill the joint. He took a drag and said, "Why do you think I let you use my body two weeks ago?"

Daniel looked between them. "'Use your body'?"

Janet, definitely more affected by the pot than she anticipated, fell backward in a fit of giggles.

#

Janet stowed her gear and rolled her shoulders. P25-843 was a boring world that would soon be gathering dust in a file somewhere. Trees, trees and more trees, without even a hint of a civilization ever living there. Daniel was insistent that whoever built and placed the Stargates wouldn't bother putting one on a vacant world, but O'Neill didn't let them stay long enough to investigate very long. "Maybe the Gate was supposed to draw settlers, but they found a better neighborhood," Janet suggested. Daniel reluctantly agreed, and the mission book was closed.

She showered, dressed in her civvies, and checked to see if Sam was in her office before she left the base. She tried to avoid the rest of SG-1 on her way out the door, but O'Neill had some sort of inner sense about when a team member was trying to escape. She politely refused the standard invites to O'Malley's and leaned against the wall of the elevator as it carried her up to the surface. Somehow a planet with nothing interesting tired her out more than a planet with swarms of Jaffa. No adrenaline, so she crashed more easily.

The ride home was dull, and she took the opportunity to get back with Earth-standard time. They left 843 in the middle of the afternoon, but it was almost ten at night in Colorado Springs. Stores were closed, street lights glowed yellow-orange, and a few drops of rain spattered her windshield in an attempt to start a storm.

When Janet pulled into the driveway, she saw that the dining room light was the only one on. She stared at it for a long time, trying to figure out why she was smiling. It had been a long time since she had someone waiting up for her, and she wasn't used to coming home to someone. It was longer still since she was happy at the thought of going in to meet them. She picked up her satchel, filled with paperwork she dreaded filling out, and hurried inside before the rain got serious.

Sam sat at the dining room table, head down on crossed arms. The laptop was on, an image of Cheyenne Mountain serving as a screen saver. Janet stopped behind Sam's chair and bent down, kissed her temple, and rubbed her back until Sam's eyelids fluttered. "Hey." Sam sat up and stretched. "Welcome home."

"Thank you. Come on. Walk me to bed."

Sam pushed her chair away from the table and shut off her laptop. "I'll tuck you in and come back down to lock the house up."

"Sounds good," Janet said. She wrapped her arms around Sam's waist and pressed tight against her.

Sam held her for a moment and said, "Janet? Are we going upstairs?"

"In a little while," Janet said softly.

Sam put her arms around Janet and said, "Okay. Sounds great."

Janet put her head on Sam's shoulder and began to sway. Sam chuckled and joined her, and they danced around the silent dining room.