DISCLAIMER: The story, and characters and anything and everything else concerning SG: SG1 belong to MGM, Gekko, Secret Productions etc, they are so not mine and no money is being made from this and no copyright infringement is intended.
SPOILER: Set during 'Sight Unseen' - season 6
Telling Jonas Quinn
By Celievamp
"I think Dr Fraiser likes me."
"Janet likes everyone, Jonas," Sam said, wondering where this particular conversational alley was leading. She had been alone in the car with Jonas for just over an hour and was already wishing she had brought Teal'c instead. Teal'c still thought of O'Neill as the fount of all knowledge on Tauri behaviour and customs. Jonas on the other hand seemed to have picked her to be his guide through earth's mysteries. Well, her and the Weather Channel. Some of his insights into what passed for North American culture were amusing, others were downright alarming.
"No, I mean she really likes me. Nurse Phillips told me that Dr Fraiser thinks I'm cute."
Sam managed to school her expression. "Thinking you're cute does not necessarily mean that she really likes you." Janet thought many men were 'cute'. It did not mean that she had any intention of ever dating any of them. Hell, she thought cuddly toys were cute. Sam knew that, to Janet, cute was not necessarily a term of endearment. Her ex had been cute. Cute and nasty. No, there was no danger of Janet having any feelings towards Jonas other than simple friendship. Janet also knew that Sam was entirely capable of quite severely bending anyone who made any kind of move on Janet at all. Now, what was the best way of letting Jonas know this?
"You're her friend, Sam. Do you know if she's seeing anyone at the moment?"
Sam saw the sign for a rest stop up ahead and came to a quick decision. "Let's get something to eat."
They had been inside the small diner for about twenty minutes. Sam was nursing a black coffee and crumbling a piece of dry-as-dust shortbread back into its constituent parts. Jonas was tucking into a burger with all the trimmings.
"So, is Dr Fraiser seeing anyone?" Jonas asked. Sam realised that he had figured her awkward question avoidance technique at last. Oh well. Honesty was probably the best policy. Wasn't it? She didn't want to imagine the paperwork there would be if she just shot him. Even though she could claim extreme provocation. And the Colonel would back her up. He still didn't entirely trust Jonas. It was entirely possible that he never would.
"Yes, she's been in a pretty serious relationship for the past four years," she found herself saying. Dammit, she really was going to have to practice this lying thing a lot more. Still, he was going to have to find out sooner or later. He was part of the team now.
"Really?" An intrigued smile crossed his features for a moment before he concentrated on his burger again. Sam allowed herself to relax, just a little. Perhaps that was as far as it would go. She should be so lucky.
"Anyone I know? I figure it's got to be someone on the base. It would be too difficult to be anyone from outside what with the secrecy thing."
This was it then. Telling Jonas Quinn. It hadn't been high on her list of things to do today. But then neither had chasing down hyper-dimensional critters they had managed to attract with the 'bug zapper' from P9X391. "It's me, Jonas. Janet and I are…" Are what? Partners was too clinical, lovers was giving him way too much information "together. We have been for the past four years."
He stopped chewing. "Really." He took another mouthful of burger and started chewing again, watching her with a curious and not entirely comfortable expression on his face. He washed his burger down with a gulp of coke. Sam sipped her coffee, grimaced and added some more sugar to see if that made a difference to the taste. Unfortunately it only made it disgustingly sweet rather than merely disgusting. She pushed the cup away from her. She could see that Jonas had more questions for her, he was clearly giving some thought as to how to frame them.
"So, you and Dr Fraiser have been… together… for the past four years. Isn't that sort of against regulations?"
"Yes. But we keep it off base and those who need to know, know that. Come on, Jonas, if I hadn't told you, would you ever have guessed?"
Certain things he had seen or thought he had seen when they were stuck in Antarctica were making a lot more sense suddenly. But it wouldn't do for Sam to know that. Seeing the sharpness in her gaze Jonas decided to play dumb. "I got to admit, Sam, I would never have guessed. So you and Dr Fraiser are…" Which was the best term to use? There were so many, most of them unflattering. He definitely did not want to get on the wrong side of this woman. Either woman for that matter. He genuinely liked both her and the doc. Both of them had gone out of their way to make him feel welcome on Earth. If they were together and happy then he was happy for them. And being on their good side could do him no harm either.
"So you and Dr Fraiser are…"
"Life Partners, Lesbians, Significant Others," Sam shrugged. "We're together and for both of us that's the most important thing in our lives. As I said, a few people such as General Hammond, the Colonel, Teal'c and Cassie of course know the truth and they are all happy for us. We're careful because we know that it could mean the end of our careers if the wrong people found out. I'm trusting you with this, Jonas."
"I appreciate that, Sam." He looked at the woman appraisingly, her candid blue eyes betraying her slight unease. "I would never betray your confidence, believe me. On my world relationships like yours weren't easy, either. My cousin, Tayla. She was a teacher until… well, she lost her job and her house. Because of her beliefs and her lifestyle she was judged by our government to be a poor influence on children and wasn't allowed to work with them any more. She and Miketi had to move to another city. She works in an office now. At least I hope she still does." He fell silent. There had been no word from Kelnowa since the civil war hotted up. He was not hopeful.
The silence grew uncomfortable. Remarkably, he had lost his appetite. He glanced at his watch. "Hey, we'd better get a move on. Vernon Sharp could be anywhere by now. Hopefully his grandmother will have some clue as to where he's hiding out."
Sam reached for her purse but Jonas gainstayed her. "On me. I don't have much opportunity to spend money."
"Okay. Thank you," Sam smiled at him. It was the kind of smile that he had seen her bestow on O'Neill and Teal'c before, but rarely on him. Until today. It was a genuine smile of trust, respect. It was something worth seeing. Better than the critters anyhow. And Dr Fraiser was definitely a lucky woman.
The End