DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of MGM, Showtime, Gekko etc. No infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Written in honor of elfcat255's birthday. Hope it's a good one. My apologies to Mr. Whitman. Special thanks to the wonderful mrswoman for the beta.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
The Dalliance of the Eagles
By Ann
In a secluded mountain clearing, nestled comfortably between solid rock and dense forest, a blonde stared across the open space at the vast beauty Mother Nature had to offer, her focus on the tall majestic trees that appeared to reach well into the heavens. She paused in thought. Logically, she knew it was impossible to scale the Ponderosa pines in hopes of touching the sky, but her fanciful side wished it was just that simple. A sharp, screeching sound shifted her attention from the lush green of the pine needles to the deep blue sky above. She smiled at the sight of a lone eagle gliding effortlessly through the air, and unbidden, she turned toward the path she'd taken just an hour earlier to see a shadowy figure emerge from the thick brush and walk into the clearing toward her.
"Sorry, I'm so late," Janet called out, a backpack carelessly slung across her shoulder and a wicker basket held tightly in her hand. "SG-7's entire team came down with a virus, and I needed to wait to discuss treatment with Warner before I left."
"Well, you're here now." Placing a gentle kiss on her lover's lips, Sam reached for the basket. "Your timing is perfect, too; I just finished pitching the tent."
Janet grinned widely. She hated all the preliminary chores of camping, especially readying the tent, but she loved everything else about the outdoor activity. "I'll make it up to you later."
"You bet you will," teased Sam with a wink, taking hold of her lover's hand and guiding her toward the campsite. A night alone in the wilderness, far away from the rigors and demands of their jobs, was just what they needed - just two women enjoying nature and each other.
"Would you believe Cassie said she wouldn't mind joining us sometime?" Janet eased her backpack off her shoulder and tossed it toward the tent opening. "She's gotten so used to the easy life; I didn't think she'd ever want to try to 'rough it' as she puts it."
"She says that now, but the minute she remembers there isn't any outdoor plumbing or MTV, she'll change her tune." Sam knelt down on the blanket she'd spread out when she'd first arrived at the clearing and began to unpack their lunch.
Janet chuckled and sat down on the blanket beside her lover. "Kind of like the time you realized I'd forgotten to pack your laptop on our first camping trip."
"You didn't forget," said Sam, gripping the corner of the sealed plastic container and popping open the lid. Her mouth watered at the wonderful aroma emanating from within. "You left it on purpose."
Janet's eyebrows raised into her hairline. "You knew?" All this time Sam had never let on that she'd suspected.
"Of course, I knew. It was lying on top of the rest of our gear. You had to move it to get to our backpacks."
"But . . ." Janet's next words were silenced with a soft kiss. Sam slowly pulled away and reached for another container.
"I was upset at first, but then I realized why you'd done it."
Janet tilted her head curiously. "Oh yeah?" She'd known why she'd done it, but she couldn't wait to hear Sam's reasoning. It had been their very first outing as a couple.
A smug expression made its way onto Sam's face. "You wanted me *allll* to yourself." She puffed out her chest proudly. If she'd had feathers, she would've been a peacock.
"You think so?" asked Janet, opening the lid to the cooler Sam had brought along. She smiled at the bottle of wine, but bypassed it to grab a Diet Coke. "Maybe I just wanted you to be available to do all the chores."
The next thing Janet knew, she was on her back with Sam hovering above her. Her lover had moved so quickly, she hadn't had time to react. Although, chances were she wouldn't have tried to stop the attack anyway, seeing as how her current position wasn't exactly a hardship. She released the unopened can and allowed it to roll off the edge of the blanket and onto the rocky ground, instantly forgotten.
"So, I'm just a slave to you, is that it?" asked Sam teasingly, relaxing the grip she'd had on Janet's wrists. The other woman hadn't given any indication that she'd try to escape, and that suited Sam just fine.
"Yep, my own personal slave." Janet smiled and added, "You're at my mercy."
Sam glanced down at their current positions and grinned. "I think you've got that backwards, my dear."
Swooping upward suddenly, Janet latched on to sweet lips that had touched hers much too briefly moments earlier. Sam gave her lover full rein as she surrendered just as easily as Janet had when she'd been pushed down onto the blanket. The two women took their time in gentle exploration, taking advantage of the rare down time for the two of them.
"Yep, I'm most definitely at your mercy," confessed Sam the second Janet released her lips from captivity.
With a lazy smile, Janet lay back on the blanket and stared up at blue eyes shining down on her – she truly loved a playful Sam and she planned to thoroughly enjoy every single minute of their overnight getaway. Just as she opened her mouth to relay her thoughts to her lover, a movement overhead caught her eye, and she squinted against the bright backdrop of the sun to focus on the object in the sky.
The wings of a bald eagle came into view first, followed shortly thereafter by a second set of wings. "Oh Sam, look." She gestured to the birds high overhead.
Easing off her lover, Sam turned her attention to the cloudless sky as Janet sat up and leaned against her. Silently, they watched mesmerized as the dance began.
Large circles became smaller and smaller until the two eagles had locked talons, and with wings outstretched, fell cartwheeling through the sky. Sam and Janet watched with bated breath as the birds appeared to almost fall to the earth before they released their embrace and surged skyward. It was the most magnificent thing either woman had ever witnessed.
Sliding an arm around her lover's waist, Janet placed her head on Sam's shoulder.
"Let's come back here every year."
And, just like the two eagles, they had; always thrilled to see the mating birds reunited.
Today, however, marked Sam's first visit to the clearing without her love.
With a deep sigh, she tucked her memories of last year's trip away for safekeeping and returned her focus to the present as she shifted her attention from the still forest to the clear sky above as she scanned the heavens for the eagle and its mate.
The eagle continued to soar alone.
The End