ALL THOSE GLANCES THAT WE STOLE

All those glances that we stole, sometimes

If you want them, then you've got to.

- Josh Ritter, "Good Man"

The romance happened gradually. So gradually that Sam wasn't sure when and where it really turned the corner from friendship to something else. If she happened to be on the base at lunch time, she made sure to arrange her break to coincide with Janet's. Not that Janet minded; she sometimes called Sam's lab when she was on the way to the mess hall, just in case she wanted to come along.

Sam so enjoyed Janet's company that she started inviting her on outings with the rest of SG-1. She explained it away by wanting another woman to commiserate with, but she and Janet both knew the truth. During a movie at Colonel O'Neill's cabin, lights turned down low and the women curled together on the couch under a quilt, Janet had laid her head on Sam's shoulder. Sam found Janet's hand under the blanket and squeezed it. A few seconds later, she realized Janet was asleep. The phrase I love this popped into her mind before she could ignore it. She kissed Janet's forehead and whispered for the guys to keep it down a little.

Guarded conversations, coded words necessary due to their jobs, revealed that Janet had come out following her divorce. She had been so miserable with her husband because of his misogyny, and because he was a male. Her only truly happy relationships had been in college and the Academy, the two times she had courted women. "Of course now," she said stirring a bit of pudding, "it's more like I discovered I was a celibate woman." She hadn't had a single girlfriend or lover since the divorce.

"I know how you feel," Sam said.

"Yeah," Janet said, looking up and meeting Sam's eyes to make sure she was getting it right.

"Yeah," Sam said.

Janet looked back down at her pudding and nudged Sam's ankle with her foot. Sam smiled and looked down at her food.

After that, the invitations out got more personal. Instead of Sam inviting Janet out with SG-1, Janet invited Sam home to have dinner with Cassandra. After the meal, Cassandra would retire to the living room and Sam would help Janet with the dishes as an excuse to be in a dark kitchen with her. Janet only turned on the light over the sink, like a spotlight on an empty stage, and they stood shoulder to shoulder - or elbow to shoulder as Janet joked. Sam washed, Janet dried, and they talked about banalities until Cassie returned and dragged Sam away to look at the Latest Cool Thing.

Sam helped Janet put Cassandra to bed and they walked to the front door together. They stood in the dark entryway and looked out at the street as they talked in whispered voices. Finally, usually about ten, Sam would gesture out the door and Janet would nod. "Yeah. It's late. Night." Then an awkward kiss on the cheek or the corner of the mouth.

On the thirteenth of February, Sam helped Cassandra address thirty-five pink-and-white cards. It was more of an elementary school tradition, but Cassie had missed out and was determined to take part as soon as she heard about it. Janet sat on the couch behind them and, at one point, put her bare foot on Sam's shoulder. Sam laid her cheek against it for a moment and then went back to work. When the envelopes were all signed and sealed and ready for deployment the next day, Sam tucked Cassie in and agreed to be her Valentine.

At the door, Janet smiled and said, "Looks like Cass beat me to the punch."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Janet said. She shrugged and said, "I was going to ask you to be my Valentine."

Sam gestured at the living room. "Well, she has thirty-five back-ups. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if she had to share me."

Janet laughed.

"I'm serious. Will you be my Valentine?"

Janet was still smiling, but she nodded. "Yes, Sam. Sure."

Sam stepped closer and kissed Janet's cheek as always. But this time when she pulled back, she tilted her head slightly and pecked Janet's lips as well. Janet made a quiet whimper and her hands twitched, as if eager to pull Sam close but knew they shouldn't. Sam kept her face too close to Janet's and opened her eyes. Janet's eyes had been open the entire time, and now her lips parted slightly. "Um."

"It's okay, right?"

"Yeah," Janet breathed. She swallowed and said, "It would be all right a second time, too."

Sam smiled and kissed Janet again. This time she was more confident. She pressed her lips against Janet's, closed them around her bottom lip and tugged gently. Janet's lips came apart and Sam brushed the space between them with her tongue. Janet finally brought one hand up to the back of Sam's head. Sam was close enough to tell that Janet's breasts were rising and falling quickly, her hand shaking as it tangled in her hair.

When they parted, Janet moved her hand to the side of Sam's throat. She felt the pulse racing against her palm. She stared at Sam's cheek, because it was easier than looking into her eyes, and said, "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day," Sam smiled. She kissed Janet's forehead which, after their real kiss, seemed even more intimate. Sam put her hand on Janet's hip for just a second, and then withdrew it. "I should go."

Cassandra's upstairs, we both have to be up early, if this goes any farther both our careers could be in jeopardy, the list of reasons for Sam to leave cycled through Janet's head. But she still wanted to shout 'wait' when Sam finally pulled away. Instead, she said, "Thank you. It's been a long time since I've had a Valentine's Day kiss."

"Me too," Sam said. "Especially one that nice."

Janet bowed her head to hide her blush, despite the darkness.

"Night, Janet."

"Good night." She stepped into the doorway as Sam left the porch and watched as she climbed into her car. Sam gave one last wave as she backed out of the driveway, and Janet returned it sadly. She finally went back inside, shut the door and turned the lock.

After that, it became harder to pretend. They would be in a briefing and Sam would find Janet watching her instead of taking notes. In the infirmary, Sam would find herself distracted to the point where she would have to ask Janet to repeat something she had just said. They shared quick, secretive smiles in the halls, sometimes shared elevators, found excuses to stop by each other's lab or office to make small talk.

Sam usually ate her on-base meals with the rest of SG-1. A few weeks after the kiss, Sam was having a late dinner with Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c when she spotted a bedraggled Janet shuffle into the commissary. She was much shorter without her high heels, the pair of white tennis shoes she wore instead incongruous with the rest of the outfit. Her bun was sloppy, her blouse wrinkled.

Once she had her meal, Sam called out to her and gestured at the empty seat across from her. Janet closed her eyes, shook her head and continued on to an empty table in the corner. Sam frowned, excused herself and made her way over. "Hey," she said softly. She rested her hand on Janet's shoulder and sat down next to her. "Is everything all right?"

"Mm-hmm." Janet picked at the seal of her orange juice. There were tears threatening to spill from her eyes and the way she pressed her lips together told Sam she was trying to keep them from trembling.

Sam slid her arm around Janet's shoulder completely and pulled her close. "Come here," she whispered. Janet turned and put her face against Sam's T-shirt. As soon as she put her head down, a sob broke free. "Shh. It's all right." She stood up, an awkward move with Janet crying against her chest, and walked her to the door. She glanced at O'Neill and Teal'c, watching her carefully, and she told them to mind their own business with a shake of her head. They both turned away.

Out in the corridor, alone, Sam held Janet and brushed her hair until the crying subsided. Sam didn't realize how frightened she was until the tears stopped. This was Janet. She didn't cry. She didn't let things get to her like this, at least not at work. When Janet was quiet and still, Sam said, "Better?"

Janet nodded. She inhaled, wiped her cheeks and stepped back. "I soaked you..."

"I don't care. What happened?"

"Eighteen hours," Janet said. She walked across the corridor and leaned against the opposite wall, putting distance between her and Sam. She crossed her arms over her chest, more defense, and ducked her head. "I worked on him for eighteen hours. I just couldn't... it wasn't enough."

"Then maybe it was his time."

"I don't care," Janet snapped. "'His time to go.' That's such bullshit. I should have been able to save him."

"Do you want someone to yell at or do you want a shoulder?" Sam asked.

Janet seemed to collapse in on herself and she sighed. "Can I have both? Please?"

Sam walked across the hall and drew Janet back into her arms. "Sure," she said. "Whatever you need."

When Janet felt like the worst had passed, she retreated to the bathroom to wash her face. When she came back to the commissary, she took her tray and accepted Sam's earlier invitation to sit with SG-1. O'Neill, to his credit, didn't bring up the crying and focused instead on their most recent mission excitement. Daniel joined them a bit later and Janet tried to leave. Sam convinced her to stay and she reluctantly joined the team's dinner.

They ate their meal, joking and sharing stories of adventures in outer space until the rest of the room emptied out. Teal'c was the first to leave, citing his kel'no'reem. Daniel, though the last to arrive, left not long after Teal'c so he could work on some artifacts.

Sam felt a thrill at the sudden realization of the possibilities. If she and Janet were left alone this late at night, there was a chance that something might happen. Another kiss, perhaps. Maybe she would offer to drive Janet home and they could say good night in the car where there was no chance they'd be overheard. Maybe Janet would stay at the base and ask to share Sam's quarters.

Of course, all that depended on them ending the night alone. Which depended on Jack O'Neill finishing his damn pie and leaving. From the way Janet kept shifting her eyes from the Colonel's plate to the clock, she was thinking the same thing. They made banal conversation, Sam and Janet sometimes talking to each other about science in the hopes O'Neill would take the hint and leave. But he refused to be moved.

Finally, Janet looked reluctantly into Sam's eyes and said, "I should go."

"You sure?"

"Mmm," Janet said. She pushed away from the table and said, "Babysitters get more and more expensive the later it gets."

She walked around the table and offered Sam and awkward sideways embrace. "Thank you," she whispered, just loud enough for Sam to hear.

"Any time," Sam said. She brought her hand up and cupped Janet's elbow.

Janet straightened and said, "Good night, Sir."

"Night, Fraiser."

Once she was gone, he looked at his watch, stretched and said, "Might as well call it a night, too."

Sam resisted the urge to do something indecent to him with his fork, but only because he was her commanding officer. She waited for him to dump the remnants of his meal in the trash, her heart pounding as he walked across the room to the exit. There was still time to catch up with Janet, turn her fantasy into reality, get something out of this night.

Once he was gone, Sam jumped up and deposited her tray in the trash. She ran into the hall and stopped short when she saw Janet and O'Neill standing side-by-side at the elevators. Her hopes dashed, her spirit crushed, Sam watched as the doors opened and they stepped inside. Janet saw Sam, shrugged and mouthed, 'I'm sorry.'

Sam nodded and held up her hand as a goodbye as the doors closed.

Their relationship progressed in that way. Chess games played at the back of the room while the rest of SG-1 occupied themselves with video games or a movie. If their outing involved a caravan to another place, Sam and Janet always contrived to be in the same vehicle. By themselves, if possible. Teal'c almost always rode with O'Neill, and sometimes Daniel would take the hint to draw the boy-girl line.

Janet celebrated her birthday with what seemed like the entire SGC at a local steakhouse. They alternated between treating her like a queen and acting like she was turning five years old. At the end of the night, when it had become more about cake and ice cream than the woman of the hour, Janet quietly slipped away. Sam followed her out to the parking lot. "Hey. Happy birthday."

"Thank you."

Sam held out a thin, beautifully-wrapped package. "Here."

Janet smiled, but her forehead wrinkled. "You already gave me a present."

"That was..." Sam waved it off and Janet realized. The present Sam had given her inside was a public present. This was private. Janet took the present and Sam said, "You don't have to open it now..."

"Are you kidding?" Janet said. She tucked her purse under her arm and began picking at the tape. She tore across the front of the package, flipped the book over and gasped when she revealed the title. "My God, Sam. The Wind in the Willows." She flipped it open and read part of a random page. She looked up, tears in her eyes and said, "I know I have never mentioned this..."

Sam shrugged, looked down at her shuffling feet. "You... we took Cassandra to the lake that time. And she went out in a little rowboat. I asked where she was and you said she was 'simply messing about in a boat.' I remembered it from when my Mom read it to me as a little girl and I thought, I figured, you must have liked it, too. I don't know."

"Your Mom read this to you?" Janet said softly. She was running her hand over the engraving on the cover. "Must be a very special memory."

"Yeah."

"And you're..." She looked up and dropped her hands to her sides. She closed the distance between them and kissed Sam's lips. Sam hesitated only a moment and then embraced Janet, holding her close, focused entirely on Janet's lips against hers. When Janet pulled back, her forehead resting against Sam's, she said, "Thank you, Sam. The first time I got really, really sick, I had this book on the bedside. I read it every day. Sometimes I think I read the entire thing in one day and just started over the next. It got me through the sickness. I've wanted to get a copy, but I never think about it when I'm at bookstores... thank you, Sam. I love it. I... love you. Thank you."

Sam was torn between ignoring what she had just heard and saying it back. She reached up and touched Janet's cheek. Janet was looking at the book and Sam said, "Janet."

Janet looked up.

"I'm glad you like the book," Sam chickened out.

Janet smiled. "I do, Sam. I really, really do. Thank you." She raised herself on her toes and kissed Sam again, this time chastely on the cheek. "Best birthday present ever."

Sam nodded and said, "It was worth it." She had stood in line at a hot bookstore with sweat pooling under her T-shirt, she had searched dozens of dark shelves on her rare days off when she could have been spending time with Janet, or in her lab, or with Janet, or finishing up paperwork. Or with Janet. The extremely rare first-edition had finally surfaced with a $250 price tag. Like-new, pristine pages and binding. Her bike needed work. But she still had the Volvo. She handed over the credit card without hesitation.

And Janet's tears in a dark, rain-spattered parking lot made it worthwhile. Hell, she would start over from scratch just for five more seconds. But Janet tucked the book under her coat to protect it from the rain, looked up at Sam again and said, "Thank you. I'll read it to Cassandra."

"Could... we? Um, I mean..."

"You want to read it with me?"

More than anything in the world. "Sure."

"I'd like that. I'd love that."

It still echoed in Sam's mind: I... love you.

Janet started to turn away and Sam said, "Janet, wait." Janet stopped and Sam pulled her into an embrace. She whispered, "I love you, too."

Janet nuzzled her face into Sam's collar and chuckled. She gripped Janet's hand and squeezed. "God, I was starting to think you hadn't heard me."

Sam pulled back and ran a knuckle under her eye. "Do you want a ride... um." She looked at Janet's car. "I guess not."

"No. Not this time. Good night."

Sam kept her hand in Janet's. "I hate saying good night to you."

"Well," Janet said, letting her hand fall from Sam's. "Maybe one night you won't have to."

"Is that a promise?"

Janet raised both eyebrows and pursed her lips. She smiled and turned away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sam."

"You, too."

Sam waited until Janet was in her car and safely out of the parking lot. Finally, she walked back toward the restaurant. She brought her hand up and touched her lips, still tender from Janet's kiss.

The day after Janet's birthday, SG-1 was scheduled to go off-world. Sam sat on the edge of the infirmary bed, feet swinging, waiting to get her pre-mission physical done with. Usually they just went through the motions, made sure the usual suspects weren't present before they were sent away with a lollipop and a warning to be careful. But once every five or ten missions, they had to go all-out.

Janet came around the curtain and they both froze. "Oh."

"Janet."

"Um."

They shifted uncomfortably. Full physical meant nudity. Meant touching. Their last kiss being less than twelve hours old added a whole new level to the situation. Sam swallowed and said, "I, uh... I think..."

"Jacquie," Janet interrupted. She stepped back and said, "Major Carter needs, um... I have to..."

"Of course, Doctor." The nurse stepped forward and, behind her, Janet made an apologetic face. Sam nodded that she understood and Janet pulled the curtain shut. Sam stripped off her T-shirt and let the nurse proceed with the exam.

Four days later, when Sam returned from the mission, she found Janet in her lab. "Hey. I was just on my way to see you. Post-mission..."

"I know. That's why I found you. I wanted to let you know that the physical won't be a problem. Now, or in the future."

"Janet, I understand."

"I've seen you naked before. It's just... with everything that's been going on b-between us..."

"You don't have to explain."

"I do. I can separate business from ple-- f-from..."

Sam walked forward and said, "I understand, Janet. You don't want to see me naked unless it's..."

Janet looked up at Sam and lowered her voice. "I want to see you like that."

Sam drew in a breath and held it. She resisted the urge to touch Janet, to kiss her, to draw her in. At least Janet had the benefit of knowing what she looked like naked. Past physicals, exams, surgeries. Janet had seen her naked a handful of times. But Sam had only her imagination. She reached out and pinched Janet's lab jacket between her thumb and forefinger. "Maybe we should do something about that."

"When?" Janet said, frustration raising her voice slightly. "Some day when, when we're both on Earth and neither of us has to be up early in the morning and Cassandra isn't around and we won't be interrupted by..." She held up both hands to stop herself, then covered her eyes. "I'm not yelling at you. It's not your fault. It's just... bad timing."

Sam stepped forward and kissed Janet's eyebrow. "I know."

"Hey, Carter."

Sam jumped back as if she'd been burned. Janet turned away from the door and pressed her fingers to her eyes to soak up any tears that might have been forming. Colonel O'Neill walked in, oblivious, and looked up from his report. "I thought... oh. Doc."

"The report, sir?" Sam asked, holding out her hand.

"Yeah. I just need a laymen's translation of the fourth paragraph."

"No problem."

"Everything all right?"

"Yes."

"Doc? You..."

"Go away," Sam said. O'Neill blinked at her. "Sir," she added hastily.

He cocked his head and backed out of the room. "Careful..." he warned.

Sam nodded and watched him walk away. She turned back to Janet, who had regained her professional composure. "That's twice he's seen me cry."

"He won't hold it against you."

"I will," Janet muttered.

"You're human. You have feelings."

"And those feelings could get me kicked out of this base. I could lose... Cassandra. Everything."

Sam looked down at her hands.

"I need to go."

"Janet..."

"I'm sorry, Sam. The next time you need a physical, I'll do it. It's my job."

Sam sighed and watched Janet walk away.

For a while, they were back to friends. No furtive glances, no slight touches that went on longer than normal. But Janet eventually began to thaw. When they ended up alone in an elevator together, Janet looked at the ceiling. "Do they have security cameras in here?"

"Mm-hmm," Sam said. "No sound, though."

Janet nodded. "I can't even stay mad at you. Why would I be mad at you? All you did wrong was being loved by me." She sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"I am. I shouldn't have dumped all that on you."

"What are friends for?"

Janet sighed. "You're not my friend. I don't know what you are, but friend... friend doesn't cover it." She swung her arm out, very casually, and bumped the back of her hand against Sam's.

"Superfriend?"

Janet laughed. "Yeah. That would work."

Sam smiled. "It's good to see you laugh."

Janet looked up at Sam and her smile wavered. "It just hurts," she said softly. "You know?"

"Yeah," Sam said. "I feel it, too."

Janet closed her eyes and shook her head. "I started reading the book to Cassandra a couple nights ago."

"Oh?" The elevator doors opened and, after a moment, they stepped out. They didn't say a word on the way to Sam's lab, wary of someone jumping out from one of the labs or overhearing something damning as they passed. When they were safely in the lab, Sam shut the door and flipped a switch. A red light came on outside, indicating delicate work was being done within. The security cameras would show her having a conversation with Janet, but no one would find it too suspicious.

"Yeah," Janet said, continuing their conversation without missing a beat. "I thought about calling you, but... sitting in bed, even with Cassie there, in my pajamas..."

"I understand. How is she enjoying it? How far are you?"

"Chapter Four. Mr. Badger." Janet smiled. "She loves it, naturally. She wants me to tell you thank you. Or she can tell you herself. At dinner tonight?"

"I'd like that. A lot," Sam said.

"Nothing fancy," Janet said. "Just meat loaf."

"It'll be great." She turned off the warning light and opened the lab door. "I'll see you tonight."

Janet nodded and moved to leave. She stopped next to Sam and touched her wrist. "Thank you. For understanding. I can be a bit bipolar sometimes when it comes to..."

"It's all right. I've been there."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Ten times today. At least."

Janet smiled and Sam took the opportunity to note how it made her eyes look. Janet realized she was under scrutiny and kept still. Finally, she broke the staring contest and said, "So, um. Tonight."

"Yeah."

Sam waited until Janet had gotten back on the elevator before she went back into her lab.

That night, their domestic bliss was reinstated. Meat loaf in the kitchen, Cassie eagerly recounting to Sam everything that had happened so far in her book. After the meal, Cassandra went back into the living room to watch TV and Sam and Janet tackled the dishes. They stood side-by-side again, in the bright yellow glow of the light over the sink, and Janet said, "Cass missed you."

"I missed her, too," Sam said. "I've always meant to tell you how much these meals mean to me. I didn't have very much of a family meal-time growing up, not after... Um. Domesticity wasn't really a buzzword around the Carter household, so..."

Janet put her hand on top of Sam's. Both were covered with soap suds and they slid easily against each other. Sam stared at Janet's fingers, then into her eyes. Janet said, "They mean a lot to me, too." She released Sam's hand and went back to the dishes. "We were a military family. Two brothers, Mom and me. I was the oldest, so I had to help Mom while Daddy was away. My brothers, little brats, hardly ever made it home for dinner once they turned thirteen or fourteen. Daddy was never there, of course. So usually it was just me and Mom. It's nice having a... whole family. Of sorts."

"You consider me family?"

"More than anyone else I've ever known," Janet said.

Sam felt warmth in her chest, like a fire that had been left to cinders for far too long, begin to grow. She had basically ignored the idea of having a family to focus on her career. But now she was inadvertently one-third of a family. A family she was surprised to find she was definitely, completely in love with. She inhaled and focused on the dishes and said, "Thanks, Janet."

Cassandra burst into the room. "Hey! Is Sam going to read with us tonight?"

Sam tensed. "I don't know, kiddo..."

"Yes," Janet said. She looked at Sam. She didn't nod her head, didn't widen her eyes, but something in her steady gaze told Sam that it was okay. "She is."

"Yeah. Go on up and get ready for bed," Sam said. "We'll be up in a minute."

Cassandra smiled, turned and hurried for the stairs. Sam and Janet turned back to the sink. "She's really too old to be read to," Sam said. "She's almost fifteen."

"I know," Janet said. "But nighttimes are still hard for her. She has nightmares, wakes up crying. The stories help calm her mind."

"I didn't know. I didn't mean to..."

Janet shrugged. "Don't worry about it. And I knew she would have issues when I signed up. The psychiatrist has been a godsend."

"If you ever need a hand, a night off, Janet..."

"I know. Thank you." She touched Sam's arm and said, "What do you say we dry our hands and go put her to bed."

"Are you going to change into your jammies?"

Janet laughed. "You wish."

"I do wish," Sam joked. She snagged Janet's blouse on her index finger when Janet tried to leave the sink. She could hear Cassie's feet on the floor over their heads, in the bathroom, where she couldn't possibly interrupt. Sam spun Janet as she turned herself around, her fingers curling around the belt loops of Janet's jeans. Janet tilted her head up and grabbed handfuls of Sam's shirt as their lips met.

Sam pressed her tongue forward and Janet accepted it immediately. Their hands were still wet, leaving dark smudges on their clothes as they groped one another. Janet slid her hands down to Sam's breasts, cupped them and then squeezed hard. Sam gasped and arched her back. Janet touched Sam's tongue with her own, twisted with it, their hips mimicking the give-and-take battle. Janet moaned quietly and said, "Stairs..."

Sam broke the kiss and they parted. "Shit," Sam muttered. She looked down at her shirt and saw two very clear handprints over her breasts. She turned to the sink, picked up a plate and smacked the surface of the water with it. A wave rose and fell and splashed over the edge of the sink, soaking her from shoulder to knee.

Cassandra returned to the kitchen right as Janet started laughing. Cassandra stopped, the book clutched to her chest, and laughed as well. "Whoa... what happened?"

"Not exactly... a domestic goddess..." Sam said between chattering of her teeth. "Towel?"

"I have clothes you can wear," Janet said. "Cass, we'll change and then be in to read, okay?"

Cassandra nodded and left again. Sam followed Janet out of the kitchen. "Next time, just grab my ass."

"Duly noted," Janet laughed.

Sam was up the stairs and through the door before she realized she was in Janet's bedroom. Janet, unaware of Sam's distraction, continued on to the closet. Sam took a few seconds to absorb everything; the queen-sized bed with the pink-and-white quilt, two pillows, end tables on either side of the bed with matching lamps, and a hamper that smelled much better than dirty clothes should tucked into the corner.

Directly ahead of the door was an expansive vanity. There were dozens of fingernail polish bottles, lipstick, perfume, hand lotion, hairspray, soap and other sundries. Basically a witches' brew of what made Janet Fraiser irresistible. The room smelled scented, but Sam couldn't figure out what exactly it was. The scent of Janet at rest, perhaps. Unguarded, by herself... Janet. She inhaled slowly in the hopes the smell would linger.

Janet stepped out of the closet with an oversized T-shirt. "This has always been too big for..." She looked up and saw Sam was staring across the room. She followed Sam's line of sight. "What?"

"It's your bedroom."

"Oh. Boy. Is this awkward."

"No. It... no. It's fine." She took the T-shirt from Janet and said, "I'll just, um..."

"Bathroom is right there," Janet said, pointing to a door off the vanity. Sam slipped past Janet and into the bathroom. She closed the door, turned on the light and turned around before she realized what a huge mistake that would be.

There was a smaller hamper next to the shower stall. The top was open, revealing a white, red and black sea of bras and panties. The stall door was open, revealing a handful of shampoo, conditioner and body lotion bottles on the shelf. A room where Janet spent every morning naked and wet, and Sam was planning to change clothes there. Brilliant. She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths and took off her wet shirt.

She stripped quickly and pulled the borrowed T-shirt over her head. She balled up her clothes and escaped back into the relative safety of the bedroom. Janet was nowhere to be found. Sam stood still for a moment, afraid of accidentally knocking over a box and having a sex shop worth of vibrating toys spill across the floor.

She gathered her wits and hurried to the door. She turned out the light, hurried down the hall and peeked into Cassandra's room. Janet was sitting on the edge of Cassie's bed, her right leg folded and tucked under her left. She had the book open in her lap, for which Sam was grateful. Because, apparently, Janet's pajamas consisted of short silk shorts and a lacy top. The buttons went up above her cleavage, but the gaps were wide enough for Sam to see the hint of flesh underneath. Stomach, the side of her breast, and the flat part of her chest.

Janet looked up and said, "Hey. Does it fit okay?"

"Yeah," Sam said. She tugged at the hem of the T-shirt and walked around the foot of the bed. She held up the balled-up wet clothes. "What should I...?"

"Oh, downstairs," Janet said. "Here, I'll take them."

Sam handed Janet the clothes and Janet hopped up. She scurried from the room and Sam sat on Cassie's opposite side. "Hey, kiddo." She picked up the book. "I loved this when I was a little girl."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm."

Janet came back and said, "They should be done in about half an hour." She settled back in and said, "Did you want to read first?"

"Um, sure," Sam said. She opened the book to the place they had marked. Janet reached across Cassie and pointed to a spot on the page. "We're there."

Sam nodded and settled back against Cassie's pillows. "The Badger simply beamed on him. 'That's exactly what I say,' he replied. 'There's no security, or peace and tranquility, except underground. And then, if your ideas get larger and you want to expand—why, a dig and a scrape, and there you are!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Janet's feet. Bare feet, crossed at the ankles, leading up to very long legs for such a short person. Legs, Sam realized, she had never seen quite this naked. The house was quiet, closing out the day, sleeping, and Sam was dangerously close to a family. She swallowed, cleared her throat and read on.

"If you feel your house is a bit too big, you stop up a hole or two, and there you are again! No builders, no tradesmen, no remarks passed on you by fellows looking over your wall, and, above all, no WEATHER. Look at Rat, now. A couple of feet of flood water, and he's got to move into hired lodgings; uncomfortable, inconveniently situated, and horribly expensive."

Janet coughed quietly. Sam lifted her head. "Bless you."

"Thank you." Cassandra's head was on Janet's shoulder, her eyelids already drooping. Janet stroked the girl's hair.

"Should I...?" Sam asked.

Janet nodded and said, "Finish the chapter."

Sam found her place again. "'A couple of feet of flood'... wait. Okay. 'Take Toad. I say nothing against Toad Hall; quite the best house in these parts, as a house. But supposing a fire breaks out—where's Toad? Supposing tiles are blown off, or walls sink or crack, or windows get broken—where's Toad? Supposing the rooms are draughty—I hate a draught myself—where's Toad? No, up and out of doors is good enough to roam about and get one's living in; but underground to come back to at last—that's my idea of home.'"

"Sounds like the SGC," Janet said softly.

Sam smiled and continued to read. When Otter said "if there's a head that needs to be punched, you can confidently rely upon me to punch it," Janet laughed out loud. Sam prayed for more funny lines, just to hear the sound again.

When they reached the end of the chapter, Cassandra was barely awake. Janet eased her arm free, kissed Cassie's forehead and whispered good night to her. Sam stroked the girl's hair and said, "Night, kid. I'm glad I got to share this with you."

"I like when you read," Cassandra said.

Sam smiled and said, "Sleep well."

Janet tightened the blanket around Cassie. "Just call if you need anything, okay?" Cassie nodded and Janet turned out the light. "Sam, by the bookcase..."

Sam looked, saw the flame-shaped nightlight and bent down to turn it on. Janet held the door for her and Sam had to brush past her into the hallway. She headed downstairs and Janet followed her a moment later.

The living room seemed much different now, without the buffer of Cassandra, with most of the house shut down for bed. Janet gestured at the couch and said, "I'll go see about your clothes." Sam nodded and sat down. She crossed her legs, tugged on the hem of her T-shirt, tried to find a way to position her body that wouldn't look seductive. She picked up a throw pillow and placed it on her lap.

Janet came back from the laundry room. "Still moist. I, uh... I think the Daily Show is still on, if..."

"No, that's all right."

Janet walked around the coffee table and sat down next to Sam. She seemed to think better of it, because she shifted a bit to the left. She hesitated, unsure of how to move without seeming rude, and stayed where she was. She crossed her legs and laced her fingers around her knee. "You could stay the night, if you wanted. The couch isn't very..."

"That's okay. Thanks." She looked at Janet and didn't try to hide her ogling. "You look... nice... in those pajamas."

Janet blushed. "Thanks."

"Thank you for letting me read to Cassie. It was a nice memory of my mother."

"I'm happy to..."

Sam lifted herself and cut off Janet's words with a kiss. She settled on Janet's thigh, her panties resting against warm, bare flesh. She was panting into Janet's mouth, her hands on Janet's breasts as Janet wrapped her arms around Sam. Janet moaned and lifted her leg against Sam's crotch. When Sam's hands moved to the buttons of her top, Janet breathed, "Wait, wait, wait..."

Sam stopped and pulled back, her eyes closed so she couldn't see anything arousing. But Janet's leg was still hot between her thighs. "I'll have to leave the house right now, in this shirt, immediately if you want me to stop," she managed to say.

Janet kissed Sam's chin and her lips, then said, "Get off." Sam lifted herself and returned to her seat. Janet turned to face Sam and said, "I don't... Sam, I want you so badly." She was breathing hard, her skin warm to the touch. "But Cassandra is right upstairs. She's a light sleeper. I..."

"I understand, Janet," Sam said. "I do. But I should go..."

Janet put her hand on Sam's chest. "Don't. Please."

"What do you want me to do, Janet?" Sam said, her voice breaking.

Janet leaned in and kissed the corner of Sam's mouth. "Just be here," she whispered. She pushed Sam back until she was lying on the couch. She lay down behind her, squeezing between Sam's back and the couch, and kissed her shoulder through her T-shirt. She lifted her leg and hooked it on Sam's hip. Sam closed her eyes. She felt Janet's arm between them, moving lower. Janet's lips moved to Sam's neck.

Sam could barely catch her breath. She was shaking. Janet's voice was a whisper like a roar right next to Sam's ear. "My hand is between my legs. I'm stroking myself with two fingers."

Sam parted her legs slightly and cupped herself. "I think about you when I..." she admitted.

"And I think of you, Sam," Janet said. "I think about making love to you and I come so hard."

Sam whimpered and began to rock against her hand. For a while, they didn't need words. They grunted softly as they touched themselves. Their bodies rocked in motion, hips together, bare legs tangled. Janet kissed Sam's neck, sucked her earlobe and pressed tighter against her. "I'm going to come..." She moved with quick, desperate movements and then went still. She rested her face where Sam's neck and shoulder met, then snaked her arm around Sam's body. She offered her fingers to Sam, who took them into her mouth and sucked gently.

"I love you," Janet whispered, and Sam moaned. "Come for me..."

She took her hand from Sam's mouth, slid it down her arm and covered Sam's hand with her own. She didn't touch Sam between the legs, but felt the warmth. Her breath caught and she bit Sam's shirt, taking the material into her teeth and tugging it. She held Sam from behind through Sam's orgasm and tightened her embrace when Sam finally relaxed.

They lay there for a long time before Sam rolled onto her back. She pulled Janet onto her and kissed her lips. "Was that...?"

"No," Janet said. "I mean, it was more satisfying than anything I ever did with my husband, but... it wasn't sex."

Sam kissed Janet's bottom lip, then licked her chin. She chuckled and said, "I don't know why I did that."

"It was sexy," Janet assured her. She tilted her head and Sam licked her neck. Janet shivered and said, "Mmm, yeah, baby."

Sam kissed the curve of Janet's jaw. "I want to have sex with you."

"I know," Janet said. There was a tremor in her voice and she looked into Sam's eyes. "I want you, too. But..."

"Work. Cass. The SGC, the military, the goddamn world." She reached up and touched Janet's face. "I'd quit for you."

"Sam..."

"I'd quit. Raise Cassandra. Be a housewife for you. I can learn to sew..."

Janet covered Sam's mouth with her hand. "If anyone's going to be the housewife, it'll be me, Miss Super-Astrophysicist. They could replace me in a heartbeat. You, they would have to... clone."

"I have a robot. I'll bring her back to Earth, she can take over for me."

"Where at the SGC, or here?" Sam swatted Janet's ass. "Honestly, I don't mind as long as she has the right parts!" Sam swatted again and Janet squirmed on top of her. She bent down and kissed Sam's ear. Then she whispered. "I like that. For future reference. Spanking. Get a little rough. It's okay."

Sam shuddered. She ran her hand up Janet's back. "I like to be on top. I l-like... strap-ons..."

"I have one..."

Sam moaned. "I like..."

"You can tell me."

"I like having my toes kissed."

"Okay."

Something buzzed in the other room and they both turned toward it. "The dryer," Janet said.

"Oh," Sam whispered. "My clothes."

"The offer to stay is still on the table."

Sam shook her head and eased Janet off of her. "I really shouldn't. You'd be sucking my toes before Letterman was over."

"I wouldn't mind," Janet said, draping herself across the couch as Sam stood up. She held her hand out and Sam took it, pulled her off the couch and followed her to the laundry room. Janet knelt down and retrieved the clothes from the machine, squeezing them to make sure they were dry and not just warm. "Should be good," she said. She stood and held the clothes out to Sam.

Sam met Janet's gaze and crossed her arms in front of herself. She grabbed two handfuls of the T-shirt and pulled it up and off. "Sam..." Janet said. The clothes shook.

Sam reached behind herself and unhooked her bra. Janet sucked in a breath as it fell away and revealed Sam's breasts; just barely lighter than the rest of her skin, tipped with fat, pink nipples. Sam hooked her thumbs in her panties, bent down and straightened to step out of them. Janet was shaking all over now. Sam took the clothes, pressed her body against Janet's and kissed her tenderly. Janet was limp, her back against the door the only thing keeping her from melting to the floor in a pile.

When Sam broke the kiss, she sucked briefly on Janet's top lip. Then she pulled back, licked her own lips and said, "Now you can do that exam."

"Um," Janet moaned. Her eyes were still closed, her hand still tightly gripping the doorknob. "I think I just came again."

Sam smiled and stepped into her jeans. She shrugged into her blouse and left it hanging open. Janet looked at the strip of bare skin running down Sam's front and exhaled. "Nice."

Sam looked down, suddenly shy, and quickly fastened all the buttons she could. She bent down, picked up her underwear and stuffed it into her pocket. She looked at Janet and said, "I enjoyed dinner. We should do it again sometime."

Janet laughed and said, "Get out of here if you're going." She paused and kissed Sam's lips. "We will, you know. One day."

"I can't wait," Sam whispered. She brushed her hand down Janet's cheek and followed her to the door.

As promised, the next time Sam needed a pre-mission physical, Janet had no problems. She looked Sam over, ran down the checklist, and cleared Sam for duty. Sam pulled her clothes back on and, before Janet could escape around the curtain, said, "Was it good for you?"

Janet turned, arched her eyebrow and said, "Oh, it'll do. For now." She laughed and said, "Be safe, Sam."

Once Sam was gone, the infirmary took over her mind. She had made a brief stop-over in her office to file a report when the door opened without a knock. She looked up and blinked at who was standing there. "Sam. Hey. I thought you were supposed to leave for P23..."

"Yeah," Sam interrupted. "We were. But the MALP picked up some seismic disturbances that scared the seismologists. They're thinking the planet is due for some earthquakes. Or, I guess, P23-479-quakes. I wanted to see if you were free for dinner."

Janet nodded and picked up the file she had been reading. She walked to the filing cabinet and said, "Yeah. I..." She stopped and dropped both hands onto the top of the drawer.

Sam frowned and stepped into the room. "Janet? Is everything okay?"

Janet turned, her eyes distracted. "Hmm? Yeah. I was just... it's Friday."

"Yeah."

"Cassandra is going to Toronto this weekend with Ernest and Catherine. They picked her up right after school. She won't be home until... until Monday."

Sam had stopped breathing halfway into the sentence. "So no one is at home."

"No," Janet said softly. Her lips remained pursed when she finished the word, her eyes wide as she considered the implications. "I can get Warner to cover the rest of my shift."

Sam looked at her watch. "I should shower..."

"My place? An hour from now?"

Sam smiled. "This is really going to happen?"

"It... I think so. I think..." Janet took a deep breath and nodded with her chin. "Go take your shower. I have to find Bill."

Sam stepped forward, then immediately fell back. Janet could tell Sam wanted to kiss her good-bye, and she nodded her understanding. "Later. Go. I'll see you at my place."

"Okay," Sam said. She turned, hit the door with her shoulder and hurried down the hallway. Janet went back to her desk and picked up her phone. She dialed a number, drummed her fingernails on the desk as it rang and then said, "Hi! Thelma? Could I speak to Bill, please?"

They met up an hour later, as promised. Sam's Volvo was parked in Janet's driveway when she pulled up and Sam was sitting on the front steps. She stood when she saw Janet's car, met her halfway across the lawn and said, "We don't have to..."

"The hell we don't," Janet said. She grabbed Sam's hand and led her back onto the porch. Her fingers shook as she slipped the key into the lock, twisted it and shoved the door open. Sam put a hand in the small of Janet's back, pushed her inside and kicked the door shut with her foot. "Oh, Sam," Janet sighed as she was spun around.

Sam didn't care about gentle, not at the moment. She pushed Janet against the foyer wall, kissing her hard as their hands roamed. Janet untucked Sam's blouse and pressed her palm against the warm flesh of Sam's back. "Oh, God, Sam, yes..." Janet gasped when her mouth was free again. Sam kissed Janet's cheek and looked down to focus on the buttons of Janet's blouse. "Rip it."

"Janet, this is your uniform blouse," Sam said. She was shocked at how calm her voice sounded, at how reasonable her thought processes her. But her fingers shook, her fingernails clicking against the small white buttons as she undid them one at a time. "I'm not going to rip it."

"Just hurry," Janet moaned. She rolled her hips forward, pressing them to Sam's crotch. Sam bit her bottom lip to stifle a moan and finally got the lowest button undone. Janet shrugged out of it and Sam tossed the blouse toward the living room. Janet's dark blue skirt was pushed up around her thighs, her breasts rising and falling against a simple white tank top. Her dog tags rested between them, marking her cleavage. Janet reached up, touched Sam's cheek and said, "Sam..."

Sam looked into Janet's eyes, untucked the tank top and Janet lifted her arms. Sam peeled the top away, dropped it. She cupped both hands over Janet's brassiere and leaned in for another kiss. She felt Janet's nipples harden against her palms and squeezed, lightheaded at the thought that Janet was nearly naked in front of her. Janet spoke against Sam's lips, "Dress... unzip..." Sam reluctantly released Janet's breasts and embraced her, reaching down to undo the zipper of her skirt.

Janet leaned against the wall and Sam stepped back to watch as the skirt fell to the ground. Janet, in her bra and panties, stockings and high heels, skin flush with desire, reached out to pull her close again. Sam let Janet's arm snake around her neck, felt Janet's strength as she was pulled forward and kissed her again. Janet hooked one leg against Sam's hip and rocked against her. Sam brushed the back of her hand against the inside of Janet's thigh.

"Yes, Sam," Janet whispered. She rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes. Sam looked down and used trembling fingers to push aside Janet's panties. She forced herself to keep her eyes open as her fingers brushed through Janet's dark pubic hair. Janet moaned and Sam nearly collapsed, her knees shaking as she forced her hand forward.

Her fingertips brushed wet flesh and Sam gasped, clenched her teeth and looked into Janet's face. She kissed Janet's chin, her mouth and whatever else she could reach as she slowly stroked Janet. Sam felt like she was going to have a heart attack, like her skin was on fire. She moved her hand ever so slightly and used her thumb to explore. She brushed a hard, small bud and Janet sucked air through her teeth.

Sam chuckled breathlessly. "Did I find your clit?"

"Yes," Janet gasped.

Sam rolled her thumb and her now-wet index finger across the tiny captive, rolling it back and forth as she watched Janet's face. She pulled her hand back and looked with wonder at her wet fingers. She brought them up, smelled them and slipped one into her mouth. She moaned and pressed her body against Janet's. "You taste so good, Janet..."

Janet's only reply was a whimper. She rolled her head forward, her cheek to Sam's, and said, "Upstairs. I always fantasize... about... the bed."

Sam shifted her position and moved her hands. She grabbed Janet by the thighs and said, "Hop up." Janet wrapped her arms around Sam's neck and jumped. She bent her knees, tucked them against Sam's sides as she hooked her ankles in the small of Sam's back. Sam slid her hands to Janet's ass, caressed it through the thin cotton of her panties, and moved to the stairs.

"Can you...?"

"You're light," Sam assured her. She kissed Janet's lips and started up the stairs.

By the landing, she was breathing harder than before, and her arms were shaking. Janet moved her lips to Sam's ear and said, "You can just toss me onto the bed when we get there. I'll assume it's sexy."

Sam breathed a laugh and walked Janet to the bedroom. The door was, luckily, slightly ajar, so Sam nudged it open with her shoulder. She stopped at the foot of the bed and, as instructed, dumped Janet onto the mattress. Janet bounced, a smile on her face, and spread her legs. She lifted herself onto her elbows and said, "Come on, Sam... I'm all yours."

Sam yanked her shirt from the waistband of her jeans, yanked it off and tossed it. She undid her belt and left the two ends hanging loose as she lifted one knee and crawled onto the bed. She settled between Janet's legs and planted her hands on the mattress on either side of Janet's head as she lowered her lips to Janet's. Janet moaned into the kiss, her tongue flickering against Sam's as she moved her body against Sam's.

"Hi," Sam whispered when she broke the kiss.

"Hi," Janet sighed. "Take off your clothes."

Sam laughed and said, "Why don't you take off my clothes?"

Janet worked her hand between them and undid the button on Sam's jeans. "Are you wearing panties?"

"Boxers."

Janet squeezed together her slender fingers, the fingers of that delicate, lovely hand Sam had admired so many times, and worked it under the waistband of Sam's underwear. Sam lifted her head and Janet assaulted her neck, kissing, licking and sucking as her hand moved deeper. She extended two fingers, curled them and drew them back across Sam's labia. Sam grunted and twitched. "God, Janet..."

"Touch me, Sam," Janet sighed, still amazed that her fingers were oh, so close to finally being inside of Sam. "I need..."

Sam reached around Janet, ran her hand across Janet's smooth back until she found the clasp of her bra. She unhooked it, watched the material sag and then bowed her head. She buried her face in Janet's cleavage, inhaled deeply and absorbed the scent of her. Then she closed her teeth around the little bow between the cups and pulled her head back. Janet obediently lifted her free arm, leaving the other where it was, and let the bra hang off her occupied wrist. Sam didn't care; she was preoccupied by the beautiful woman lying next to naked underneath her.

Janet looked down at herself and resisted the urge to cover her breasts. Sam reverently lowered her head, parted her lips and placed a tender kiss to Janet's right breast, just above the nipple. She did the same to the left and felt Janet's heart beating against her lips. She moved down and lightly touched her tongue to the dark brown nipple. Janet whimpered and pressed her fingers into Sam.

"Ah, God, Janet..."

"Too much?"

"No..." Sam gasped. She closed her lips around Janet's nipple and swept her tongue across it. She nipped at it with her teeth, gauging each moan and gasp and sigh from Janet as road maps to what she enjoyed and what she didn't. As she moved from one nipple to the other, she moved her hips against Janet's hand. "I want you inside of me," Sam said against the curve of Janet's breast. "Please..."

Janet whispered, "Okay," and bent her wrist. She brought both legs up, worked her toes into the waistband of Sam's jeans and pushed them down. Sam twisted her lower body to get the pants out of the way and kicked them to the floor. She lifted herself up and reached behind her back to unhook her bra. Janet watched as she tossed it away and shook her head. "How beautiful..."

Sam blushed and lowered herself again. Sam's breasts pressed against Janet's and she shivered. "Inside. Now. Please, Janet, in..." Janet gently thrust her hand forward and Sam's words faded. She bowed her head and rested it on Janet's shoulder, riding her fingers. "Fuck me," Sam breathed. "Oh, God, Janet..."

"Are you going to come?"

"Yes," Sam said. She grunted and licked Janet's shoulder. "Harder... a little... there... Janet..."

"Sam, come for me..."

Sam sobbed and tightened her thighs around Janet's hand. She exhaled a few times in quick succession, grunted and then fell still. She ran her hands over Janet's body as Janet withdrew her hand. All four fingers were wet, glistening in the poor light of the bedroom. She used the opportunity to flick her wrist and rid herself of her bra, then experimentally brought her hand to her lips.

Sam lifted her head in time to see Janet suck the tip of her index finger into her mouth. She watched with half-lidded eyes and kissed Janet's cheek. "How do I taste?"

Janet unexpectedly began to cry. Sam sat up and kissed her lips, then brushed her tears away. "Hey. Hey, Janet. I'm sorry. If I pushed you or..."

"No," Janet said. She covered her eyes and turned away. "I just... I realized... I was tasting you. I was tasting Sam Carter, because I had made her come." She sobbed again and shook her head.

Sam gently turned Janet's head, bent down and kissed her. She waited until Janet began to respond to the kiss and lightly brushed her tongue across Janet's teeth. Janet sighed and Sam broke the kiss. Janet lifted her head slightly to follow her, lips parted, eyes half-open. Sam said, "I love you, Janet."

"Sam..." Janet said. She ran her hands down Sam's chest, over her breasts and pausing momentarily over her nipples. She rested one hand on Sam's ass, the other in the small of her back and said, "I love you, too."

Sam shifted her weight and kissed Janet's shoulder, her nipples, her cleavage and her stomach. She lifted Janet's legs and rested her feet on the mattress as she lowered her head to Janet's panties. Janet said, "Wait, Sam... I don't..."

"What?" Sam asked. She had one hand resting on Janet's stomach, warming the skin.

Janet was blushing again, embarrassed. "I-I don't... like that."

Sam's brow furrowed. "You don't?"

Janet shrugged. "It's not erotic."

Sam's eyebrows arched. "Janet... do you trust me?" Janet nodded without hesitation. Sam kissed Janet's belly. "If you don't like it, I'll stop. All you have to do is say the word."

"Okay," Janet said.

Sam smiled and lifted herself up. She pulled Janet's panties off, once again marveling at the beauty of Janet Fraiser's naked body, and tossed them aside. She slipped off the bed, knelt next to it as if preparing to say her nightly prayers. She put her hands on Janet's hips and guided her forward. Sam ran her tongue over her lips, sucked them both into her mouth like she was spreading lipstick. She made sure both lips were nice and wet, slick but not slippery, and bowed her head.

She warmed Janet's thighs with her breath, pressed her cheeks against them. She turned her head and closed her eyes, sure that she was unprepared to be this close to Janet's pussy. She ran her tongue over her lips one more time, bowed and placed her parted lips against Janet's labia. She tilted her head to one side, used her lips to part them, and lightly teased the exposed, tender flesh with the tip of her tongue.

Janet grunted quietly and Sam reached out to her. Janet's hand found hers and held tight, the fingers laced together, and Janet squeezed hard. Sam withdrew her tongue and wrapped her lips around Janet's clit. She sucked, first gently but then a little harder. She inhaled through her mouth and then blew across it. Janet lifted her hips off the mattress and then dropped immediately back down. "How's that?" Sam asked softly.

"Good," Janet groaned.

"How good?"

"I love it, I love your... mouth on me, Sam... Sam..."

Sam folded her tongue and pressed it between Janet's folds. She curled it, pulled back and dragged it across Janet's clit. "Fuck!" Janet gasped. "Sorry... goddamn..."

Sam smiled and sucked Janet's clit into her mouth again. She rolled it against her wet lips, then brought her free hand up. She rubbed her knuckles against Janet's wet lips, then uncurled two fingers and slipped them inside. She lifted her head and kissed Janet's hip, pressed her face into Janet's fragrant pubic hair, and worked her fingers in a slow rhythm. When she felt Janet's muscles tighten, she lowered her head and took Janet's clit into her mouth again.

Janet lifted her hips against Sam, grunting quietly. She had one hand clenched with Sam's, the other balled up in the blankets. She rocked her upper body violently, up and then thrust back down against the mattress and her entire body twisted when she came. Sam kissed Janet's lips one last time, brushed her cheek against her pubic hair and then slid up her body. She kissed Janet's stomach, lingered over her cleavage and then pressed her face into the hollow of Janet's throat. She inhaled Janet's sweat, the scent of her skin, and then rolled to one side.

Janet had her eyes closed, her breasts rising and falling with her breath. It was slowly returning to normal, but her skin was still flushed and her nipples were hard. Sam couldn't resist cupping one breast, watching how it molded to her hand. Janet finally opened her eyes, turned her head and stared at Sam for a long moment before she spoke. "I don't know how those two girls at the Academy did it so fucking wrong..."

Sam laughed and bowed her head. "So it was all right?"

"Mm," Janet said. She put her hand on Sam's cheek and kissed her. "It was so good, Sam. Thank you for it."

"I've fantasized about going down on you."

"Oh?"

Sam lifted her eyes and met Janet's gaze. Janet rolled onto her side and looked at Sam straight-on. She touched Sam's hair, her forehead and her cheek. She dipped her fingers into Sam's mouth, and she obligingly sucked the tips before letting them slip free. "Hi," Janet said again.

"Hi," Sam said.

Janet's hand moved lower. Touched Sam's nipples, her cleavage. She spread her palm over Sam's stomach, lightly scratched the muscular plain with her fingernails, and then dipped lower. She pushed Sam's underwear down and Sam helped her get it down her legs. Janet took a moment to absorb Sam's nudity and then looked into her eyes again. She raked her fingernails through Sam's pubic hair. Sam closed her eyes and spread her legs.

Janet moved closer and rested her head on Sam's chest. She used three fingers on Sam, spreading and penetrating, stroking and circling with increasingly wet fingertips. "You feel so good," Janet whispered against Sam's chest.

Sam swallowed hard and Janet closed her eyes. She moved her body so that their lower bodies were touching. She thrust her hips gently, pushing her hand into Sam with them. Sam grunted and embraced Janet. "That's so good, Janet... your fingers in me... God... my clit..."

Janet awkwardly brought her other hand around and used it to find Sam's clit. She worked with both hands, thrusting with one and brushing with the other, like some sort of complicated instrument. Sam lifted her hips and dug her fingers into Janet's shoulder. "Oh, Janet... right there... I'm so close..."

"Come for me, Sam... I want you to come on my fingers..."

Sam huffed, her nostrils flaring, and she tightened around Janet's fingers. She shuddered, tremors tracking up and down her body as she came. Janet kissed Sam's chest and then her neck, and withdrew her hand. She pulled Sam to her in a fierce embrace, holding her until she was still. Then she kissed her naked shoulder, her neck, until finally she found her lips.

Sam kept her eyes closed through the kiss and, when Janet pulled back, Sam said, "I'll quit. The Stargate, all the technology I have seen and will see, alien worlds... I'll give it all up if you'll do that to me every night."

Janet laughed and kissed Sam again.

"I'm serious," Sam said. "I'll quit."

"Sam," Janet said. She stroked Sam's hair. "I would quit, too, if that would solve our problem." She curled her index finger and dragged it over Sam's cheek, drying the tear she couldn't see but knew was there. "But I love you. That's enough for now. Even if we never... if this is the last time, then so be it."

"I hope it's not."

"Me too," Janet chuckled. "You're really good in bed." She touched Sam's lips, and Sam sucked her own tears off the knuckle. "And I am still flying. I've never... you made me feel..." She felt tears of her own starting to brew, so she shook her head. "It's all right."

"I love you." Sam said.

Janet smiled.

"Do you have anywhere to be tonight?"

Janet shook her head.

Sam rolled on top of her and kissed her lips. "Good. Because I want to do it again. Is that...?"

"Mm-hmm."

"I feel like we wasted so much time. I don't want to waste any more."

"I don't think we wasted a single minute." Janet touched Sam's face, moving her fingers over Sam's cheeks and lips as if memorizing them. "All those glances that we stole, maybe... maybe that made this better. More special than if we had just found a broom closet." She moved her hands down to Sam's chest and lightly scratched the skin with her fingernails. "We only get one first time. We really made it count."

"Does the second time have to count?" Sam asked quietly, her eyes flashing in the darkness.

Janet smirked. "Not as much, no."

Sam smiled and lowered herself for another round.

#

Sam woke when Janet shifted on the mattress. She forced her eyes open and saw Janet sitting up on the other side of the mattress, hair mussed, shoulders hunched. Sam reached out and murmured, "Hey."

"Go back to sleep," Janet said. She curled her fingers around Sam's and climbed out of bed. Sam watched her walk naked across the room, then closed her eyes as her cute little butt was hidden by a robe. Sam lay on her back and planned to wait for Janet to return. But her next conscious memory was Janet's lips on her stomach. She opened her eyes and moaned her appreciation.

Janet smiled and looked up at her. "I put some coffee on. It'll be ready in about an hour."

"What time is it?"

Janet moved to Sam's side and slipped under the covers again. "Almost five." Sam rubbed her eyes and groaned. Janet cuddled against her and said, "This was the best night of my life. I'm not kidding, Sam."

"I believe you," Sam said. "It topped the scales for me, too."

Janet drew symbols on Sam's chest, tracing through the dried sweat. "I wish it didn't have to be... I mean, I wish..."

"I know."

Janet sighed and flattened her palm on Sam's shoulder. "We could figure out a way around it. Maybe take Colonel O'Neill and Daniel up on that invitation to take Cassie for the weekends. The Colonel wants to show her Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, show her the world that she calls home. We could take advantage of that."

Sam nodded. "We could always just tell her..."

"No," Janet said firmly. "That poor little girl has so many secrets, I am not asking her to keep another one."

"I didn't think of that. I guess that's why you're the mom."

"I feel like I'm choosing her over you. I hate myself for that."

"I would love you less if you chose the other way," Sam admitted. "You love Cassandra like she was your daughter. She is your daughter, for what it matters to me or anyone else who knows you two. I'm just..."

"The woman I love."

Sam turned her head and kissed Janet's hair. "Yeah. That's all."

Janet sniffled and kissed Sam's chest. "Cassie doesn't get home until Sunday night. Do you have to be at work?"

"No. When the mission got scrubbed, I was just going to lend a hand in the labs. You?"

"Tonight. But Warner would happily fill in."

"So we have the weekend, at least."

Janet nodded, her hair tickling Sam's chin. "I... still have that strap-on. In the drawer over there."

"Oh, really," Sam said.

"And you haven't spanked me yet."

Sam shuddered and laughed. "Well, you just haven't been naughty enough."

Janet rolled on top of Sam and said, "I'm going to have to see what I can do about that..."

By Sunday, delivery boxes had lined up on the edge of the vanity. They ate Chinese naked in bed, with a towel spread out to catch any dripping sauce. Janet licked a trail of soy sauce from Sam's collar to her nipple, and Sam kissed Janet with a piece of broccoli in her teeth. They shared an eggroll and Janet put away the fortune cookies for later.

Two pizza boxes lay discarded on the floor next to the bed. Sam, ashamed of messing up Janet's perfect bedroom, picked up the trash while Janet took a quick catnap between rounds on Sunday. She was forced to wear Janet's robe, which left a lot of her exposed, to the dumpster outside. Fortunately, she made it back inside before anyone saw her.

Janet was awake when she returned. She looked Sam up and down, stretched and said, "Hi."

"Hi," Sam said. She dropped the robe and walked back to the bed. Janet welcomed her with open arms and the next round began.

Finally, early Sunday evening, they decided it was time to be grown-ups. They took separate showers, and Sam dressed in clothes she had discarded almost thirty-six hours before. While Janet was in the shower, Sam washed the strap-on and replaced it in Janet's toy drawer. Janet dried her hair at the vanity and put on a fresh pair of trousers and a white blouse. She turned and stopped short. "Oh."

Sam had put the bedroom back together. The quilt and sheets were stripped and piled in the corner behind the door, replaced by new linens. The pillows had been returned to the head of the bed and the row of paperbacks on the headboard - a casualty of a particularly acrobatic orgasm - had all been returned to their proper places. "You tidied."

"What can I say? I'm the whole package."

They paused at the doorway of the bedroom and kissed, as if crossing the threshold would break some kind of spell. Janet rested her hand on Sam's chest and said, "When I was eighteen, I was fresh out of high school. My friend borrowed her Dad's Mustang convertible and we just went... flying. No cares, no responsibilities, just two girls in a hot car. We drove all the way across the state until we hit water, then we spent the weekend at this old, giant beach house. I didn't sleep the entire time, I was too excited. I always considered that my perfect weekend."

"Yeah?" Sam said.

"I would trade every single memory of that trip for one more day here, with you."

Sam smiled and kissed Janet's lips. "You don't have to. We'll have more weekends."

"Promise?"

"I swear," Sam said. She stepped back and gestured for Janet to lead the way out. She turned, looked over the bedroom and shut the door.

#

Sam expected awkwardness following their lost weekend. The things they had done, how could they possibly go back to pretending they were just friends? But they did, apparently, and no one seemed aware of any difference between them. Janet dropped off a medical report concerning contaminants on M14-221 during a briefing the Wednesday following their weekend. She handed the report to Hammond, nodded when he thanked her, and looked briefly at Sam. There was a hint of a smile on her lips, but then she turned away and it was gone.

Nothing had changed on the surface, but their time together had made it easier to take staying apart. All those stolen glances they had to settle for were suddenly enough. It was suddenly enough to sit quietly in the commissary with Janet and the rest of SG-1, or to sit on the couch and watch a movie with her. Sam's dinners at the Fraiser household now frequently ended with Sam and Janet reading a story to Cassandra together. Then Sam would go downstairs and Janet would kiss her good night. Sometimes it went a little farther, a mutual masturbation session in the dark of the living room, but for the most part, they were content.

Not long after they had fallen into their new routine, Janet stuck her head into Sam's lab and said, "Hey. I'm heading off-base for dinner. Care to join me?"

"I, uh, can't leave the base right now. But if you have a minute, I want to show you something." Janet nodded and Sam slipped off her stool. She resisted the urge to take Janet's hand and they walked to the elevator a respectable distance apart. Sam hit the button for Level 25 and Janet raised an eyebrow.

"The permanent quarters?"

"Yeah," Sam said. "You never signed up for any."

"I live five minutes away," Janet said. "If I need a catnap, I stretch out on the couch in my office."

They arrived and Sam gestured for Janet to lead the way. They passed a bunch of empty quarters until Sam pointed to a room at the end of the hallway. "There." Janet opened the door, turned on the light and looked inside. "It's nice."

"It's yours."

"Why do I need it?"

"Catnaps," Sam said. She brushed by Janet and walked backwards into the quarters. She held her arms out, indicating the whole room, and raised her eyebrows. "Just to get your head straight. Catch your breath."

Janet licked her lips and closed the door. "Oh," she said with a smile. "I think I'm starting to get it."

"Are you sure? Because I could explain it in detail, if you like, after you get back from dinner."

"Sam," Janet said, undoing her tie.

"Mm?"

"I'm not hungry anymore."

"Oh?"

"No. Take off your pants."

Sam laughed as Janet reached her. They kissed and fell onto the bed together. Janet propped herself up on her elbows and looked down into Sam's face. "This isn't a perfect solution, you know. We'd still be... you know, on a military base..."

"Yeah, well," Sam said. "It's close. And it's as close as we've come." She tucked a strand of hair behind Janet's ear. "It's a bed, and it's a private room. If anyone asks, we'll just say we're coming in here for therapy sessions. You're a single mother, I'm a very stressed-out scientist charged with saving the world once a week. Therapy is a necessity."

"Especially the way you do it," Janet said. She smiled and kissed Sam's lips. "It's a great solution, Sam. Thank you."

Sam kept her hand on the side of Janet's head and smiled. "It's not perfect. But will it do?"

"You're here. I'm here..." Janet bent down and kissed Sam's top lip. She moved her head slightly and kissed Sam's bottom lip. "Looks pretty damn close to perfect to me."

Sam smiled and laced her fingers together in the small of Janet's back. She pulled Janet down on top of her and kissed her deeply, passionately. She decided Janet was right, as she rolled them so that she would be on top first. As she undid the buttons of Janet's blouse, a line from near the end of The Wind in the Willows popped into her mind. She bent and kissed Janet's chest as her inner voice recited the lines in her mother's voice: "Indeed, much that he related belonged more properly to the category of what-might-have-happened-had-I-only-thought-of-it-in-time-instead-of-ten-minutes-afterwards. Those are always the best and the raciest adventures; and why should they not be truly ours, as much as the somewhat inadequate things that really come off?"

For once, Sam thought as she kissed Janet's stomach, as her fingers curled under the waistband of Janet's skirt, she was living the best and raciest adventure. She truly had Janet; the fates had aligned and they were finally together. And with all that to fall back on, 'pretty damn close to perfect' was more than enough for her.

end