The Relationship: The Date
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.
At 7:30 on the dot, Sam Carter pulled up in front of
Janet's house. She sat there for a moment, nervously
drumming her fingers as she continued to try to figure
out what she was going to tell her friend.
Finally, she shrugged and went to the door. Pressing
the button, she heard the melodic chimes echo inside.
Sam couldn't seem to stand still, constantly
fidgetting and looking around.
'What if the colonel shows up? What if he's here?' she
thought nervously. 'Okay, Sam, get a grip. Jack's off
drinking or something with Daniel. And anyway, if
Janet is trying to cheat on Jack, he won't be here.'
The door was pulled open and Janet stood there
silhouetted by the light from inside. "He-ey! Come on
in," she said.
Sam stepped into the house and saw Janet was wearing
an apron over her clothing. Throwing her a puzzled
look, Sam said, "So, you ready?"
"I thought we'd dine in tonight. You seem to need to
talk and that'll be so much easier here than at some
restaurant," Janet said in reply. "Besides, I made
lasagna." She arched her eyebrows knowingly at the
last sentence.
Sam had eaten Janet's lasagna before and it was, as
Cassie would say, "to die for." Thinking of the
teenager, Sam asked, "Where's Cassie?"
"At Cindy's. There's a study group," Janet said but
her expression told Sam she knew the main topic at
Cindy's house would be boys.
"Come join me in the kitchen. It's almost ready
actually. Just need to put the garlic bread in," Janet
led the way into her spacious kitchen. "Something to
drink? Beer? Wine? Soda?"
"Beer would be good," Sam said.
"Help yourself."
Sam sat at the table after getting a bottle out of the
fridge. "Need any help?"
Janet shook her head. She had her hair loose around
her shoulders and it shimmered in the light whenever
she moved her head. Sam felt her resolve to end this
before it began faltering.
After a few minutes of idle talk about work and the
people inside the Mountain, Janet announced that
dinner was ready and headed for the dining room with
the tray of lasagna. Sam helped by bringing the garlic
bread and Janet's glass of wine.
Sitting down at the candle-lit table, Sam saw how the
light sparkled in Janet's eyes. 'I shouldn't have come
here. This is too hard.'
After serving Sam and herself, Janet said, "Bon
appetit."
The lasagna was delicious, as usual. Janet did
something to the sauce that really enhanced it, in
Sam's opinion. She couldn't help but wonder, with some
bitterness, if Jack appreciated Janet's cooking as
much as she did.
After finishing their meal, Janet shooed Sam into the
living room. "The dishes can wait. Just let me put the
lasagna away. Do you want some to take home?"
Sam sat rigidly in the recliner and looked around,
sadness filling her. It was just too cruel to have
this offered to her only to have it snatched away. If
only she and Janet had gotten together first...
"He-ey!" Janet stepped into the room and sat on the
sofa. "Sam, join me, please." She held out her hand
and Sam found herself taking it, the skin warm and
soft against hers. She sat next to Janet and tried to
relax.
"Alright, I think we need to talk, don't you?" Janet
asked.
Sam nodded miserably and said, "Janet, I think we
should just forget all this. I...I just don't think
it'll work out."
"Wha...Why? Sam, what're you talking about? I thought
you wanted this as much as I do?" Janet sat back with
a stunned look on her face.
"Janet, I do want this. I want this so much! But, I'm
not going to be a the other woman," Sam said. "I don't
want to be responsible for destroying another
relationship. No matter how much I want you."
"Sam, what the hell are you talking about?" Janet
demanded.
Sam paused then reluctantly told Janet about her trip
to the Med Center and what she'd accidentally heard
and what she saw.
Janet sat there with another stunned look before she
burst out laughing!
Sam looked at Janet, not understanding what she could
find so amusing. Her heart was breaking and this woman
was laughing!
Seeing the hurt on Sam's face and realizing how the
blonde officer was feeling, Janet took her hand again
and said, "Sam, you came in at the end of the
conversation. I suppose I need to tell you but you
have to promise to keep a secret. Okay?"
Sam nodded, not trusting her mouth enough to chance
saying anything.
"Okay, you know Jack is divorced. Well, he was
divorced before his first mission to Abydos. When he
came back, leaving Daniel behind, he resigned from the
service. He didn't feel like he could function in the
Air Force anymore. I never fully understood what the
underlying problem was.
"Anyway, at this time, I had just finished my
residency and was stationed at the same airbase. We
met off-base and I have to admit I fell for the big
lug. We dated for a few weeks and got married." Janet
paused to let that sink in.
Sam's eyes became saucers. "Married? You and the
colonel? I don't believe it!"
Janet smiled, "Believe it. I was Mrs./First
Lieutenant/Doctor Janet O'Neill."
Janet paused again to let Sam say something but Sam
only shook her head in confusion. Finally, she said,
"Look, I know you were married once. You've never
talked about it except that time in the cell. And you
made it sound like your ex- was some low-brow
hillbilly."
Janet laughed, "I wouldn't necessarily call Jack
low-brow. And he's no hillbilly. He wasn't too keen on
women in the service though. Hell, he wasn't too keen
on the military at all then. 'This man's army' was our
little inside joke.
"Anyway, the marriage went south in about six months.
We started having problems and fortunately we talked
about them a lot. We both realized that the marriage
was a mistake. Jack was using it as a rebound cushion
and I confused infatuation with love. We decided to
get a divorce and managed to do so amicably."
"That's what you two meant about seeing each other
naked? Being husband and wife? Okay. I can accept
that...if I have to. But what about that embrace?" Sam
asked.
"I'll get to that in a second. I want to tell you that
we never bothered to keep our former relationship a
secret until I was assigned here. We decided to adapt
the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. General Hammond
knows, of course. And Jack's first wife, of course.
But, as far as I know, no one else here knows about
us. And we'd like to keep it that way." Janet looked
at Sam searchingly.
"Okay, fine, secret. Won't tell a soul," Sam agreed.
"Now you're sounding like Jack."
"Okay, okay. But why the big secret?"
Janet thought for a moment then said, "Haven't you
ever wondered why the Air Force put a lowly captain in
place as CMO for one of the most highly-guarded, one
of the most secret installations in history?"
Sam shrugged, then nodded. "I never really considered
it. There are a lot of unorthodox things about the
SGC."
"That's true. But still, a captain?" Janet smiled,
"They, being Jack and the general, pulled some strings
to have me assigned here. Without my knowledge, mind
you. Jack was aware of the work I'd been doing in the
field of virology, believe it or not, and told the
general that I would be an ideal candidate for the
newly vacated post. Hammond reviewed my file and the
associated records and finally agreed. So, here I am."
"It must've been a surprise to come here and find your
ex-husband one of the senior officers," Sam said.
"At first, yeah. Hammond told me about why I had been
picked. I was honored of course, but then I was angry
at Jack. I thought it was some ploy to get me back
until I realized he was completely sincere in
recommending me. We decided it was for the best to
keep our prior relationship quiet to avoid any rumors
or questions of impropriety." Janet paused and took a
sip of her wine. She hadn't talked about this phase of
her life in a long time. To anyone.
"And the embrace?"
"I want this between us to work. But one thing about
Jack and I is that we learned to read each other. If
he's happy or upset, I can see the signs before anyone
else. Not so surprisingly, he can see the same in me.
I knew if this relationship between us was going to
work, he'd know. And I can't lie to him, never could.
So I told him..."
"You told him!?! Janet, that could get us discharged!
What...?"
"Wait a minute! Hold on! Sam, I told Jack as my friend
and my ex-husband, not as an Air Force officer. He can
keep secrets too. I knew if he saw you and I happy and
knew we were in relationships, he'd figure it out
sooner or later. And he'd be hurt that I didn't
confide in him.
"And I have to say, Jack was pretty happy about this.
He likes you, a lot. And he really wants his people,
his friends, to be happy. If we are happy together,
he's all for that. The hug, and that's all it was - a
hug, was his way of...I don't know...showing he
approves and...well, supports our choice." Janet
stopped with a frown on her face, "Do you see what I
mean?"
Sam nodded, "Yes. But I want to make sure I understand
this. Jack and you are friends, not lovers? He's okay
with us? And I completely misunderstood what I heard
and jumped to the wrong conclusion?"
"Yes, yes, and yes. Sam, Jack and I are very close
friends. But I don't love him. Well, I do but like a
big brother, not romantically." Janet smiled and Sam
felt her heart melt.
"Now, shut up and kiss me!" Janet demanded with a
twinkle in her eye. "Doctor's orders!"
Sam leaned in and took the brunette in her arms and
kissed her, a long, passionate kiss.
Two hours later, as the couple was still making out on
the couch, they heard a car door slam.
"Uh-oh, I think Cassie's home," Janet said as she sat
up. She got up, straightened her clothes and brushed
her hair back.
Sam looked guilty. "Uh, what about Cassie?"
"Don't worry. I think she thinks we're already a
couple..." Janet laughed.
"Oh God!" Sam laughed.
* * * * * *
The next morning, Sam was sitting in the canteen when
Jack came up. "Hey Carter, mind if I join you?"
Sam looked up and said, "Not at all, sir."
"So, how was the date last night?" Jack asked as he
gazed into his coffee cup.
"Uh, well, it was fun, sir," Sam said.
"Good. Good." Jack nodded absently. Then he glanced
around to see if anyone was nearby before leaning
forward. In a low voice, he said, "That is a very
special person you're getting involved with."
"I know, sir," Sam said with a small grin.
"Sam, I want you to know, as your friend, that all I
want for you two is to be happy," Jack said.
"Thank you, Jack." Sam gently grasped his forearm, "We
will be."
 (c) John O'Conner
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