Author: KanDo
E-mail: kandonething@hotmail.com
Rating: R
Pairing: S/OFC , S/J *eventually*
Category: WIP
Date: 07/17/01
Series: Sequel/Prequel to "Love's Loss" *which is archived at Area52*
Season Info: All over the map, honestly. Most right now is mid-season 3 and pre-show.
Archive: Alternate Reality and Area52, any others? Please ask! Thanks.
Website: https://kandocreations.tripod.com/archive.html
** DISCLAIMERS: The characters of Stargate SG-1 are owned by MGM, Showtime, Double Secret, Gekko and countless others who bring us this wonderful show. No copyright infringements intended or implied. No money exchanged hands... It is purely for the entertainment of my readers. I am simply borrowing the characters for a little while and promise to return them in the same, if not better, condition that I found them in. Any original characters/situtations are property of the author and her sleep deprived brain.... **
Notes: *deep breath* This is a monster that has not let me go since I posted the complete "Love's Loss". I hope that you enjoy it. Thanks go to AJ for beta'ing most of these first two parts. Thanks, Kitten.
Summary: What happens after we leave Sam and Janet in the parking lot of that bar...
On a cold and wintry night, Janet sat waiting in the Colorado Springs Airport eagerly awaiting the arrival of Sam. Janet wished the weather had been better for Sam's flight home, but she had no control over that. She could only pray that the snow that had been threatening all day, would hold off for another hour.
This trip was a tough one for the both of them. Since that night at the bar almost a year ago, if their time off coincided, they had shared it together with each other and with Cassie. While taking the young girl skiing, ice skating, and hiking, Sam and Janet's friendship had blossomed beyond being co-workers to something more.
But where they were headed was something that had yet to be seen. They were taking it one day at a time, as if neither of them wanted to make that commitment to something yet.
Janet sighed as she looked at her watch again and then checked the flight status board. Only a few minutes had passed since she had last done the same actions. While waiting was something that Janet was familiar with, it didn't mean that she liked it.
And lately, it seemed that every time that SG-1 went through the Gate, Janet played a waiting game. Would they come back in one piece this time? Or would there be another death, like the one that had brought Sam so close to the edge? Would they even return at all? Would the person who was beginning to mean a lot more to her, come home?
She got up from her seat to look out the window once again and wondered how Sam was feeling. Sam had insisted on going alone, though Janet would have said yes in a heartbeat had she been asked.
Sitting back down, Janet began to remember the night that Sam had opened up to her.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As they arrived at Janet's home, Sam began to rethink this whole thing. Despite what she had told Janet, she was drunk, and she didn't want Cassie to see her this way.
"Janet, I don't know.... Maybe this isn't such a good idea."
"What are you worried about? Whatever you share with me will go no further."
"It's not that, it's well... it's...." Sam paused. "Is Cassie home?"
"Why?"
"I don't know if I could handle seeing her right now."
"Why?" Janet asked again.
Sam looked out the window towards the darkened house. "I'm not myself tonight. I don't think she's ever seen me cry."
"It's not that is it?" Sam shook her head no. "It's because you've had too much to drink, right?"
"Yes."
"Don't worry. She's spending the night at a friend's house. It'll just be you and me."
A sigh of relief left Sam's lips.
"Does that mean you're going to come in now?"
"Yes."
A few minutes later, Janet and Sam were standing in silence in the kitchen, waiting for the coffee machine to make a few last gurgles and coughs. Once it had finished, Janet poured them each a cup.
Even though it was decaf, Sam was reluctant to drink it. Instead, she held onto the cup as if her life depended on it. Absorbing the warmth it offered was better than the cold chill of the liquor she had imbibed.
Janet took a sip from her cup and gave her friend a look. "So, do you want to stay in here, or take a seat in the family room?"
"Family room." She said simply and started on her way there.
Following the blonde and watching her as she sat down and tucked one leg beneath her, Janet wondered if Sam felt safe enough to share about the relationship she had with Jenna.
"I guess I should start at the beginning. How we met and all." She started softly, and gave her friend a glance.
"Whatever you feel most comfortable with." Janet said to her in the same tone of voice.
"The Stargate is what actually brought us together. I had been part of the team working on the computers for it and she was pretty good at writing programs and such." Sam closed her eyes for a moment as if she were visualizing the day that they had met. "She was..."
Opening her eyes , Sam stopped for a moment and looked down at her hands.
Janet took a sip of her coffee, patiently waiting for Sam to gather her thoughts.
"She was," Sam started again, softly. "The most beautiful woman I had ever met. She took my breath away the first time I looked into her eyes." Sam brought the mug to her lips and took a reluctant sip. Choking the liquid down, she questioned herself.
'Do I really want to sober up?'
Sighing softly, she continued. "Jenna was everything that I ever looked for in a partner. She was smart, funny, with a sense of humor beyond compare. When I first heard her voice - it was like this feeling of coming home. She touched me in so many ways that first day - without even touching. Does that make sense?" Sam asked with a quick glance to Janet.
"Yes, it does." Janet replied and wished she knew how to voice those same exact words to Sam.
A small smile lit Sam's face as she ran a shaky hand through her hair. "That was back when my hair was longer. When I was younger... and life seemed so much simpler." Sam picked a spot on the wall to focus in on as the tale of their first meeting poured out of her....
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
With a smart salute, the new transfer announced herself. "Second Lt. Jenna Niall reporting for duty."
Sam looked up from the laptop that she was working on. "At ease, lieutenant." And found that she could not look away. The gray eyes of the lieutenant had captured her completely.
"Yes, Ma'am." She relaxed her stance slightly. After a few moments, "Is there something wrong, Captain?"
Mentally shaking herself, Sam stuttered. "Uh.. no... Sorry."
'Great Sam... Sound like a complete idiot in front of her....'
"You just caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."
"I was able to settle into my quarters quicker than I had expected, so I made the decision to get started right away."
"Sounds good." Sam looked to the folder that Jenna had in her hand. "Is that the data I sent you?"
"Yes, it is. I was just reading over it again and making more notes." She moved closer to the lab bench where Sam had been sitting and set her folder down. Opening it to remove almost four pages of notes, Jenna began to list all the problems that she had encountered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sam paused again. Looking at Janet, she let her lips curl up into a small smile. "We were there for hours that first day. Jenna kept telling me that what I had thought was the right way to program the computers was wrong. She was very obstinate about it." She let out a small laugh. "She just wouldn't listen to me when I said that we had the best and the brightest working on it. Jenna then questioned me as to where they'd gotten their degrees... How did she put it?" Sam closed her eyes and thought back on that day.
After a few moments, she opened her eyes. "Ahh.. yes. She told me that monkeys who'd been trained to perform tricks were smarter than the bunch I was working with and that they must have gotten their degrees from a Cracker Jacks box."
Janet's easy laugh surprised Sam. "That sounds familiar. I think I've heard that about one or two of my colleagues." She took a sip of her coffee, thinking of the next question to keep Sam talking. "How long did it take for her to scrap everything that had been done and start over?"
Quickly glancing at her friend, the blonde wondered how she knew that that was exactly what Jenna had done. "Amazingly, it took two straight hours of her pointing out all the problems before I said that she was right. Of course, I knew it after an hour, but I loved the sound of her voice. She had this accent that was just incredible. When she had first walked into my lab, it was barely noticeable. But by the time I stopped her cold by saying that she was right, her accent was very very strong." Sam took the last sip of coffee and set the now empty cup in her lap. "I eventually learned that the more excited or aggravated she got, the stronger it would be. I can recall a few times that she threw in a few words I didn't know. That first day, it took me by surprise. I was used to dealing with other officers who had accents, but that was the first time that I had been sworn at in another language."
"That's right, she spoke Gaelic, didn't she?" Janet remembered that fact from Jenna's records when she had entered the death information.
"Yes." Sam looked down at her lap and sighed. 'And it was for that reason, she had been on that damned mission in the first place.' "I think I am going to get another cup." The tall blonde unfolded her form from the couch and stood.
"Sam, let me." Janet began to rise as well.
"No, Janet. That's ok. I think I can handle a simple cup of coffee." Sam threw over her shoulder as she slowly walked to the kitchen.
Letting out a deep sigh, Janet sat back down. She knew that this would be a very very long night, but she was determined to hear all that Sam would share with her.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Standing at the kitchen counter, Sam stared at the coffee cup she had just filled. It was just like she'd always taken it-- black. But looking into the steaming liquid, she flashed back to the first time Jenna had fixed a cup of coffee for her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I'm going for more coffee. Can I get one for you?" Jenna asked out of politeness.
"Sure, I'd love one." Sam said distractedly from where she was concentrating on the screen of her laptop.
Jenna stood, grabbed both cups and headed towards the small break room down the hall from the lab.
'We really should put a coffee maker in there with us. It would save a lot of time.' She thought as she made the now familiar trip.
Entering into the break room, Jenna sighed as she looked at the coffee pot. Someone had taken the last cup, but had forgotten to shut the warmer off. The pot had burnt what dribbles had remained and the aroma was strong.
"Eww... I really wish that they'd quit doing that." She said aloud as she set the cups down and turned on the faucet, allowing the water to heat before putting any in the decanter. Swirling the hot water around the bottom to rid it of the nastiness, Jenna nodded to herself. "Yes, we're getting a coffee machine in that lab tomorrow. Even if that means bringing in the one from my quarters."
She took her time to go about making the fresh supply of caffeine, allowing her thoughts to drift to the person she had been spending a lot of time with. Captain Carter was certainly an intriguing woman. Jenna could see that she put up a tough façade, but somewhere deep within her Air Force smugness, Carter had a heart capable of great love.
'I wonder what it would take to get to see that side of her?' Jenna stopped that thought immediately. She knew the military's stance on relationships of that nature. She couldn't throw away five years of training and promotions for the chance that Captain Carter would respond in kind to her advances. 'You don't even know if she swings that way. Besides, Niall, she's your superior officer!' She mentally chastised herself.
When the machine made its last gurgle, Jenna quickly poured the two cups and added cream and sugar to her own. She then paused. 'How does she take hers? You know... I've never noticed.' Unsure of what to do, she grabbed a couple of sugar packets and non-dairy creamers. Stuffing them into her pockets, she picked up the identical cups and headed back to the lab.
Carefully opening the door and not spilling a precious drop, she entered to find Carter with a broad grin on her face.
"Set those down and come here." There was a sparkle of excitement lighting up the captain's eyes as she smiled, and Jenna felt her knees go weak.
"What happened?" She asked with a breathless gasp, as she set the cups down.
"You were right! That last change you suggested did it!"
Not quite believing it, Jenna came around the workbench and looked at the screen. Scrolling through the information displayed there, Jenna saw that it had indeed worked. A smile to match Carter's lit her face. "All right!" She turned to give her superior a high five, but found herself in a congratulatory hug instead.
The action took both of them by surprise. Quickly pulling back, they stood stock still for a moment.
"Sam-- I--" "Jenna--" Their words tripped over the other's and nervous smiles made an appearance.
"I'm sorry. That was very unprofessional." Sam was first to regain her senses.
"No!" Jenna quickly retorted, then started again. "It's fine. Really."
Silence fell over the pair as they made a quick grab for the coffee cups. Both seemed of the same mind that drinking the coffee and having their hands full would smooth over what had just happened.
As the pair took a sip of from the cups they had grabbed, they choked on the contents. Looking down, Jenna realized she had the one that contained the black coffee, while Sam noticed hers had cream and sugar.
"I think you have mine." Sam laughed and offered her cup to Jenna.
"Well, at least I know how you take your coffee now!" She said with a laugh and handed hers to Carter. After exchanging cups, they both took another sip.
"Much better." Sam smiled at her.
"I agree." Niall put her cup down and pulled the items from her pockets. "So I guess you won't be needing these."
"Nope."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sam came back to the present with a shudder. That first hug had been a surprise to them both, but remembering how she felt in her arms, Sam was glad that she had been impulsive and let the excitement of the moment take over.
Making her way back into the family room, Sam could see Janet looking her way with a question in her eyes.
"I'm fine. I just got lost in a memory." Sam took her seat again and let silence fall over the room.
Janet watched as the memories played across Sam's face. "Penny for your thoughts." She spoke softly.
"Was just thinking of how a cup of coffee can trigger a memory." She spoke quickly then fell silent.
"So..." Janet scrambled for another question to keep Sam talking. "Was coffee something that you and Jenna shared a passion for?"
Sam slowly nodded. "She bent the regulations a little about two weeks after she arrived." Janet's look caused her to continue. "We weren't supposed to have anything more than a cup of coffee or water in the lab at all times. But there'd be nights where we would work straight through. And Jenna got tired of taking the walks back and forth to the coffee machine down the hall." A soft snort erupted from the major. "And the fact that almost every time she went for more, she'd find the coffee gone and a mess to clean up. I heard a few choice words-- and this was from down the hall now mind you, the last night before she brought in a coffee maker for the lab."
"She was pretty feisty, huh?" Janet was beginning to form a picture of the woman she'd only seen in death. She had not been there for the pre-mission check-up.
"Feisty was putting it mildly. Did you know that the Irish can have mean tempers?"
"No. Never knew that."
"Well, let's just say that Mount Vesuvius exploding was nothing in comparison to Jenna when she got worked up." Sam shook her head. "That was one of the things I loved about her. Not, of course, when that anger was directed at me for some dumb thing I had said or done. But she had this incredible passion in her about everything." Taking a sip of the coffee, she smiled. "I can still remember the argument we had over the coffee maker."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"That does it! I have had it!" Exploded out of the break room, followed by some Gaelic swear words that Sam was quickly learning.
Lifting her head from the screen, Sam thought she had been mistaken. 'No... It couldn't be...'
"If you want coffee, make it yourself! And quit taking what I made and leaving the pot to burn! You--"
'Oh, gods... It is...'
Sam quickly stood and made her way to the break room. Entering, she saw fire flashing in Jenna's eyes as she confronted an airman.
"Lieutenant! Airman! What is going on in here?"
Both turned to her with startled expressions on their faces.
"Ma'am! I was just getting some coffee." He replied quickly.
"MY coffee!" Jenna muttered under her breath, then winced as she caught Sam's unhappy expression.
"That is enough." Sam crossed her arms and looked hard at the pair. "Airman, get your cup of coffee and leave."
"Yes, Ma'am!" He quickly poured the last cup from the pot and scurried away, not wanting to be in the same room with the lieutenant who had blown her top over a simple cup of coffee.
"Jenna? What in the Hell was that about? Did you know I could hear you down in the lab?"
A sheepish look made it's way to her face. "I apologize, Sam. I didn't realize that I was yelling quite so loudly."
"You didn't realize that half the building heard your swearing?"
Face a flaming red shade of embarrassment, Jenna looked towards the floor. She couldn't look her superior in the eyes. "No."
Sam watched and let her squirm a little more. 'My.. oh my... If it's even possible, you look even more beautiful...' Clearing her throat, Sam squashed the thought down. 'Not here... not now... think about that later.' "I should reprimand you, you know."
Jenna looked up in surprise at the blonde. "Sam... I mean, Ma'am. You wouldn't do that, would you?"
Letting out an easy laugh, Carter shook her head No. "I will let it go this time. Besides, that little twerp deserved what you called him."
"You understood that?" Jenna cringed visibly.
"Yes. I think you've called the computers the same thing on occasion."
Not wanting to admit that it was the same thing she called the computers, Jenna tried to change the subject. "Why can't we have the coffee maker in the lab with us?"
"You know it's against the regs."
"I don't see how having a coffee maker in the lab with us is against regulations. It would save valuable time and efforts if there was one in there with us. And," She paused. "It would keep the base from learning Gaelic swear words."
"Oh, you know how they are with sensitive electrical equipment."
"They're going to find that valuable and sensitive electrical equipment in pieces if I have to keep making pots of coffee that I never get to drink."
"Is that a threat, lieutenant?"
"No."
Sam began to let a sigh of relief out, that is, until Jenna continued.
"It's a promise!"
"Ok.. Ok... I think we'll get a coffee maker for the lab." She capitulated. 'Wow... all this over a pot of coffee... Wonder what else she's passionate about... like the bedroom...' Sam wondered how long she could survive working around the beautiful lieutenant before she went crazy with the thoughts she was having. "Let's get back to working... I think you need to focus that temper on the bug I just discovered."
"What temper? I do not have a temper!" She exclaimed, much to Sam's enjoyment.
"THAT temper." Sam laughed. "Let's go."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"That very next morning, she brought in her coffee maker. The one from her quarters. She sure could make a great pot of coffee. Told me it was the coffee itself that made it so good. Her family spoiled her by sending her the best no matter where she was stationed at."
"How were things once she brought it in?"
"Things went smoothly after that. She then proceeded to teach me Gaelic." Sam smiled. "I think she really enjoyed trying to teach it to me. I think it had to do with her love of challenges. She would try any time we were waiting for the programs to update themselves. There at the beginning, we had a lot of time on our hands." Sam paused to take a sip of her coffee.
"Besides her teaching you Gaelic, what else did you do?'
"We would talk about almost anything and everything under the sun. She told me how it was to grow up in an Irish household with three older brothers who, in their protectiveness of her, would drive her crazy." Sam thought of Michael, Kyle, and Stephen, the trio of misfits that wanted to see no harm come to their baby sister.
"She was from a pretty big family, huh?"
"Yes. I got to meet them once."
"Really?"
Sam chuckled. "And I don't know who made a bigger fool of themselves when I came home with her for Thanksgiving."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Wow. This is a nice house." Sam's eyes took in the huge brick structure in front of her. "And HUGE."
"Well, when you have four children who insisted on their own rooms growing up, what did you expect?"
"Certainly not this. And why didn't your parents move to a smaller house when you all moved out?"
"Because of all the grandchildren-- my nieces and nephews."
Just then, the front door swung open and two small bodies flew out the door at her.
"Aunt Jenna! Aunt Jenna!" The pair squealed and flew to her open arms.
"Michaela! Justin!" Jenna hugged the pair tight to her. "How are you, my little rascals?"
"We're good! Guess what? Guess what, Aunt Jenna?" Their blue eyes sparkled with excitement.
"What? Did you get to see Nonny and Poppy's newest kittens?"
"No! Even better!"
"Even better than new kittens? What could be better than that?"
"We're gonna be big brother and sister!"
"You are?!? That is really cool!"
"And you'll be an Aunt once more." Sam's comment drew looks from the pair.
"Who are you?" Justin asked, casting a wary glance at her.
"I'm Samantha." She kneeled down to be on their level. "And what's your name?"
Michaela looked to Jenna first, and when she nodded that it was ok, she shyly spoke. "Michaela."
"That's a very pretty name, Michaela." Sam smiled. "And what about you?"
Justin's eyes went back and forth between his Aunt and her friend. "Justin. Do you work with Aunt Jenna?"
"Yes, I do. We do a lot of work with computers."
"You do?" He smiled. "I love computers. Aunt Jenna gave me my first one and it's really cool and she has all these neat games she put on there for me, and..."
Jenna smiled at her nephew. "Why don't you go on inside and let Nonny and Poppy know we're here. You too, Michaela. We'll be in in just a minute."
The pair nodded and took off with the exuberance only children had.
"Wow. Looks like they adore you."
Jenna laughed. "Well, when you always bring them gifts from exotic locations, they tend to love when you come for a visit."
Sam nodded and then looked at the house, a bit of apprehension on her face.
"Sam? What's wrong?"
"I... well..." She hesitated.
"Are you worried about how they'll accept you?"
A sheepish grin found its way to her face. "A bit."
"Don't worry about it. They're pretty harmless." Jenna put a comforting hand on Sam's. "Now, who is married to whom?" Knowing that focusing on facts would help settle Sam down.
"Michael is married to Susan, they have two kids-- Jolene and Nickolas. Kyle is married to Jennifer, and they have just one child, Connor. Stephen is married to Amanda, they have Justin and Michaela and a third on the way."
"Very good. Oh... and expect to hear the familiar, "When are you going to settle down, get married and give us more grandchildren" lecture."
"You too?" Sam's face showed relief that her family wasn't the only one who asked those questions.
Jenna nodded and smiled. "Now that I think you're ready, let's go in and meet the brood."
The pair entered the house under the watchful eye of Michael. He had been unpacking his bags in his old room and happened to look out the window. Seeing Jenna standing there with her friend and how close they were standing, he knew something besides friendship was the reason Jenna brought her home with her.
'I'll need to speak to her later about this.'
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Hey everyone!" Jenna announced as they walked into the kitchen where almost the entire clan was gathered, the pair caused a ripple of silence to pass across the room.
"Jenna? Is that really you?!?" Susan squealed out and rushed to give her sister-in-law a huge hug.
"Long time no see! How are you?" Jenna's face lit up as she was surrounded by her family and was asked a million questions.
Sam stayed in the doorway, not knowing for sure exactly where she fit in, and why Jenna had invited her here.
A voice in her ear caused her to jump. "Pretty scary, huh?"
Turning around to face the voice, Sam put a hand to her racing heart. "No... It's... Well..."
Michael grinned. "Hey, it's ok. We can be pretty boisterous when we get together again." His hazel eyes sparkled. He held out a hand. "Name's Michael. You must be Samantha."
"Sam, please." She replied accepting his handshake. "And yes, it's a little nerve wracking." She said with a laugh.
"Don't worry. If you're a friend of one of us, you're a friend to the family."
At that moment, all those gathered in the room turned to face her.
"Sam, come on and meet the family."
Brief introductions were made all around and soon Sam was drawn into three conversations that were happening all around her. Trying to keep up was tougher than trying to understand the Latin that she had taken as an optional course in college. Freely mixed into the conversations were Gaelic words that had Sam getting the look of a deer in the headlights.
Jenna looked to her and noticed how frazzled she looked. Deciding that she'd had enough for her first dose, Jenna rescued her.
"Hey, Sam? Why don't we get our stuff from the car and set up camp?"
A grateful smile answered the words. "That sounds like a great idea."
"We'll be back in. Anyone claim my room yet?"
"Not yet! If you'd shown up twenty minutes later, Kyle and I would have wrestled for it." Stephen's laugh followed the pair as they exited the house out the kitchen door.
Stepping into the chilly air of the Maine night, Sam took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Wow."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sam paused again and looked to Janet. "Ever been thrown into the deep end of the pool with no swimming skills?"
"Once, when I was quite young."
"That's how it felt that first time. Standing in the kitchen, trying to keep up with the conversations, the questions on how and why Jenna had decided to bring me home for the holiday were abundant. I was relieved to step back outside into the silence."
"Were you and Jenna...." Janet paused before she asked the rest of the question. "Involved... at this point?"
"No."
"Why did she invite you to her home to meet her family, if you weren't involved then?"
"I wasn't really talking to my family then and I had nowhere else to be for the holiday. Jenna didn't want me to be alone. And it was that weekend that our relationship changed."
Janet schooled her features, trying not to appear too inquisitive, but curiosity burned deep within her. "What happened?"
Sam ran a hand through her hair again, a nervous action that Janet quickly recognized as such. "It happened that first night we were there."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I think you just impressed my family." Jenna spoke as the pair entered her room.
Sam chuckled. "And how exactly did I do that?"
"You complimented Mom's cooking and Susan's dessert."
"And that impressed them?" A look of incredulity passed over the blonde's features.
"When everyone else has said that Mom's cooking was a bit too Irish and Susan's hands should never touch dessert? You better believe it!" Jenna laughed, her amusement lighting her eyes.
"It wasn't that bad."
"You've been in the Air Force too long, Sam!"
"I have not!"
"Yes, you have! I think the commissary's desserts at least better than Susan's."
"Then why do you keep letting her bake?"
"Because I am even worse at it?"
The pair laughed and then fell silent.
"I.. Uhm..." Sam broke into the silence, then paused. "I really appreciate your inviting me to come here."
"No problem, Sam. We all need a break now and then from work. Which I think you've not had in quite some time."
A sheepish grin appeared. "That apparent is it?"
"Well, let's just say that I noticed the look on your face when I was talking to Mom about coming home for the holiday."
"What look?" Sam moved to sit on the bed and began pulling her shoes off.
"The one that said..." Jenna stopped for a moment. Saying what she was about to say could prove disastrous if Sam took it the wrong way.
"What is it, Jenna?" Sam looked up in concern at her. There was something important that Jenna felt she needed to share.
She took a deep breath and jumped into the proverbial abyss. "It said to me that you would love spending time with me away from base to see what developed." Closing her eyes, Jenna waited for an outburst, an explosion, anything that would tell her that what she thought had been wrong.
There was a profound silence that followed her announcement and Jenna opened her eyes to see how Sam had taken it.
Surprise and delight were written clearly across the blonde's face as she stood and slowly walked to where Jenna stood. A shaky hand reached out to cup the brunette's face, thumb brushing lightly over the smooth skin. Jenna closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of Sam's hand on her cheek.
"You were right." Sam whispered as she leaned in to capture Jenna's lips in a tender kiss.
Pulling back, Sam willed Jenna to open her eyes and look at her. Slowly, gray eyes opened to focus on blue ones.
"I... I... Oh, my..." Jenna couldn't get her brain to function properly. She had dreamed about this moment ever since she stepped into that lab two months earlier.
"Shhh... It's ok. I know exactly how you're feeling." She ran a hand gently through Jenna's shoulder length hair and let the hand continue down her arm to capture her hand. Lifting it to her lips, Sam placed a gentle kiss to the delicate fingers that had worked magic on the computer on more than one occasion.
"How? When?"
"Ever since you stepped into my lab and scrapped all the work I had done for the past year. I knew then that I wanted to get to know you better. Wanted to spend more time with you."
"You did?" Surprise lit Jenna's eyes this time.
"Yes." Sam reached out to take the other hand into hers. "When I hugged you that first time, I knew. I knew that I wanted to spend more time with you, wanted to learn all that there was about you... And that's why I wanted to learn Gaelic. I wanted to have something that we could share that wasn't work related."
"And here I was thinking you wanted to learn it so that you could understand what I was saying to the computers."
Sam shook her head. "No, I wanted to learn the language that sounded so beautiful when you spoke it."
"Oh, Sam." Jenna whispered and leaned into the blonde woman and placed a sweet kiss on Sam's lips. "Thank you." Pulling back, she smiled at her. "So I guess that means you won't be needing that little hide-away bed to sleep in?"
"Nope... It looks a little too uncomfortable any way."
"It is." Jenna slipped her hands from Sam's and backed away.
"Where..?" Sam asked as Jenna turned and walked to the door. Locking the door to her room, Jenna turned and leaned against it.
"It's just to keep nosy relatives out... Like my nieces and nephews." She smiled nervously at Sam. "You looked beautiful at dinner."
Looking down at her choice of apparel, which consisted of faded jeans and turtleneck sweater, "It's nothing special."
Slowly walking towards her, Jenna shook her head. "No, Sam. That's where you're wrong." She stopped in front of the blonde and slipped her arms about the slim waist. Tucking her hands into the back pockets and pulling her close, Jenna nuzzled into Sam's chest and drew in a deep breath of the intoxicating scent she found there. "This is special to me... so different from the "All Serious" Sam. Seeing you laughing with my family, dishing it out to my brothers as if you'd been a part of the family for years, instead of a scant few hours."
Sam sighed and wrapped her arms about Jenna's strong shoulders. 'You feel so incredible here in my arms, at last...' "I feel as if I belong here." She hugged the lithe body to hers and for just a moment they stood in complete silence, as if speaking or moving would break the spell that had woven its way around them.
Jenna pulled her hands from the pockets and ran them longingly up and then down, the strong back. Leaning back, she tilted her head up slightly and offered her lips up to Sam's.
Sam reached up to run her hands through Jenna's hair as she captured the lips so trustingly offered up to her. Starting slow and gentle, Sam paced herself. She wanted to savor each moment, to make it last for an eternity. Jenna began to deepen the kisses, gently running the tip of her tongue over Sam's bottom lip, inviting her to play.
Eagerly responding, Sam opened herself and their tongues started a passionate dance, as their hands explored the other's body-- learning the curves, planes and those spots that caused shivers of delight to race through their bodies.
Pulling back, Sam saw the glaze of passion filling Jenna's beautiful gray eyes. "You are so beautiful, Jenna...." She whispered as her hands began to undo the buttons of the brunette's shirt. As each inch of creamy smooth skin was revealed, Sam took the time to place gentle kisses in a line down the lithe body.
Slowly slipping the shirt from Jenna's shoulders, Sam kissed her way back up. Stopping to brush her lips over the stiffened peaks, Sam smiled up at the beauty before her. Her eyes were closed and she was lost in feeling.
Gently cupping the full breasts which were lovingly held by lace, Sam flicked her thumbs over the sensitive peaks and smiled when she heard Jenna moan.
"Oh, Sam... Please..."
"Soon, Jenna... Soon..." Sam captured those soft lips again as she reached down to unbutton the tight fitting jeans that had teased her all day long. Slowly, Sam began to remove the faded denim, kneeling down before her as she helped Jenna step from the material. Looking up, Sam saw that Jenna was adventurous in her choice of panties. Leopard print bikinis lovingly hugged the curve of her hips and the crotch was a deeper shade.
Reaching to trace a finger over the suspect spot, Sam found the evidence of Jenna's desire. Continuing to trace a line back and forth over the sensitive lips through the satiny material, the blonde watched as Jenna's eyes closed tighter, and her breath came in shorter, more ragged gasps.
"Please..." Whimpered Jenna, as Sam stood and kissed her once more.
Stepping back, Sam spoke. "Open your eyes, Jenna... I want you to see me..." She waited until the gray eyes focused on her. In a pace that bordered on tortuous, Sam slowly peeled the clothes from her body and revealed the simple yet elegant white of her lingerie.
"I want you... Oh, how I want you..." Jenna spoke as she moved closer to both Sam and the bed.
Sam smiled as she took Jenna's hands in hers and pulled her close, with only the thin material of their bras and panties between them. "I want you too... Have ever since you walked into that lab and smiled at me... I thanked the deities above that day for bringing you into my life." Sam guided her to the edge of the bed.
Glancing down at it, she spoke softly. "Are you ready?"
"Yes."
The simple reply was all that Sam needed. In a move that surprised the brunette, she swooped down, picked her up and gently deposited her on the bed. In mere moments, Sam was kneeling over Jenna, capturing her lips in another kiss as her hand found the front clasp to the bra and with a practiced ease, it was quickly undone. The newly exposed flesh was quickly kissed and nibbled upon. The stiffened peaks were soon recipients of the attention from Sam's tongue, lips and hands.
Kissing her way down, the blonde stopped at the waistband of the bikini. Slowly, Sam's fingers traced over the sensitive lips, appreciating the seeping wetness they encountered.
Jenna lifted her hips as a choked whimper escaped her. "Now... Sam... Please..."
Sam slowly drew the last bit of clothing from the beautiful body before her, slipping it teasingly down her legs, before completely removing them. She began kissing her way up the long legs and as she reached higher and higher, they parted and allowed the blonde the first glimpse of her lover's center.
Soft brown curls with dewy drops of moisture awaited Sam's eager explorations. Tracing the lust swollen lips caused Jenna to shiver and gasp loudly. Jenna quickly reached for a small pillow and as Sam's tongue flicked over her center, buried her face in it to muffle her moans.
Sensing that Jenna wouldn't make it very long before exploding this first time, Sam quickly began her explorations. Slipping her tongue in to taste of her lover's heat, caused Jenna to shudder and moan once more. Sam slipped a finger to play in the depths of her lover's center and slowly began to stroke in and out, her tongue flicking over the sensitive bud, listening to the whimpers as they grew louder and closer together.
Within moments of her slipping a second finger in to join the first, Jenna's body arched and several spasms racked her body. The velvet walls clasped tightly onto the fingers buried deep within and long low moan escaped, only to be muffled by the pillow....
As Jenna's body slowly relaxed and she came down from the ride, Sam moved beside her, removed the pillow and pulled Jenna into the loving circle of her arms. Holding her tightly, she ran her hand up and down the strong back and murmured soft words in her ear...
"It's all right, Love... I've got you... I've got you... I won't let you go..." Sam whispered again and again as the last of the shivers passed.
Slowly opening her eyes a few moments later, Jenna looked into the blue eyes before her. "That was... That was..." Jenna couldn't focus her thoughts. "Wow, Sam... Thank you..."
The blonde smiled and brushed the bangs from Jenna's brow. "You're welcome..." Sam kissed her deeply and felt the love that each had held back, flood over them like a warm wave.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sam stared into her once again empty cup, and wondered when she had consumed it all. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear it, she looked over to Janet to see how the doctor had taken the revelation of how Jenna had revealed to her the love she felt.
Janet looked into Sam's eyes and saw the exhaustion that came with an emotional purging. There were more questions that she wanted to ask about that Thanksgiving Sam had spent at Jenna's, with her family, but the doctor knew that sleep would be best for her friend now.
"He-ey... Let's get you into bed." Janet ran a comforting hand over Sam's shoulder.
"I shouldn't put you out. Can't you just take me home?"
Shaking her head, "No. I have plenty of room and I wouldn't be put out. Sam, you're my friend and I want to help you. Won't you let me do that?"
"I suppose you could always order me if I refused." Sam mumbled to herself.
"No, Sam. I'm doing this as a friend, not your doctor. That stayed out there," She pointed towards the front of the house, "In the car."
Sam nodded reluctantly and let herself be lead to the guest room.
"I'll be just down the hall if you need me." Janet said softly from the doorway.
"Thank you, Janet." Escaped Sam's lips as she fell immediately into a deep dreamless sleep....
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, consciousness slowly returned to Sam. Rolling over in the bed, she realized that she was not at home. Sitting up quickly, she looked about the room.
'How did I get here?' Sam tried to recall the events from her foggy mind. 'I was at the bar, I remember that much.' The dry fuzzy feeling in her mouth and the pounding in her head told her that she had been drinking... and a lot from the feel of it. Carefully, she moved to the side of the bed and swung her legs over the edge. Pausing for a moment to let the world stop its quick spin, she drew in a deep breath.
"Ok... I was at O'Mally's... I was drinking..." She scrubbed a hand over her face. Scrunching her eyes closed, she tried to grasp the disjointed bits of memories that swam just out of reach. "Song... there was a song... on the jukebox..."
// Looking back on the memory of //
// The dance we shared 'neath the stars above //
The song played through her mind... "I was trying to get drunk so I wouldn't have to think... wouldn't have to feel... wouldn't have to... Jenna... Oh, gods... Jenna..." Sam bit back a sob as the memories started to click into place.
Visions of the lithe form walking into the conference room, laughing at the feast that the Secarian's had given in their honor... being shot with the zat'nik'atel... fighting valiantly against the Goa'uld that took her life... The last words she had spoken in this life...
"Love... you... Sam..."
And as if she'd been punched in the stomach, the air whooshed from her lungs and her body curled up on itself...
"No... no no no no......... Nnnnooooooooooooooooo!" Escaped from her as she lay back down and began sobbing uncontrollably, tears streaming down her ashen cheeks.
Down the hall, Janet was dressing in the hopes of getting downstairs to fix something for breakfast before Sam woke up. Just as she finished buttoning her shirt, she heard a low keening from her guest bedroom. "What in the... Sam? SAM?!?"
Rushing down the carpeted hallway, Janet quickly opened the door to her friend's room and saw her curled in a ball on the bed, eyes wide open and unseeing, body shaking.
"Sam? Sam?" She quickly sat on the edge of the bed and put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. When she didn't respond, Janet did what she knew had worked on Cassie so many times in the past. Sitting with her back against the headboard, she pulled the taller woman into her lap and cradled her to her chest. Arms wrapped protectively around her, Janet began to whisper words of comfort to Sam. Trying to reach her from the dark place she had awoken to.
"Come on, Sam... Come back to me..." The fear that Sam had finally gone over the edge crept into Janet's being. "Talk to me... Sam, please... What did you see? What did you remember?"
Time lost meaning as she sat and rocked the major in her arms. Slowly, the tremors stopped and deep breathing replaced the sobs. Glancing down at Sam, she saw that she slept again.
Running a hand softly through the blonde locks, Janet whispered, "Sam... I am here for you... I won't leave you." She rested her chin on top of Sam's head and just held her.
An hour later, the woman held lovingly in her arms stirred. Janet spoke softly into the silence. "Sam? Are you ok?"
"I don't know." Came a harsh whisper. She sat up quickly when she realized that Janet's lap was where she was now located. Groaning at the quick movement, the blonde closed her eyes against the spinning of the world.
"Take it easy, Sam." Janet's loving voice came to her.
"I can't... I shouldn't..."
"Shouldn't what, Sam?"
"Shouldn't be here with you. Not like this." She moved to sit on the bed instead of her friend's lap.
Running a caressing hand through the blonde's hair, Janet tried to smooth over Sam's reaction to the fact that she had slept peacefully in her embrace. "Why don't I go get you some water and a couple of aspirin? I think that will help you with your hangover. And I could make some fresh coffee for us. What do you say?"
"That sounds ok, I guess."
"Good." The brunette smiled sweetly at her friend and quickly left the bedroom to retrieve a glass of water and some aspirin from the bathroom.
"Thank you." Sam said simply after she swallowed the little white pills. "Do you... do you have anything that might fit me? Sweats or something?"
"I'll see if Cassie has anything. She loves wearing those comfy clothes two sizes too big." A look of concern passed over her features.
"I just want to take a shower, Janet. Might help to make me feel better... at least physically."
"Ok. Everything you'll need is in the bathroom. I'll just leave the clothes outside the door."
A hesitant smile flitted over the major's features. "Thanks. I appreciate it."
"Not a problem, Sam. Not a problem at all." Janet left the room and went to search out a sweat shirt and pants from her daughter's room.
Sam slowly walked to the bathroom, keeping a hand on the wall. Alcohol usually never hit her this hard. She was able to keep up with the boys any night of the week and come in bright eyed and bushy tailed the next morning, while her drinking buddies were nursing severe hangovers.
'Musta been more than the drinks...' She thought to herself. 'Maybe it was finally telling someone about Jenna...' Removing her slept in clothes, Sam stepped into the shower and let the hot water rush over her as she tried not to think right now.
Having left a set of clothes outside the bathroom door, Janet went downstairs to the kitchen. Surprise lit her eyes as she saw Cassie sitting at the kitchen table.
"What are you doing home so early?" She asked in a tone of voice that came out a little sharper than she'd intended.
"Well, good morning to you too, Mom." Cassie looked up from her bowl of cereal. "Is it a problem that I'm home early?"
"No. Not at all. I was just surprised is all." She narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "What are you doing home so early? I thought you were supposed to be going out to the lake today with everyone."
"We were supposed to, then Tami got sick. She had another of her seizures early this morning and everyone agreed on waiting till we could all go together. Just didn't seem right to not have the entire group together." She crunched noisily on another bite of cereal. Shrugging her shoulders, "Maybe next weekend if it's not a problem?"
"Not a problem at all, sweetheart. It's nice of you all to wait until she's feeling better."
"Surprise, Mom. We do think about others before ourselves, you know."
Janet smiled at the response from her daughter, and how it showed just how mature she and her friends really were. "I never doubted that. It's just nice to know that not every single teenager on the planet is totally self-centered."
Cassie beamed. "It's helped that you've tried to raise me right!"
Quirking a brow at her daughter as she went about making coffee, "Is that so?"
"Yes. You're a terrific mom, you're understanding and fun and... and..." Cassie's words sputtered to a stop as she caught sight of Sam in the doorway. Hair tousled from the towel drying she had given it. "Hey, Sam. What are you doing here so early?" Then spying the clothes she was wearing, which had "Property of USAF" emblazoned across the top. "Those look just like the set I have."
A brief smile found its way to Sam's lips. "That's because they are. Hope you don't mind my borrowing them."
Confusion furrowed the teen's brow. "I don't mind... Just wondering why you'd need them." She looked over to her mom as Janet set two mugs on the counter.
"I spent the night." Sam said simply as she took a seat at the table and leaned down to rest her head on crossed arms, missing the hopeful look Cassie threw her mother's way.
Janet merely shook her head "no". One of the first things that the pair had talked openly about, was the fact that Janet was gay. Cassie had taken it in stride, simply stating that that wasn't an unusual occurrence on her home world. "Where it didn't matter who you loved, as long you were happy and healthy together." Had been her response to the revelation. And Cassie had hoped that Sam and her mom would get together. She'd seen the love apparent in Janet's eyes anytime she thought no one was watching her when Sam was around.
"Sam just had a rough night last night, and I didn't want her home alone." Janet poured a cup of coffee and then set the mug in front of the major.
Groaning, Sam lifted her head as she caught a whiff of the fresh brew. "That's not true, Janet and you know it. Cassie's old enough to be told the truth." Taking a sip of the steaming beverage, she looked the teen in the eyes. "I got drunk last night and your mom kept me from doing a very stupid thing."
"Gods, Sam... You weren't gonna drive drunk were you?" The unbelievable thought of the woman she called her other mother even considering getting behind the wheel in that state, shocked the heck out of her. "I can't believe that you'd do something so stupid!"
"Cassandra!" Janet barked out.
"No, Janet. She has every right to yell at me. It was stupid and reckless, and it very well could have gotten me killed."
"So why did you even think about doing it?" Cassie was near tears at the thought of losing Sam to something so stupid and preventable.
"That's just it, kiddo. I wasn't thinking. I was trying my damnedest to forget." Sam turned her eyes down, not wanting to look the teen in the face. "I lost someone very dear to me and I have to admit that I am not handling it well at all."
Cassie moved close to the blonde woman and pulled her into an awkward hug. "I understand, Sam. Just promise me that you'll never do that again. Please?"
Sam nodded at the girl who had suddenly reversed the roles, becoming more like an adult than Sam felt at the moment. "I swear, Cassie."
"Ok." She let the blonde go and reached for her empty bowl. Moving to place it in the sink, Cassie felt that the pair of women could use more time alone. "Mom. I'm gonna go take a walk ok? Maybe meet up with Stefie and see if she wants to practice our soccer passing."
Running a hand gently over her shoulder, Janet nodded in agreement. "If you're not gonna make it back for lunch, give me a call to let me know where you're at."
"Will do, Mom." She grabbed her backpack from the peg near the door. "Hope you get to feeling better soon, Sam." She said quickly and left the house.
"She's growing up so fast." Sam spoke softly in the silence left by the teenager's departure.
"Tell me about it." Janet poured her cup of coffee and held it in her hands as she stood at the counter, resting one hip on its edge. She took a small sip, trying to think of what to say next. "So, what do you feel like doing today? I know you have one more day before reporting back in."
"We'll need to get my car from O'Mally's. But I don't think Steve will have a problem letting it sit there for a bit longer." She lifted her cup with two hands and slowly took another sip. She let her gaze stray to the view out the windows into the back yard. The chill of early winter didn't stop the birds from flitting here and there among the pine trees bordering the property.
"No, I don't think he'd have a problem with it." Janet brought the pot of coffee over to the table and set it down. With her now free hand, she pulled out a chair and settled herself into it. "Do you feel up to sharing more of what happened between you and Jenna?" She looked into the blonde's eyes and wondered who she was doing this for.
'Am I doing this for Sam? To finally get her to open up to someone? Or am I doing it for myself? So I know what to do to get her attentions?' Shaking her head, Janet focused her attention back on the woman across from her.
"If you're willing to listen, I think I could bend that ear you're offering."
"I will always be willing to listen to you, Sam. Believe me when I say that."
"I do." Sam picked at a napkin she grabbed to keep her hands busy. "I think I left off at Thanksgiving, didn't I? That first time I met her family?"
Janet nodded.
"The day started out like you wouldn't believe..." Sam's voice drifted into the story of Thanksgiving Day.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next morning, Michael paused in Jenna's doorway and watched as she made her bed. Glancing over to the small bed on the other side of the room, he noticed that it hadn't been slept in.
"Jenna." Michael rapped on the door frame. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Startled, she turned to look at him. 'Uh-oh... he has that big brother lecture face on...' She watched as he came into the room and shut the door behind him. "What's up?"
"I just wanted to ask you something."
"Hmm?" Jenna asked absently as she smoothed the comforter.
"Why did you invite Samantha home with you?"
"Why not?" She fussed with her figurines on the night stand.
"Why did you invite her home?" Michael was determined to learn how Samantha Carter fit into his sister's neatly organized little world.
"Because I wanted you to meet her?" She questioned back.
"How serious are things between the two of you?"
Quickly sitting on her bed, she let her breath out in a sudden whoosh. Scrubbing her hand over her face, Jenna tried to think.
"Jenna-- You know you can talk to me."
"I brought her home because I love her and couldn't stand the thought of her being alone over the holiday... and I didn't know how she felt until last night and... and..." She stopped when she realized that Michael had not reacted. "Michael, what is wrong with you? Here I just told you that I love another woman and you didn't even bat an eye."
He just gave her the patented "I'm-the-older-brother-and-I-know-these-things" look. "I know. Always have." He sat on the bed next to her and took her hand as she sputtered and gaped like a fish out of water.
Finally, she managed to squeak out, "How?"
"Junior year, high school, Katie DeMarco." Was all he said.
Shock widened her eyes.
"She was your first wasn't she?"
Jenna nodded. "But how did you know? And what about everyone else?"
"Jenna." He turned her face to his. "From the day you were born, I knew you like no one else did. Even mom who had just carried you for nine months. And when Katie's parents moved them to Colorado, I saw that it was much more than simply letting a good friend go." He paused and took a deep breath. "Now, as for the rest of the family? No. They know nothing, don't even suspect anything. Mom and Dad think you're just overly picky." He chuckled. "As for the two air-headed jocks that we call Kyle and Stephen? You'd have to spell it out to them and even then..." He stopped for a moment. "It's safe with me."
Jenna grabbed her brother in a tight hug. "Thank you." Was muffled into his sweater.
He ran a comforting hand down her back. "You're welcome. I want you to feel free to speak to me anytime you need someone to listen. Ok?"
"Yeah." She sat up and sniffled, wiping a tear from her eye. "Yeah."
"Wanna tell me why you took the chance in inviting her if you weren't sure?"
"I don't know. I had to take the chance, Michael. It's not as if we don't have plenty of room and food." He nodded in agreement as he thought of all the food being prepared for today's large meal. "And it really only started out as a friendly invitation. I didn't think anything would ever happen until last night."
"You're serious?"
"Michael, think about it. We're in the Air Force. If anyone ever found out, we'd both be given dishonorable discharges. Either that or treated so badly that we would want to quit."
"Then why even take the chance?" He was trying to be logical and get her talking about why she had taken such a brazen leap.
"Haven't you ever done anything for love? Just done the craziest and wildest things for it?"
"Yes. And that's how I won Susan's heart."
"Given the chance, would you do it all over again?"
"In a heartbeat."
"Then you understand why I asked her here."
Just then, something thumped against the bedroom's outer wall, close to the window. Walking over and throwing it open Jenna called out, "Yeah? Wadda ya want youse little monkeys?" She grinned down at her brothers. Then seeing Sam, "Except you Sam!"
The group laughed.
"Get your butts down here! It's time for the annual football game and you two are due a little payback!" Kyle yelled up at them.
"You think we'd let you win?"
"We won two years ago!" Stephen smiled.
"Yeah! Only because we were feeling a little generous!" Jenna's eyes sparkled with excitement as she teased with her brothers.
'Gods... she is so beautiful.' "Come on, Jenna! There's no escaping this now!" She called up to her.
Without further comment, Jenna pulled back into the room and slammed the window shut.
"Let's go kick some sibling butt, Bro!"
"And what about Sam?"
"We'll let Kyle and Stephen have her on their team. Besides," She laughed. "This is the only way I'll get to tackle her without being suspected of anything." Jenna replied with a bounce to her step as she exited the room. A bounce that Michael had not seen for a long time. Smiling, he followed her to the field of battle.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"It was the first time where I'd played a game of football and enjoyed it." She smiled. "It was supposed to have been touch football, but there were sure a lot of tackles occurring. Her brother's were kind to us, taking the brunt of the fall if they tackled us. But Jenna," Sam shook her head. "Jenna was ruthless. I think the only time she didn't go for blood was when she tackled me. Somehow, she always managed to pin me to the ground and as she took the ball from me, slyly touch me in some manner. Brushing a hand over the sensitive spots she had found the night before. It was amazing that we survived the game without giving her brothers quite the show."
Janet was amazed at what Sam was telling her. Jenna hadn't wanted her family to know which side of the fence she swung towards, but she was doing everything possible to make Sam hotter than hell in their presence. "So, who won the game?"
Sam smiled sheepishly, a flush creeping over her fair skin. "Depends on which one you're talking about."
"Football, Sam." Janet tried to make it easier on Sam. "The football game."
"Oh," Sam giggled in a manner that Janet had never heard before. "That game... The jocks and I did. Personally, I think that Michael and Jenna were just being generous with us."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because it seemed as if they were making silly mistakes, letting the score rack up against them fairly quickly." She finished off her cup of coffee before reaching for more. "The other game we played, however... Jenna won. Hands down."
To be continued....
