What a Surprise Too
By b and Debbie
Taking Sam's hand into her own, Janet whispered, "Sam… we need to talk."
Sam smiled gently and just nodded her head.
Smiling right back into her eyes, Janet whispered, "Give me a minute to shut down here."
While Janet hurried around, shutting down her system and putting her files away in the cabinet Sam just watched with an indulgent smile on her face thinking to herself, 'Well that was a better reaction than I expected. Thought she would be furious after receiving that email. How did that happen? I know me. I am careful. No-way I pressed send button by mistake. There must be a virus in the system. I really should go and look. What if some alien virus is spreading through the SGC? Jeez, it's happened before... I should know. '
Glancing up to see Janet staring at her with a bemused grin on her face, the major literally laughed out loud, while thinking, 'Do you know what, Sam? I really couldn't care less.'
Janet, looked at Sam and murmured, "What?"
Sam held out her hand, still chuckling, "Come on, let's get out of here and I'll tell you."
Still chuckling thirty minutes later, they sat sipping a drink in Janet's local bar. Sam, looked up, and decided it was now or never.
"I'm so sorry Janet. I didn't mean for you to receive that email. I honestly don't know what happened. You know me, I'm so careful. Thank-you for taking it the way you have. I hope it won't spoil our friendship. It's just..."
Janet chuckled to herself and said, "Sam, stop babbling. I'm flattered, really I am. I could never not have you as my friend, but Sam, please tell me, just... what?"
As Sam floundered on the question, Janet's thoughts quickly drifted to her last serious relationship. What Sam didn't know, since Janet still hid behind the smoke-screen of her ex-husband, was that she was in fact lesbian. She thought of Anne; her first real love. The reason she was here in Colorado. The reason she had followed her true path. The reason she now felt more than capable of loving this beautiful woman sat opposite her. Truth be known, she had loved Sam Carter from afar for a number of years now, believing, as was so often the case within the air-force, that Sam could never be interested in her. And now... and now... "Just... what Sam?" she prompted.
While Janet's thoughts had been raging, Sam too had been fighting with her inner self. 'I love Janet. Sometimes, I think I always have. Through all those supposed relationships... Josh, in high school, Jerry, in college, Jonas, in the Academy, and Jack, at the SGC... jeez, what is it with me and names beginning with the letter J. Concentrate Sam, just... what? Through all those relationships, I was searching for that little bit extra, that something else.'
Grinning to herself, the major admitted, 'yep, I was searching for the "J". Janet. She is me. She is my other. My soul. I love her.'
"It's just... I love you Janet. Maybe I always have. The way we just fit together amazes me. That's why I write down my feelings. I was never going to send them. Never going to put you in a position. Please believe me. Please forgive me. Please..." stuttered Sam.
Janet reached across the table and quieted Sam with a touch of her hand. "Sam, I am glad something sent me that email. I think I have loved you for a while now. No! I don't think so, I know so. Sam, believe me... and this may be a surprise to you... but I was looking for a woman. I stopped when I found you. You've probably noticed I've been a bit of a hermit since joining the SGC."
She laughed out loud and squeezed the major's hand; "I didn't want anyone else but you, so I hibernated."
Looking shocked, Sam replied, "Damn Janet, all those years we've wasted, what do we do?"
"You mean you really don't know Sam," Janet teased.
"Idiot. What I mean is... don't ask, don't tell... Cassie... SG1... what do we do?" worried Sam.
"Well, let's take things slowly. Let's enjoy what we should have been enjoying these last few years. Let's do the whole courtship thing... dinner dates, flowers, walks in the park, the movies, smooching... you know... all that stuff we've missed. You never know Sam, if you are a really good girl, I might just say yes to that proposal one day."
Sam chuckled once more, "That's good enough for me, Janet."
Suddenly, looking at her watch, Janet exclaimed, "Cassie! I really must get home Sam, she'll be worried. Look come over tomorrow night, have dinner, and let's tell Cassie what we are doing. I really would like to at least warn 'our little girl' that her moms are trying something new. I think she deserves that."
"Yes Janet, to both suggestions; dinner and telling Cassie. I agree she needs to know. I want to be free to be there for you both. To be there more than I have in the past.
Smiling, Janet said, "You will be Sam, you will be." Standing up and leaning across the table, she brushed her lips across Sam's cheek, as she had many times previously. This time it felt so different. It felt real and right.
Winking at the blond, the doctor ordered, "Don't drink too much more. See you at 7 tomorrow night, or before if you really want to, you are welcome at any time, you know that."
Sam grabbed Janet's hand as she brushed past. Kissing the ring finger of the left hand, she whispered, "See you for breakfast my dear."
As their fingertips lost contact with each other Janet chuckled once more, and was gone.
The End
Sequel What Another Surprise