The Relationship: The Conversation
by John O'Connor
Disclaimer:  Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the
property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom,
 MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko 
Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes
only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright
 infringement is intended. The original characters,
situations, and story are the property of the author.
Rating: PG-13.
Sam Carter walked into Janet Fraiser's living room,
excite churning in her gut. She and Janet were about
to make love for the first time. It would be the first
time she'd ever been with a woman and she was more
nervous than she could ever remember.
'This is worse than flying over Iraqi airspace or
fighting a horde of Jaffa,' the tall blonde officer
thought. 'Why? It's Janet, she's my best friend. I
know and trust her. So, why am I so nervous?'
'Because she's a woman too,' another part of her mind
said. 'You still think it's wrong to love a woman. Get
over it!'
Steeling herself, she sat next to Janet on the couch.
The brunette took her hand and looked at Sam, "Don't
worry. Nothing will happen that you don't want to have
happen. Okay?"
Sam nodded, "Okay. I do trust you, Janet. This is just
so new to me..."
Janet leaned in and kissed Sam. It was a gentle,
loving kiss but lacking the fiery passion of the
embrace they had shared in the locker room shower only
an hour earlier. That kiss had awakened desires in
both women that they had not been aware of before.
As Janet sat back, she smiled at Sam and squeezed her
hand gently. Sam returned the gesture. It would be
alright with this woman. Sam knew she could love this
beautiful, intelligent lady. But still...
Sensing Sam's reluctance, Janet asked, "Sam, would you
rather we didn't do this tonight? I don't want you to
feel rushed into anything or forced to do anything you
don't want to do."
Sam shook her head, "No, it's not that. Janet, you're
the only woman I ever felt this way about. I do want
to make love to you but I have...issues, I guess.
Issues that I need to deal with. Do you understand?"
Understanding all too well, Janet merely nodded and
put her arm around the other woman. Sam leaned against
Janet, feeling so comfortable in her arms.
"Let's just talk about this," Janet offered. "Maybe we
were too wrapped up in the heat of passion back
there..."
"I'm sorry, Janet. I..."
"Ssh! There's nothing to be sorry about." Janet
silenced her friend's expression of misplaced guilt
and the two friends began to talk.
After a couple of hours of soul-searching, they
reached the conclusion that they wanted to take their
time with this new facet of their relationship. It was
so new and so different from anything else they had
ever experienced, that they decided to take some time
and get used to it. "Like breaking in new shoes,"
Janet had joked.
As Sam got ready to leave, Janet saw her to the door.
"So, tomorrow night? We go to dinner, maybe dancing or
a show?" Janet asked.
Sam nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, a real date! This
will be fun! And just think, Janet, you already made
it to second base! Good night."
Janet laughed, "Good night, you nut!"
Closing the door, she breathed a sigh of relief. This
had been happening too fast. But a real date...this
should be fun.
'Oh God! Jack!' Janet thought. 'What do I tell Jack?'
* * * * * *
The following day at the SGC, Sam sat at her computer
trying to enter data from one of the latest offworld
expeditions she had been on. The data was there, the
program was running, all she had to do was input the
information. But something was interrupting the
workflow of the normally diligent officer.
Sam shook her head. 'This is worse than high school!
I'm getting so anxious for our date. I want to make a
good impression and I know I don't need to, but...'
Finally tossing her notes to the side, she saved what
she'd entered and made her way out of the lab. 'I'll
go to the Med Center and talk to Janet. That's what I
need to do,' Sam told herself. But she knew deep down
that she really just wanted to look at the lovely
young woman again. It was worse than high school but
so much better at the same time.
Sam entered the Med Center feeling almost giddy. She
walked over towards Janet's office. the door was
slightly ajar. She was about to knock on the door when
she heard voices and paused for a moment. Then she
found she had to listen. It was the colonel and Janet.
"Jack, I never want to hurt you or put you in an
uncomfortable position. You mean too much to me,"
Janet's voice said.
'What? She called him Jack, not Colonel or sir! And he
means too much to her?" Sam tried to figure it out but
couldn't and just listened.
"Janet, I care about you too. And Cassie. You know
that," Jack said. "I don't matter here. You do."
"Jack, don't lie to me," Janet laughed. "I know you
too well to miss your fibbing. I've seen you naked,
remember?"
Jack responded with a wolf-like growl, "I've seen you
naked too. Woo-ooo!"
Janet laughed, "Stop it! You're a big goof!"
Sam felt her heart sliding into her stomach. What was
going on? This wasn't what was supposed to happen!
She moved slightly and could see through the crack
between the door and the frame. Jack and Janet were
embracing!
Sam suddenly felt light-headed. She knew she had to
get out of there before either one of them saw her.
She turned and darted out of the Med Center and back
to her lab.
Back in the relative safety of her workplace, she kept
going over what she had seen and especially what she
had heard. As much as she tried to change the
conclusion, there was only one outcome that made
sense. Janet and Jack were lovers!
Where did that leave her? The other woman? Some little
lesbian fling to get some kink out of Janet's system?
She couldn't reconcile any of this with the intensity
of the kiss they had shared. There was love there! She
was sure of it!
But what if it was one-sided? What if Janet was in
love with Jack? That was the only thing that made
sense in light of what she'd heard and seen.
Well, one thing was certain. She couldn't go out with
Janet. Not if she was already in a relationship. Sam
would not be the one to break up a couple. No matter
how she felt.
Sitting at her computer, she accessed the internal
e-mail and sent Janet a short note.
>> Janet,
>> I'm sorry but due to circumstances beyond my
control, I can't make dinner tonight.
>> Sorry,
>> Sam
She read it over quickly. Nothing there anyone could
read into it. Just a polite note between friends. No
need to create additional problems in the SGC for
either of them.
Her heart lying in fragments in her chest, Sam hit the
Send button and blinked back the tears she felt
building up.
Minutes later, the phone rang. Choking back a sob, Sam
answered, "Hello?"
"Sam, it's Janet. Hey, are you alright?" the concerned
voice asked over the phone.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Listen, I got your e-mail. What's up? Something I can
help with?"
"No. Just something I need to work out."
"Sam, let me help. Please?"
Sam heard the caring in that voice and she knew that
she couldn't avoid the situation. She had to confront
it.
"Janet, I'm glad you called. I will meet you for
dinner tonight. When?"
"Come by about 7:30?"
"Sure. See you then."
"Good. See you later, Sam," the relieved voice said.
Sam sat back. She had to do this. Tonight at dinner,
she had to break off this fledgling relationship
before it became too painful for her.
Sam knew it was going to be the hardest thing she'd
ever had to do in her adult life.
 (c) John O'Conner
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