DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. "Window of Opportunity" was written, and copywritten, by Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Stephanie LaMaina for the beta.
CHALLENGE: Submitted as part of the Epic Proportions challenge.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Déjà Vu All Over Again
By trancer
Chapter One
"I'm sorry Jack, but that's how I really feel." Daniel blinked passionately, pressing his hand into his chest, emphasizing his point. Daniel patted his one chest once more, this time with less feeling. He turned to Sam, staring at her quizzically.
"What just happened?"
"What?" Colonel O'Neill placed his spoonful of Fruit Loops back into his bowl. "You don't remember what you just said?"
"No, it's not that..."
"We've done this before," Sam finished for him.
"What?" Jack asked.
"This."
"Eating breakfast?" Jack cocked his eyebrow.
"Yes," Daniel looked around. "I mean, no."
"We eat breakfast every morning. It's a nutritious start to having a great day."
"No." Sam could feel the frustration building within. "Not breakfast, per se, but this breakfast. You and the bowl of Fruit Loops you never eat. Daniel blathering on about nothing."
"Wait, I get it now. I thought I'm supposed to be the one who tries finagle out of briefings. Not you two."
"We're not finagling out of anything."
"Damn straight you're not," Jack stood up from the table, motioning with his arms as he walked. "Let's go."
The two slowly stood from their chairs to follow O'Neill.
"I do not blather."
"Yes, you do."
"Do not."
"God," O'Neill turned to the squabbling co-workers. "Don't make me turn this car around."
They entered the Briefing Room. General Hammond sat at his usual place, thumbing through Sam's report. Teal'c was sitting in his usual spot, elbows on the table, thumbs interlaced together.
Sam slid into her chair. She glanced at Daniel who visibly showed his puzzlement.
"Major Carter," Hammond gestured towards her report. "What do you have for us?"
"About what?"
"P4X639."
"We did that already."
"Excuse me?" Hammond stared at the woman as if she'd grown a third eye.
"Oh boy, not again," O'Neill groaned aloud.
Daniel ignored him, leaning over the table. "Solar activity that Sam wants to set up a remote observatory?" He asked as if they already knew the answer.
"And we did it," Sam added.
"No we didn't," O'Neill reminded the two, again.
"Yes," Sam stated through clenched teeth. "We did."
Hammond shared a confused look with O'Neill. "No, that's what this meeting is about."
"That's just it, Sir; We've already done this briefing. We've been to the planet."
"Major Carter," Hammond interrupted. "I'm having a hard time believing this."
"SG-12!" Daniel blurted out.
"That's right," Sam picked up on his thoughts. "They return today."
"No teams are scheduled to return until next week."
On cue, the alarm sounded, cutting off the General's sentence. The sounds of the gate opening filled the room.
They all followed Hammond as he hurried towards the Gate Room. A technician sat at the controls. "We have an unscheduled incoming traveler, Sir."
"Any word on who it is?"
The tech deciphered the data coming across on his screen. "It's SG-12, Sir."
Sam stared at the event horizon, her eyes taking a slightly faraway glaze. "One of them will be injured."
They all stared at the Gate. One by one, soldiers exited the wormhole, single file, then, three more, the two on the outside holding up the man in the middle as he hobbled on one leg.
Hammond turned towards SG-1, a finger jabbing at them like a dagger.
"You two, Infirmary, now."
Sam sat patiently on the medical gurney. She tried to suppress the twitching in her muscles. There were a thousand other places she wanted to be, would rather be. No where on her list was the Infirmary.
Janet flashed her penlight into Sam's eye, then the other. For a moment, Sam wondered if Janet could read her thoughts or see into her soul. She wondered if she could see the person inside screaming at the top of her lungs.
If Janet could, she didn't show it. She remained the cool and collected professional she always was.
Daniel sat on another gurney, interrogated by O'Neill.
"Okay, so Sam was setting up instruments, you were by the altar with…"
"Malaki...," Daniel trailed, collecting his thoughts. "We were by the altar. Then, the Stargate started activating. There was this really weird light coming from it."
"And then we were back in the Mess Hall with O'Neill eating Fruit Loops staring dumbfounded at Daniel."
General Hammond entered the Infirmary. He stopped next to Fraiser. Janet sighed, a puzzled expression on her face.
"Well, Sir, I can't find anything wrong with them. Now we'll have to wait for the lab results to be sure but they both appear to be in perfect health."
O'Neill crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "Yeah, except for the whole knowing things before they happen."
"Yes, but, why us?" Daniel asked rhetorically. "Why not Jack and Teal'c?"
"I'm not taking any chances." Hammond stated. "Until we figure out what's going on, I'm postponing your mission to P4X639."
Sam continued to sit on the gurney. She waited until Hammond and the others left the Infirmary before heading to Janet's office. Janet stood next to a filing cabinet thumbing through stack. Sam closed the door softly behind her, clearing her throat to get Janet's attention.
"Sam."
"You said we needed to talk."
"I know, Sam, I just wasn't prepared for right now." Janet sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You don't know how hard this is for me."
"Yes, I do. I know exactly what you're about to say. All I ask is that before you say anything, just think. Is this what you really want for you? IS it what you want for us?"
"Do you think this is easy for me? Last night wasn't some random event."
"I know, Janet, I know what you're going to say. You're going to say you can't do this anymore. I'm choosing my job over us. I say I'll change. Then, you say, it's not about changing it's about wanting 'us' more than my job. I say, I love you. Then, you say it's not enough. Not anymore."
"Well then," Janet crossed her arms. "I guess there's really nothing more to say."
"Just goodbye," Sam closed the door behind her. Felt her heart squeeze in her chest. She thought yesterday hurt like Hell, she was wrong. Sam stared at the closed door for several more moments.
"Goodbye Janet." She sighed before heading out of the Infirmary.
Chapter Two
SG-1 and General Hammond sat in the Briefing Room. All eyes were focused onto Sam.
"I'm telling you, we've done this before."
"Carter," O'Neill used his sarcastic tone. "We do briefings everyday."
"I'm not talking about briefings in general. I'm talking about this briefing. This day. We've been repeating the same ten hours ever since we went to P4X639."
"Major Carter," Teal'c spoke up. "We have not been to P4X639."
"Yes we have!" Sam threw her hands up in frustration.
"I'm not sure what to make of all this." General Hammond tried to sound reassuring.
"General Hammond." Daniel stepped in. "We seem to be stuck in a time loop. We have been ever since we went to P4X639." Daniel raised his hand to stop O 'Neill's interruption. "For some reason, only Sam and I remember anything. We don't know what or how, just that we do. I know you don't believe us but I think you will when SG-12 steps through the Gate."
"SG-12 isn't due back for another three days."
Daniel didn't respond. Instead, he held up his hand using his fingers as a visual countdown. One by one the digits folded into his palm, counting down to the final one.
"Unscheduled off-world activation."
With the exception of Sam, they all stared at the archaeologist incredulously. The two followed the group as they entered the Gate Room. Daniel turned to Sam, a soft smirk on his face.
"You know, I haven't seen Fraiser in about five hours. Feel like an unnecessary exam?"
Sam grimaced as Janet's penlight flashed in her eyes.
"You're not going to find anything."
"Yeah, well," Janet countered, "You're the physicist, I'm the doctor. I'll let you know if I don't find anything."
"The results will be negative," Daniel chimed in right before a nurse shoved a thermometer into his mouth.
"Humor me."
Sam waited, just like she did before. She closed the door to Janet's office behind her.
"Sam." Janet sighed. The sound of her name pierced Sam's heart.
"Janet." Sam crossed the room, standing inches from the doctor. "Don't break up with me."
"Sam? I... how?"
Sam skipped the explanations, jumping to the heart of the matter. "You say I can't change or won't. Just think about everything you're throwing away."
"Dammit Sam, I'm not the one throwing away anything. You are and I can't do it anymore."
"Why? Because things got a little difficult? Because we have problems?"
"No, we don't have problems. You do. You're pushing me away and you don't seem to care. As long as you have your work I will always come second."
"That's not fair." She inhaled deeply, trying to quell her rising emotions. "Are you saying you don't love me?"
"Of course I love you. If love were all we needed the world would be a different place. But, I can't love someone who's never there."
"Okay, fine," Sam raised her hands in resignation. "I'm the bad guy."
"Oh Jesus, stop being melodramatic."
"Oh yeah, sure you want me for the good times but God forbid you have to endure anything bad."
"Sam, get out. Just," Janet exhaled, closing her eyes. "Get out."
"Gladly."
Daniel walked cautiously but quietly. The pages in his arms teetered precariously. His one, almost, free hand held the latest text which he read as he walked.
"Daniel!" O'Neill's voice echoed off the concrete walls. Daniel kept walking.
"Daniel." Jack jogged in front of the man, cutting off his path. "What's the hurry?"
"My desire to never live this day over again."
"Uh-huh, anyway, you wouldn't happen to know tonight's lottery numbers would you?"
Daniel glared at the man. "Have you listened to anything I've said? I can't see the future. Sam and I are experiencing the same ten hours."
"Ten hours that happened before the numbers were announced?"
"Jack."
"What?"
Papers flew into the air. Daniel, once again, knocked to the floor by Sgt. Siler.
"Gee, sorry Doctor Jackson." The man apologized.
Daniel said nothing, just grimaced, firing a glare towards Jack.
Sam and Daniel sat silently in General Hammond's office.
"Sir," Sam begged him. "You have to let us go back."
"We've sat around, waited and nothing's changed." Daniel explained. "The only way for us to fix what's wrong is to go where it started."
Hammond compassionately returned their stares. "You realize that this is difficult for me to accept."
"I understand, Sir, but this is happening and there's no telling what long term effects this could have."
"Yeah, especially our sanity."
Bright orange light greeted the team as they exited the gate. Sam adjusted her sunglasses. The layout of the site appeared the same. Stone pillars lined the path outstretching from the Gate. O'Neill adjusted his cap, looking towards the strange sky.
"Geomagnetic storm." Sam explained. "We don't have much time."
Daniel rushed ahead, pointing towards the large stone altar. "There, that's it."
Teal'c, Jack and Sam joined Daniel at the alter. Daniel's eyes poured over the alien text. He touched the symbols with his fingers, trying to absorb the text with touch.
"How does it work?" Teal'c asked.
"Sub-space fields and time inversion." A voice answered from behind a pillar.
Daniel jumped, pulling his gun up and pointing. Sam followed. Malaki, walking from around a corner, startled, raised his hands.
"Whoa!" O'Neill interjected. "Easy guys."
"It's him." Daniel kept his gun pointed at Malaki. "He's the one who did this."
"Daniel's right, Sir."
Malaki shifted his eyes from Sam and Daniel to O'Neill. "I don't understand."
"You did something." Daniel explained. "With the altar."
"I did nothing!"
"Daniel," O'Neill continued to remain skeptical. "I don't think he knows what you're talking about."
"Perhaps he has no memories as well." Teal'c added.
Malaki attempted to move towards the altar. Sam raised her weapon higher, emphasizing her point.
"Please, I'm an archaeologist. I've been trying to translate these symbols. I told the others before you. But, they didn't point weapons at me. I can show you my notes."
Malaki stepped towards the altar again. Sam cut him off, stepping between him and his bag. She picked it up, rifling through the contents. Eyes slightly wide, Sam pulled out a weapon, handing it to O'Neill.
"What kind of archaeologist carries a weapon?" Sam asked.
"Daniel carries one." O'Neill was trying to maintain his skepticism, but Sam and Daniel could see it failing.
Sam pulled another object from the bag. A small rectangular piece of metal filled her palm. She pressed a button, the image of a smiling woman materializing within the frame.
"My wife," Malaki offered to Sam's curious stare. "If you must know."
Suddenly, the altar activated. The stones slid up and down in a strange synchronous movement. An energetic hum filled the air, energy beginning to build up. All except Malaki took a step back from the altar.
O'Neill glared at Sam. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything. It engaged on its own."
"Well, turn it off!"
"How?"
Malaki stared at the altar. His eyes took on a manic glow. "It's drawing energy from the ionization in the atmosphere. There's nothing Major Carter can do."
"Excuse me?" O'Neill snapped to attention, drawing his weapon. "How'd you know her name?"
"You told me." Malaki stammered.
Sam smiled at the tiny revelation. "Not this time."
Malaki dropped his hands, ending his charade. "It doesn't matter. You're too late."
"How do you shut it off?" O'Neill demanded.
"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."
Arcs of energy shot into the air. Thunder, so loud it shook the ground, reverberated around them.
"Daniel," O'Neill screamed over the noise. "You know how to read this stuff. Turn it off."
Daniel's eyes poured over the altar. The stone switches moving faster than his eyes could read. "I'm trying. I need more time. If I could just... "
He never finished his sentence. A bright flash of light erupted from the Gate, engulfing them all.
"Anyway, I'm sorry but that's how I..." Daniel turned to Sam. "Oh God."
Sam dropped her forehead onto the table, slowly pounding it onto the tabletop. O'Neill dropped his spoon into his bowl, staring at the two.
"It's the Fruit Loops, isn't it?"
Sam stormed into the Briefing Room, Daniel close on her heels. O'Neill, Hammond and Teal'c were already seated at the table. Sam slammed her hands onto the table.
"All right, here's the deal, we're all stuck in a time loop. Daniel and I are the only one's who realize it. There's a device on 639 that accesses the subspace field generated by the Stargate. I don't know why you all aren't experiencing this but I suspect it's because of Daniel and my proximity to the altar."
"And," Daniel added. "There's no point in having Doc Fraiser examine us, we're not crazy."
Janet clicked her penlight, waving the light back and forth into Sam's eye. Sam sat patiently, clenching her jaw knowing the inevitable that was still to come.
The examination complete, Sam hopped off the gurney hoping to quickly escape the Infirmary.
"Major Carter," Sam gritted her teeth at the sound of her name. "Could I have a word with you?"
"Yeah, sure." She wasn't sure what changed to make Janet initiate the conversation. It didn't matter. Sam knew what was coming and she braced for the worst. She followed Janet into her office. Waiting until the door closed completely, Sam decided to cut Janet off at the pass.
"Janet, I know what you're going to say. I'm a cold hearted bitch who couldn't possibly understand the pain you're going through. You are a do no wrong saint whose life would be so much better without me. Have a nice life."
With that, Sam turned on her heel and left Janet's office.
Schematics, charts littered Sam's office. She couldn't concentrate on her task. Her thoughts continued to meander towards the subject of Janet, what was, what would probably never be.
Janet stormed into Sam's office, slamming the door behind her.
"Janet?" Sam stared at her, surprised.
"How dare you? How dare you ambush me like that!"
"Why? Was it any different than what you were about to do to me?"
"Dammit Sam! That's not fair."
"Stop, just stop Janet. I've heard it all before, from every conceivable angle. Nothing I do or say is going to change your mind, so why should I torture myself? Why should I try when nothing I do is good enough?"
"Have you? Have you tried?"
"Tried? Everything, over and over again... " Sam stopped herself. A small chuckle escaped her throat.
"I'm glad you think this is funny." Janet huffed. She turned on her heel, storming out the door just as quickly as she whirled in.
"Yeah," Sam sighed, slinking back into her chair. "Real funny."
Daniel was the next person to storm into Sam's office. He unceremoniously dumped the stack of papers in his arms onto the floor. Sam barely blinked, barely acknowledged the man. Just continued to stare vacantly at the wall, tuning Daniel out as he paced.
"Everyday, I have to walk BACK to the File Room, retrieve EVERYTHING I need to get me out of this mess. And everyday O'Neill stares at me like a deer in headlights and I get run over by Siler. Every day, Sam, I'm tired of him and his Fruit Loops. I'm tired of him invalidating me and my opinions. I'm... I'm tired of living this damn day over and over."
Daniel threw the pencil in his hand across the room. It bounced off the wall hard, falling to the floor, rolling back towards Daniel's feet.
"I'm sick of it. Sick of him. I hope I never have to live this day ever again." He flopped into an empty chair, slinking down into the seat. He noticed Sam's lack of a response. Sam continued to stare at the wall. Daniel leaned forward in his chair, a worried expression across his face, inching himself closer to his friend.
"Sam, what's wrong?"
She ran her hands over her face, taking one of many cleansing breaths. "She broke up with me, Daniel. She's been breaking up with me for the past month and a half."
"Aw jeez, Sam, I'm sorry. And I thought I was having a bad day."
"I guess it's kinda my fault," Sam explained. "Okay, it's mostly my fault. I've been pouring a little too much of myself into my work. But, I don't know what to do. I've tried everything, begging, pleading, coercion, and nothing changes."
"Maybe you should try something you wouldn't do."
Sam raised her eyes at the idea. She could see the mischievous look on Daniel's face. "Daniel?"
"We have a unique opportunity here, Sam." He smiled devilishly. "We can do anything, say anything and it doesn't matter because at the end of the day everything's back as it was. Haven't you always wanted to do something, something you'd never do, something you'd never THINK to do but didn't because of who you are and all the rules that goes along with it? For once, there are no rules."
Daniel trailed off lost in thought. He stood from his chair.
"Daniel?" Sam stared at him.
"I'll see you tomorrow, um, today." He smiled at her before exiting the door. "I'm gonna go have sex with Jack."
Sam continued to stare at the empty space that used to be Daniel. His words echoed in her mind. Thoughts about rules and boundaries, and how she could do anything took form and shaped into ideas, ideas about Janet.
General Hammond sat at his desk leafing through Fraiser's medical report. He checked his watch, noting the time. He'd left messages with Daniel and Sam concerning their meeting. The meeting both were suspiciously late for.
Daniel, looking flushed and slightly disheveled, entered Hammond's office.
"Dr. Jackson, I was beginning to worry." He checked his watch again. "You're late."
"I know, sorry Sir." Daniel looked down at his shirt. The buttons were off by one.
"Where's Major Carter?"
"I don't know. I thought she was already here."
"Huh, well we'll just start without her." Hammond returned to his seat, pointing towards one of the empty chairs across from him. "Have a seat, Dr. Jackson."
"If it's okay with you," Daniel fidgeted slightly. "I think I'd rather stand."
"Okay, suit yourself." He stared at him, a little puzzled, but not ready to ask why. "I just received Fraiser's medical reports and..."
Hammond's words were cut off by the loud snap of the PA system clicking on.
"Attention, this is Major Samantha Carter." Sam's voice announced over the system. "And there's something I need to get off my chest."
Sam stared at the security monitors, specifically, the one in the Infirmary. She could see Janet, along with several others, staring at the PA box questioningly. She ignored the loud banging coming from the door to the Security Room. The door currently blocked by several chairs and a file cabinet.
"I'm in love with Janet Fraiser. I've been in love with her since the first moment I saw her."
"What the Hell?" General Hammond gasped aloud at the gray box hanging on his wall.
"Go Sam." Daniel snickered aloud.
"In fact," Sam's voice continued over the system. "We've been seeing each other for over three years now."
Sam could see Janet's co-workers daring slight looks towards Janet. "Oh yes, that's right, me and Janet have been doing the horizontal mambo for years now. I've seen parts of her most of you can only imagine."
Sam could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she should stop. If this had been any other day, this was something she never would have dared. Except, today was different. Today was the day Sam planned to get Janet back. She checked her watch one last time.
"In fact, did you all know Janet's favorite position is..."
White light enveloped her, cutting off her words. Sam rode the wave in anticipation. Today was the day she would get Janet back. And she had all the time in the universe.
Chapter Three
"But Jack that's..." Daniel's words were cut off by the sound of Sam's chair crashing to the floor. They watched her bolt towards the exit, weaving through soldiers before jumping over a table.
Jack tossed his spoon back into his bowl, "It's the Fruit Loops, isn't it?"
Janet hated being late. This would be the second time this week, and the fifth time this month. If she kept this up, Janet could foresee a mark on her record. A mark that would be anything but positive.
She hurried down the stairs, hands in her hair, quickly pinning it into place. She checked her image in the mirror at the base of the stairs.
"Damn." Janet spoke to no one. "Guess I'll be dressing in the car."
The door slammed open, startling her. Sam stood in the doorway.
"Sam! What are you doing here?"
Sam closed the door with a little less violence and then quickly crossed the space between them. "I love you, Janet." The words came out of her mouth.
"Sam? What's..." Janet never finished her sentence. Sam cupped the smaller woman's face with her hands, crashing their lips together. Kept them pressed against each other until whatever fight Janet had sparked into passion.
Sam lifted Janet into her arms, until Janet's skirt bunched above her thighs and held her backside with her hands until she felt Janet's legs wrapping around her. Her partner secured in her arms, their lips locked together in a fit of passion; Sam carried Janet upstairs and into the bedroom.
They fell onto the bed in a rush. Lips pulling apart, they both gasped for air. Sam went for the buttons on Janet's shirt, pulling them open. The bra would have to stay for now. But, it would definitely have to go.
"Sam, I have to go to work. You have to BE at work."
"No, I don't." Sam yanked her shirt, t-shirt and bra over and off her head. "I'm taking the day off. And so are you."
"Sam." Sam cut the words off with another kiss. She leaned into Janet, pinning her to the bed. Endless days of frustration, sexual and otherwise, erupted from her. Sam pounced hungrily onto Janet, mouth, hands, and skin. She moaned as Janet complied, opening her mouth allowing their tongues to dance. It wasn't enough. Sam needed to feel Janet, clothes be damned. Her hand snaked between them, between Janet's legs, pressing hard against Janet's heated mound. She caressed Janet's center despite the cottony barrier until she could feel Janet grinding into her touch.
Sam broke the kiss. "God, I've missed you."
Janet stared back at her, attempting a quizzical stare in between her panted breathing. She'd never seen Sam like this, almost animalistic with desire. A desire almost frightening in its intensity.
Sam leaned back onto her heels, kneeled between Janet's legs. Her eyes left Janet's trailing down until she reached her desire. A desire currently blocked by cotton and mesh. Her hands grabbed the material, and ripped Janet's stockings open. She'd buy her another pair. Someday, when today had ended and tomorrow was no longer a fantasy.
All Janet could do was watch. Watch as Sam tore her clothes off her body. A flash of blue connected with her eyes then disappeared as Sam dove between her legs. A loud gasp escaped Janet's throat, her back arching instinctively. Sam filled Janet with her tongue, pushed deep inside her, nose pressed against her clit. Arms wrapped around her thighs, pulling her in, locking the two together. Janet's hands gripped the sheets, the only thing she could do, hold on for dear life.
Sam plunged into Janet. Tasted what had been denied her for what felt like an eternity. She pushed into Janet, poked and prodded. Her tongue mapped the slick terrain, pulled out; circling Janet's engorged clit before diving in again. Somehow, it wasn't enough. She didn't want to just take Janet, to taste her, drive her, and push her over the edge. Sam wanted, needed, to be there with her as anticipation turned to ecstasy.
Sam smiled as she pulled her tongue out of Janet. The woman under her groaned in slight disappointment. But, Sam knew she wasn't done. Not by a long shot. She climbed back up Janet's body. She slid three fingers into Janet, pressed her thumb against Janet's clit. Janet gasped at the suddenness of the maneuver. Sam took the opening and clamped her mouth onto Janet's, wet and sloppily they kissed. Bodies grinding against each other as Sam pumped her fingers while riding Janet's thigh.
They pushed and pulled, writhed into each other. Pumped with a hunger and intensity neither knew the other had. Janet was close. Sam could feel it in the muscles contracting around her fingers. She could tell by the pained gasps escaping Janet's throat.
"Open your eyes." Sam demanded. "I want to see you."
Janet forced her eyes open. Eyes clouded with desire locked onto Sam's. They came together, quickly, forcefully, both driving the other over the edge, a mass of flesh and cloth quivering and trembling on the bed. Sam pulled her fingers from Janet, collapsing her full weight onto the bed. Time ticked away as they held each other, feeling the warmth, until their breathing was no longer a series of pants, gasps and sighs.
The phone rang, interrupting their moment. Janet reached for the device only to feel Sam's hand pull her back.
"Don't answer it." Sam mumbled into her neck. "Just let it ring."
"Sam, what's gotten into you?"
Sam lifted her head gazing into the soft brown eyes that had stolen her heart. "Marry me."
"What?"
"Marry me, Janet. Be my wife. Let me be your wife." The words fell out of her mouth in a hurried rush. "The only thing I've learned these past couple weeks is I can't live without you. I'd die without you. Whatever it takes, I'll do it. Cut back on my hours, take vacation, quit. We can buy a house in the Hamptons, sell lemonade in Mason jars. Ride across the country on my Harley and have little adventures. Move to Tahiti. I don't care. Nothing means anything if it means being without you."
Janet's eyes went wide as she processed the information. The seconds ticked by filling the air with tension, anticipation. A thousand questions seemed to spring into Janet's head. But they all seemed incidental even as they struggled to the forefront for superiority. She brought a hand up to Sam's forehead, brushed the locks that always seemed out of place.
"I love you, Samantha Carter. I want to make love to you." Janet sighed softly, a grin slowly stretching across her face. "Then, I want to be your wife."
Sam's face lit up; flashing the widest smile Janet had ever seen. Excitedly, Sam jumped off the bed, pacing the room as her hands gesticulated wildly.
"First, we gotta get rings. Big rings, cool rings, ya know. Oh, then I gotta call the bar. They're gonna freak when they hear this. Oh, and the guys, I gotta tell the guys. But, we gotta tell Cassandra first. Ohmygod, Cassandra! She'll love this, right? Of course, she'll love this..."
Janet propped up onto her elbows. "Sam."
"How many people should we invite? Do you want a traditional thing with the church and the priest and 5 thousand doves flying into the air?"
"SAM!"
The woman stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the half-naked woman lying on the bed.
"Huh?"
"I said I'd marry you, AFTER we made love." She held up her hand, curling her index finger. "Now get naked and get over here."
Sam had said all the words she wanted. She hopped on one leg towards the bed, clumsily pulling out of her pants. She'd displeased Janet before. She planned to never do it again. If Janet wanted to make love, then they were damn well going to make love.
The late afternoon sun began poking through the shades. Head propped on her hand, Sam watched as Janet slept, her fingers making their way into her lover's sweat soaked hair. She couldn't remember the last time the two had spent an entire day making love. Sam was going to change all that. She'd almost lost Janet. With the strangest of circumstances, Sam had found a way to get her back.
Janet stirred slightly, her eyes slowly opened, squinting from the slight rays of sun.
"Mmmm," She pulled Sam closer to her looking into blue eyes, "This wasn't a dream."
"Nope."
"And you really want to get married?"
"Yep. And have lots of babies and name them after my favorite Smurfs."
"I am not having a child named Gargamel."
"Gargamel wasn't a Smurf."
Janet laughed softly, rolled onto her back and stretched some more. "What time is it, Mrs. Fraiser?"
"5:15, Mrs. Carter," Sam stiffened slightly. "Damn."
"What is it?" Janet turned towards Sam.
"Nothing," Sam brought her hand back to Janet's hair. "God, I've missed you."
"You keep saying that. You've been saying it all afternoon. Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does. But the important thing is, we have each other. And I have all the time in the world to get it out of you." She poked Sam in the ribs. "We have all the time the world."
Janet leaned in for a kiss. Sam sighed as she felt the soft lips press against hers. Just before closing her eyes, Sam got one last glance at the clock. They did have all the time in the world, except for Sam, time was relative.
The front door slammed open. Janet gasped, head jerking towards the entrance. Sam closed the door behind her, rushed towards the doctor before planting a kiss on Janet.
"Sam, what's going on?" Janet gasped for breath. Sam hefted the woman into her arms moving towards the stairs.
"I love you, Janet Fraiser, and I'm gonna spend the rest of my life showing you."
Janet quickly stared at her reflection in the mirror. Decided the stray strands of hair sticking out from her head would have to be smoothed over in the car. She didn't have time.
The sounds of tires screeching filled the air, followed by metal scraping against pavement. A crash. Janet rushed to the front door, yanking it open.
Sam's bike lay sprawled in the driveway. Pieces of it lay scattered about.
"My God, Sam!" Janet ran out into the front yard towards the woman pulling herself out from under the ruined bike. Janet knew Sam loved that bike, couldn't conceive of Sam doing anything to destroy it. And yet, there she and it was lying on her front yard.
"Sam, are you all right?" She rushed to Sam's side. Sam pulled off her helmet, tossing it to the ground. Janet within arms reach, Sam pulled the woman close, pressing her lips against Janet's.
"I am now." Sam panted, lifting Janet into her arms and carrying her into the house.
"But Jack," Daniel pressed his hand into his chest, "That's how I feel."
Sam bolted towards the door. She raced through the corridor. The exact route played through her head. Yesterday was a fluke, a couple distractions and she'd found herself several minutes behind schedule. A little longer and she would have totally missed Janet.
Her legs collapsed under her. Actually, Sam was tackled. The air pushed out of her lungs as she made contact with the concrete.
Startled, she looked down at her tangled legs to see Daniel wrapped around them. They both jumped to their feet.
"Daniel, what the Hell's the matter with you?"
"The matter with me?" He grabbed Sam's arm, pulling her into an empty room. "What the Hell's the matter with you? Do you have ANY idea what I've been through these past couple days? I've been thrown in the brig, given more psych consults than I can count, had people cutting a swath around me because they think I'm crazy, all because I've been trying to cover for you while you and Janet hump like weasels on crack. The good news is they've been concentrating on me so much, no one seemed too worried about you and Janet not showing up for work."
"Oh," Sam sighed, leaning against the wall. She hadn't considered Daniel's situation.
"Yeah, oh. All I'm saying is could we come up with some kind of plan or something."
"I'm sorry Daniel. How about this, we alternate, one day I leave the SGC, the other, you leave."
"Fine, works for me."
"Except, I get today. If I don't leave now, Janet will have left the house and it will be too late."
"And tomorrow it's my turn right."
"Yes," she stated walking towards the door. "I'll stay here and you can go hump like a weasel on crack."
Sam sat behind her desk. She ran her hands over her face. Fingers pressed to her temples, she massaged the headache she could feel building behind her eyes. They'd worked out cover stories that seemed to appease everyone, but it had been easy. And finding a solution for all three of them, Janet included, that didn't arise suspicion had taken more work than either realized.
Except alternating days meant everything returned to normal. Janet kept ending their relationship. And it sucked. She knew tomorrow would mean today didn't happen, but it still hurt like Hell.
"How could I have screwed up?" She mumbled aloud. The questions had been running through her mind for weeks. Along with all the little hints and signals Janet had been sending her. Signals Sam had been oblivious to.
"I've gotta fix this." Sam stood up from her desk. She paced the room nervously tapping a pencil on her palm. There had to be a way. She thought about the fates, destiny, and all those things she never really thought about because she considered herself a scientist. But after all the things she'd experience, she'd seen, how could she NOT take this as a sign that she and Janet were meant to be together? A big blinking sign that said 'Hey Sam, quit being a moron'.
She'd relived today. Now, she had to fix tomorrow.
Chapter Four
Sam blinked. The orange light quickly faded from the corners of her eye, as did Daniel. She jumped up from her chair leaving O'Neill and his Fruit Loops, to chase after Daniel.
"Daniel!" She yelled after the retreating form. She couldn't tell if he was ignoring her or just couldn't hear her.
"Daniel!" Sam grabbed him by the back of his shirt. Daniel spun on his heel, arms flailed as he attempted to keep his balance. Sam found the nearest open door and pulled Daniel into it with her.
"It's my turn, Sam." He looked aggravated. Sam didn't care.
"Daniel, we have to stop." She stepped away from Daniel, reaching over to close the door. "This can't go on anymore."
"You couldn't possibly be serious?"
"I'm dead serious, Daniel."
"This, you know, couldn't possibly wait until tomorrow."
"Daniel," Sam paused. "Just exactly how many people have you had sex with?"
"What?" He scoffed, suddenly unable to look Sam in the eye. "You think this is all about sex?" He paused. "Are we talking total number of people, or total number of times?"
"Daniel!"
"Oh come on, Sam, do you mean to tell me the ONLY person you've been having sex with is Janet?"
"Yes," she leaned in close. "You haven't had sex with Janet, have you?"
"Why do you want us to stop?"
"You're changing the subject. Have you had sex with Janet?"
Daniel stepped away from Sam. Sam followed. "Define sex? Are we talking biology terms or Clinton terms?"
"Daniel!"
"I'm kidding." He held up his hands. "I have not had sex with Janet."
Sam squinted her eyes, not entirely sure of the man's sincerity. "You better be telling the truth. So, what do we need to counter this thing?"
"Ah, as far as I can tell the answer lies in the text written all over the altar. If we can decipher them, we should find the solution."
"Okay, I'll get the MALP photos; you get whatever texts you can find."
They both moved towards the door, Sam opened it, paused, then closed it again. "You haven't had sex with Janet, right?"
"Nope," Daniel walked through the door, passed Sam. He stopped and turned towards his friend. "Well, there was that one time in the broom closet…"
He never finished his sentence, just took off running down the hallway, Sam close on his heels.
A week passed, a week of analyzing, deciphering, translating. It hadn't been simple, or easy. A large portion of their time re-gathering the information they needed after the time reset. The two had shared a laugh wondering how long O'Neill and Teal'c would have spent trying to translate the ancient text. In the end, Daniel finally translated the text and the two were on their way to getting the timeline restored. Yet, there were a few obstacles that remained in their way.
Sam stood in the doorway of Janet's office. Transfixed, she stared at the Doctor. She'd repeated this moment more times than she cared to count. Now, this would be her last. Hopefully, this time, she'd do it right, and life could go on. Sam cleared her throat, getting Janet's attention.
"Sam, what are you doing here?"
"We need to talk," Sam stated, closing the door behind her. Janet opened her mouth to talk, Sam cut her off. "Janet, I know what you're going to say. Believe me, I know. All I want to ask you for is one day. Just one day and we can continue where we left off."
"Sam, if you know what I'm going to say then there's no need to talk."
"Do you love me?"
"You know I do."
"Do you trust me? Because right now, I need that more than anything."
Janet sighed. She practiced 'the speech' a million times in her head. In the end, something inside her, the part that loved Sam, believed in her overrode any doubts she might have had. "Yes, I trust you."
"Then give me one day," Sam crossed the room. Her hands cupped Janet's chin. "Just one day so I can end this nightmare and help fix this relationship."
Janet couldn't help it. She melted under Sam's gaze, under the thumb that gently caressed her lips. Their relationship had hit a snag. One Janet wasn't entirely sure they could recover from. But, something in Sam's eyes told her Sam knew, knew everything and the words pouring out of her mouth weren't the same old excuses. Sam really, truly believed them. How could she turn away from that? Turn away from the possibility of a future when before she couldn't see past today.
"Okay Sam," Janet finally responded. "One day."
A sort of squeal escaped Sam's throat. She crashed their lips together. The kiss was quick, but deep and passionate enough to leave Janet gasping for more when Sam pulled away. By the time Janet opened her eyes, Sam was already in the door way, face beaming with love, and something she hadn't noticed before, hope.
"You won't regret this, Janet. I promise." She stated before bounding out the door.
The women's dressing room was empty except for Sam who quickly put on her mission gear. Hammond had given them a 'go' to return to P4X639. Technically, this would be their first time traveling to the planet, but Sam had no time for technicalities.
She placed her booted foot on the bench to tie the lace when Daniel quietly entered the room.
"Daniel, what are you doing in here?" She didn't ask out of shyness, or decorum, but the fact that a man getting caught in the women's dressing room could face some severe penalties.
"We need to chat before we go."
"About what?"
"Well," he nervously pushed his glasses up onto his nose. "When this is all over with, people are going to be asking all kinds of questions. And some of the things I've done can NEVER be spoken about."
"Daniel," Sam sighed. "Even *I* don't have any idea what you've done." Which wasn't entirely true, but she hadn't pressed him on the details because, quite frankly, Sam didn't WANT to know the details.
"Oh come on, I'm sure I told you how Teal'c likes to..."
"Daniel!" She held up both hands defensively. "Your secret is safe with me."
He smiled at her. Suddenly, she noticed the impish little glint in his eye. "What about Jack? Did you know he LOVES..."
Sam plugged her fingers into her ears.
"And Janet, oh my God!"
"Daniel!" She took a not so playful swing at the man. Daniel ducked from her punch, backing himself towards the door.
Daniel and Sam exited the gate side by side, Teal'c and O'Neill taking point.
"Déjà vu," Sam muttered to herself.
"Yeah," Daniel added. "All over again."
Following O'Neill's signal, they fanned out.
"Malaki!" Sam called out.
"Carter," O'Neill looked around. "There's no one here."
"Oh, he's here, Sir. He knows we're on to him."
Teal'c stepped towards the altar. Blue light cascaded in a flash. Teal'c flew backwards from the force, falling unconscious to the ground. Daniel and Sam rushed towards their fallen comrade.
Malaki emerged from behind a pillar. He held up a small device. "I'm sorry but you've come to break the time loop and I'm afraid I can't let you do that."
They watched, helpless as Malaki walked towards the altar. He began pressing the stones, starting the loop sequence all over again. Daniel approached the altar.
"We have to reset those controls or the loop is going to restart itself again. There's nothing to be gained from this."
"Do you think I would do this for personal power? She...," His words trailed off. "You wouldn't understand."
"What happened?" Sam asked.
The stern features seemed to crumble, revealing the sad lonely man underneath. "She died, twelve years ago. When I found this place and discovered its true purpose I dedicated myself to unlock its mysteries."
"So you could save her."
"No, that would be quite impossible. She died from a congenital heart weakness. Not even the ability to travel back in time could change that."
O'Neill moved to help Teal'c. The Jaffa shakily helped to his feet.
"Then why are you doing this?"
"To be with her again. To see her one last time." He gaped, as if they had no clue what he was talking about.
"What you're doing is wrong." Sam gritted her teeth in frustration.
"Why?"
"Because you've taken choice out of the equation. Do you know what kind of HELL you've put us through? I've spent the last couple months..." Sam's voice trailed off. She wanted to continue, but knew doing so would reveal more about her and her relationship with Janet than either were ready to reveal. Daniel, sensing her helplessness, stepped in.
"See, you couldn't understand what I've been through."
Daniel could feel the anger bubbling inside him. Anger at the man's arrogance, at his presumptuousness. "You don't think any of us have lost people we love? You don't think any of us wouldn't kill for one last day with them? Well, you're wrong. Sam," he pointed towards her. "Lost her mother. Jack, his son. I lost my wife. Teal'c lost his wife."
"Then you do understand."
"Yes, I do. But, I also understand it's all a lie. You have to move on, you grieve, you mourn, and you continue with your life. It will always hurt, and you never forget, but it's not fair to you, and it's not fair to her. You've condemned her just as much as you've condemned us."
Malaki looked at Daniel as if the man had punched him in the gut.
"I know you can't give her a future, but have you considered what you're doing to her and to you?"
"I don't understand."
"Do you really want to relive her death for all of eternity? To go back and know your touch will be the last she'll ever feel, to know her last breath is coming. Do you really want this person you say you love to be condemned to an eternity of death?"
Malaki coughed. He tried to stop the tears, but they came anyway. He slumped onto the stairs, the weight of all he'd done, what he was trying to do seemed to crush him all at once.
He tilted his head up towards Daniel. "I... I love her."
"I know you do. And you will always love her, but you have to let go. Let her go, Malaki."
Malaki pressed the device. Blue light cascaded to the ground, the energy field disrupted. Daniel reached the altar first, Sam close on his heels. Together they worked in tandem, pressing the stones until the machine's mechanical hum quieted to nothing.
"I could have done it." Malaki spoke to no one in particular.
"No, you couldn't." Sam explained. "This thing was built by the same people who built the Stargate, and even they couldn't get it to work. Why else would they just leave it here?"
"C'mon," O'Neill waved to them. "Let's go home."
"Home," Malaki sighed, Teal'c helping him to his feet. "I have no home."
Sam glanced sympathetically at the man. "At least now, there's a tomorrow."
Chapter Five
Tires crunched softly on the pebbled driveway. Sam shifted the vehicle to park. Fingers drummed on the steering wheel, her eyes focused on the house looming before her. She felt weary and wired all at the same time. Weary from an entire day spent going over the events that caused the time loop. Then, a mountain of paperwork waited for her when the meetings ended.
She felt wired because 'tomorrow' had come. Three months, 94 days, 7 hours and 16 minutes to be exact, not that she was counting. Three months spent living the same day over. She was surprised neither she nor Daniel had gone insane.
Sam swallowed one last gulp of confidence and entered the house. It smelled of flowers and bread, hearth and home. She had almost lost it all, and she hadn't even been trying.
Janet and Cassandra were in the kitchen, laughing, chatting, the perfect picture of mother and daughter.
"Hey." Sam sighed with a soft sadness at being the one to break the moment.
"Sam." Cassie beamed. There was a moment where it looked like Cassie would run to Sam and give her a hug, like she always did. But, she stopped, her face turning into a solemn mask suddenly remembering her Mother was mad at Sam. And like the dutiful daughter, if Mom was mad, so was Cassie.
"I didn't expect you here, tonight." Janet placed an appreciative hand on Cassie's shoulder. "Considering everything that's happened."
"I asked for one day. Day's almost over with."
"Sam, you didn't need to."
"Here." Sam pulled several papers, folded and stapled together, from inside her jacket. She handed them over to Janet.
"What's this?" Janet leafed through the papers, immediately noting the standard military stationary. "You're going on leave?"
"Yeah, thirty-eight days." Sam explained. "It's amazing how much time you can accrue if you don't use any of it. Between my leave time and Hazard pay, I can afford to take you anywhere you want to go."
Janet's jaw practically dropped to the floor. Thirty-eight days away from work, the SGC, would seem like a lifetime to Sam. "Sam, I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything. At least, not yet. I know I've told you this before, only you don't remember it, but I can't live without you, Janet. I was an idiot and didn't realize what I had until I almost lost it. In the worst way possible, I took you, I took US for granted"
Sam paused taking another gulp of confidence to keep her voice from cracking. She reached into her jacket pocket, pulled out the tiny black box buried inside. From behind Janet, Cassie squealed slightly. The girl hopped animatedly from one foot to the other. Janet's eyes went wide. Her hand moved to her mouth as Sam dropped to one knee. Hands shaking nervously, Sam opened the box revealing the diamond encrusted gold ring.
"I don't ever want to take you or us for granted again. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you." Her voice cracked slightly, bottom lip trembling. "Janet Fraiser, will you marry me?"
"YES!" Cassandra blurted out before her mother had a chance to say anything.
"Cassie!" Janet chastised.
"Aw, c'mon Mom, you are NOT going to say no."
"No."
"What?" Sam and Cassie asked together. Janet coughed, realizing the meaning of what she'd just said.
"No, I mean yes. Yes Sam, I'll marry you."
Sam stood up. Cassandra wrapped her arms around Sam's neck, cutting off the circulation with a strength Sam didn't realize the girl was capable of.
"OhmyGodIcan'tbelievethisjusthappened.Thisissocool."
"Cassie!" Sam attempted to breathe. The girl released her choke hold on Sam's neck, stepping back so her mother could have a turn. Janet stepped into Sam. The air crackled with anticipation. Janet turned her head towards Cassandra.
"Um, could we have a moment alone?"
"Aw, c'mon, it's not like I haven't seen you two make out before." Janet glared at the girl. Cassie raised her hands. "Okay fine, but don't think I'm not coming back. Don't want the meatloaf to burn because you two are playing tonsil hockey in the kitchen."
"Cassie," Janet groaned, rolling her eyes. The two finally alone, Janet began to lean towards Sam ready to plant a kiss on her lips.
"Wait," Sam stepped back. She pulled the ring from the box, sliding it onto Janet's ring finger. "It was my Mom's."
"Sam." Janet choked. She wrapped her arms around Sam's neck, not giving her a chance to step away even if she tried. "You know you're amazing, don't you? Just when I think I have you all figured out, you surprise me."
"Oh yeah," Sam planted a kiss on Janet's nose. "Now we have the rest of our lives to make all kinds of discoveries. Like this." Sam gave a healthy squeeze to Janet's rear, a small squeak escaped Janet's throat. Sam pressed their lips together before Janet could protest, not that she would.
"You know," Janet purred as they came up for air, "We haven't done it in the kitchen."
"Yes, we have," Sam lifted Janet up onto the counter, "But, doing it for the first time again should be fun."
Janet caught the mischievous glint in Sam's eye. "Uh-huh, and where else have we not done it before?"
Sam planted a series of kisses on Janet's neck. "In the garden, the porch, the tree house back in the woods, behind the bar at Shakey's, Hammond's office."
"No!" Janet gasped.
"Oh yea," Sam began unbuttoning Janet's shirt. "If Hammond knew the things we did on that couch, he'd have us court martialed."
"Samantha Carter, I think you have some explaining to do."
"Explain? I don't want to explain what we did." Sam pulled open Janet's blouse. Her eyes glanced lasciviously at Janet's breasts before returning to her eyes. "I want to show you."
The air smelled of bar-b-que and smoke. Jack hovered over the grill like a Grizzly protecting her cubs. The only person he'd allow near the grill was Janet, but only because it was her party. It had been a success. The house and backyard bristled with life, SG members, their families and friends.
Sam sat on the porch swing soaking it all in. Half of her leave was over. Not that it mattered to her. Sam had learned to stop counting the days, had learned to enjoy present.
Daniel sat down next to her. He handed her a beer before taking a pull from his.
"Nice party."
"Yeah, it's great isn't it?"
"Janet told me about your engagement. Congratulations." He held up his bottle to hers. They sat in silence for a few moments. Sam caught Daniel glancing towards the grill, towards Jack.
"He has no idea does he?"
"Nope."
"Why don't you tell him?"
"I will," Daniel sighed. "I just want to savor this for a little bit more. I mean, how many times do you get to relive a first time?"
"I know. All I'm saying is don't take too long. There's a difference between the possibility of happiness and actually being happy. Don't let that window of opportunity pass you by."
Daniel smiled at his friend. "Listen to you. When'd you get so smart?"
"I don't know." Sam shrugged. "Janet says it's a concussion. It should pass once the swelling goes down."
Janet walked onto the porch. "Did someone call my name?" She flopped onto the swing settling between Sam and Daniel.
"Sam was just telling me about the virtues of happiness."
"Uh-huh, Sam stopped being virtuous a long time ago." Sam sneaked a slight pinch onto Janet's rear. Janet jumped slightly daring to smack Sam's thigh. "Speaking of lack of virtues, I heard through the grapevine that you have a few scandalous stories to tell."
"Tales of my sexual prowess have been greatly exaggerated."
"Who said anything about sex?" Janet stared at him quizzically. She suddenly realized there was more to Daniel's story than either Sam or Daniel had led on. "Daniel Jackson, you little slut."
"Hey," Sam tried to cover, "Watch the mouth."
"When I read the report, I thought it was kind of odd it took you and Sam 94 days to figure out the time loop conundrum. The two of you really were a couple of busy beavers, weren't you?"
Daniel suddenly stood up from the swing. "Hey, look at that. I think the steaks are done."
"How many people did you have sex with? Did you have sex with Jack?" Janet paused, thinking about the possibilities. "Did you have sex with me?"
"Wow, I'm really parched; I think I'm going to go get another beer. Would you like one?"
"Daniel."
"I've heard some people like to lick it off their skin. You know, like on that tiny freckle right on the inside of your…"
"Daniel!!" Sam and Janet gasped in unison. Daniel smiled his impish grin before ducking into the house. Sam and Janet both close on his heels. Janet quit giving chase figuring Sam would take care of him for her.
Daniel dashed through the house, weaving through the scores of people like a skier on a slalom course. Sam stayed on his heels, even after Daniel made it through the front door. The chase was on and Sam had no intention of letting the man getaway. It reminded her of earlier times when she and her brother played the same types of games. Except they never fell into the pool, nor did they ever take a six foot Jaffa with them.
Teal'c glared at the two. The two apologetically grinned at the larger man. Sam took the opportunity, grabbed Daniel's head and dunked him under the water.
Jack walked over to the edge of the pool careful to avoid the splashing of his two teammates. "Teal'c, don't worry, it's an Earth custom. It's not an official party unless someone dives in the pool."
"Indeed," Teal'c grabbed Jack's offered hand. "Except the wrong person is in the pool."
Teal'c yanked on Jack's arm, Jack tumbling head over heels into the pool.
"Teal'c!"
Teal'c calmly headed towards the edge of the pool. "Now, it is a party."
Sam flopped onto the bed, limbs weary from song, dance and alcohol. Draped an arm over her eyes to shield them from the soft light.
"How long do you think it will take until people WON'T be talking about our little party?" Janet stood in the doorway to the bathroom, her favorite robe draped around her slender form.
"I think we'll all be retired before they stop talking about today."
Janet crawled onto the bed, climbing her way up Sam's body. Her robe opened slightly giving Sam a glimpse of all the wonderful things underneath.
"Yeah, well, you and Daniel taking a dip into the pool certainly added a certain something." She straddled Sam's hips feeling Sam's hands as they untied her robe. "Did he really sleep with Jack?"
"Uh-huh," Sam lost interest in the conversation. Her attention quickly focused on Janet's breasts, and her nipples, and her fingers which gently kneaded both.
"Boy do I wanna be a fly on the wall when THAT conversation occurs."
Sam smiled. She lifted up, licking her lips in preparation to taste one of the erect nubs. She felt Janet's hands on her shoulders holding her back.
"Wait."
"What is it, Janet?"
"There's something I have to tell you." Janet draped her arms onto Sam's shoulders, their eyes locked together. The tone between them suddenly shifted from sensual to serious. "You know I wasn't going to leave you?"
"Could have fooled me."
"No, I'm serious. I know I was harsh, maybe a bit cruel. But, I wanted to snap you out of it, you know. I just got so mad because you weren't responding and I wound up taking it someplace I never intended to go. But, I want you to know this. I could NEVER leave you, Sam, even if I tried. You're my heart, my soul and I'd die without you, if I couldn't be a part of your life. Even if you're sometimes too stubborn to know."
Janet exhaled, her sentence completed. She dared a glance at Sam. Sam looked at her, a broad smile stretched across her lips.
"What?"
"I know." Sam kissed her lips. "I know how much you love me. Sure, it took a brick to the head and three months living the same day over, but I know. And we can spend the rest of our lives showing each other how much."
Suddenly, Sam lifted Janet up, rolled the both of them onto the bed until Janet lay pinned underneath her.
"Except now, there's going to be a lot more sex," She kissed Janet's neck. "LOTS more sex."
"Well," Janet purred, "Just not in Hammond's office."
"Oh, it's not where we did in Hammond's office, it's WHAT we did. And believe me, I have every intention of showing you." Janet caught the lascivious glint in Sam's eye before the blue eyes disappeared between Janet's thighs. She knew Daniel had been holding back on his story of the time loop, but she never expected it from Sam.
Janet wanted to think about fate, destiny and all the thousands of little fluttering butterfly wings that had conspired to bring her and Sam back together. She would have to think about it all later. Cognitive thought became harder and harder because of the warm body between her legs and the wonderful sensations it brought forth. All she thought about was now, and the possibility of the future. The one that ended with 'and they lived happily ever after'.
And they did. Except Daniel never did tell her what he did with Jack.
The End