like the rain

Author: Geonn

Email: neil_j_miser@yahoo.com

Rating: R

Pairings: Sam/Janet, other

Category: Drama, Romance

Sequel To: Something In The Water

Website: www.realmoftheshadow.com/geonn.htm

Disclaimer: These folks don't belong to me. I stole them from MGM's toybox without asking their mommies for permission. I promise to return them more or less unscathed. The title "Like The Rain" belongs to Clint Black, and all lyrics herein belong to their respective artists. I don't own nothin' except for the characters you don't recognize.

Spoilers: "The First Commandment," "The Nox," "The Tok'ra, Part Two," "Touchstone," "The Other Side," "Upgrades," "Exodus," "Enemies," "Rite of Passage," "Between Two Fires," "Abyss"

Archive: Yes, just let me know where it'll be.

Summary: Six months after the events of "Something In The Water," Sam's love life is still struggling. She is forced to put thoughts of love on hold, however, when a face from the past is reported missing.

Special Thanks to Hl for the banner.

Sound Clip


Chapter One,

"I wish I were the rain running down your neck
And dripping from your fingers
Then I could be the drops rolling off your back,
I'd love to let it linger
Oh, I'm jealous of the rain..."
-- Shania Twain

Janet turned off the bedside lamp and scooted down, pulling the blankets up as she lowered herself. Normally, she would be turning in around eleven, just after Letterman's Top Ten List, but before the first guest. Unfortunately, life at a military base knew no morning or night, so she was getting ready for slumber at a few minutes past three in the morning. She rubbed her neck and stared at the ceiling, wondering what it would be like to have a real job. Regular hours, no stress... ah, that would be the life.

But it wouldn't be *her* life...

'At least,' she thought, 'there's no one to wake up when I come stumbling to bed in the middle of the night.' She stared at the empty expanse next to her on the bed, trying to decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing... She fell asleep looking at the fresh pillow waiting for someone to occupy it.

---

The pounding woke her, causing her entire body to jerk slightly. In the night, she had grabbed the other pillow and clutched it to her chest like a lover. She pushed it aside now, checking the clock. 4:04. She'd only been asleep for an hour. She laid back down and prayed whoever it was would just go away. "BOOMBOOMBOOM!" Thoughts of Cassandra asleep down the hall came to her. Thoughts of police maybe evacuating the neighborhood due to a gas leak came to her.

She reluctantly turned on the bedside lamp and climbed out of bed. "I'm coming, I'm coming," she muttered. She grabbed a robe and pulled it around her pajamas, hoping Cassandra was still asleep. Whoever was knocking had apparently seen the bedroom light come on, for the pounding had ceased. Either that or they had given up and left. Which would have fit in with Janet's bad night just perfectly...

The brunette disengaged the locks and pulled the door open, leaning her sleep-heavy body against the doorframe when she saw who was disturbing her. "Sam? What's wrong this time?" The blonde looked scruffy, but sexy as ever. Janet sometimes envied the way beauty just seemed to cling to the Major, no matter how long she had been buried in her lab or whatever goon she was fighting across the galaxy. "Do you *know* what time it is?"

"I know," Sam said softly. "I'm sorry, but... I needed to talk with you."

"Knocking on my door this early... Cassandra has school tomorrow, you know." She ran a hand through her mussed hair. "Can't this wait until tomorrow? I have some free time in my office if you wa-"

Sam cut her off. "No, Janet! It can't wait until tomorrow, it can't wait until next week, it can't wait for half an hour. Please, Janet, I desperately need to talk to you... before I lose the nerve. Please... can I come inside?"

The tirade had captured Janet's attention. She blinked through her exhaustion and stepped aside, ushering the blonde inside. Sam stepped past the petite doctor, noting the slight smell of strawberry conditioner in her hair, and headed for the living room. Janet closed the door, burying her hands in her pockets as they went to the living room together.

Sam went directly into the familiar living room, making the trip with ease even in the dark. Janet followed, trying to determine the purpose of this late-night visit. Finally, she lowered herself into her favorite chair and sighed, "Something happen off-world? Is everyone in one piece?"

"Yeah," Sam said, nodding slowly. "Ev-everything is fine. It's just... I just... I wanted to, ah, ask you something." She cleared her throat and looked around. "Is Cassandra here?"

Janet nodded. "Upstairs, hopefully still asleep."

Sam stood and hugged herself. "I just... wanted to tell you that I love..." The pause here was long. Way longer than necessary. Finally, the blonde coughed out the rest of what she wanted to say. "I love your coffee. You just... it's much better than the coffee at the base." 'What the *hell* am I saying?!' she thought, desperately trying to stop herself. Instead, she continued, "I was wondering if you could show me how to make it."

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. Finally, Janet stood and said, "I have gotten about two hours of sleep in the past three days. I've been pulled out of bed TWICE because of *you.* Now you want to know how I make my coffee? It-It's Folger's Crystals, Sam! You-you just put it in the coffeepot with some water. D'ya think you can handle that?"

Sam winced. "Yeah..."

"Fine. Is there anything else you wanted? Cause I'd hate to think you woke me up at four in the morning for coffee."

"That's it," Sam said, her voice low, defeated.

Janet rolled her eyes. "I'm going back to bed. You, ah, know the way out, don't you?"

Sam nodded slowly and waited until Janet was upstairs. Alone again, she looked at her reflection in the living room window. "Smooth move, Carter," she whispered, fishing her keys out of her pockets. With a final, longing glance at the stairs, Sam left Janet Fraiser's house.

 

Six Months Later,

"You're *what*?" Sam stared in disbelief at the face on the other side of the glass.

The man was unphased, apparently accustomed to being berated in this manner every day. "I'm sorry, Major Carter. We're out of blue Jell-O. But the other flavors should be just as good."

She stared at him as if he had just suggested that the Goa'uld were just misunderstood. "Whatever," she sighed, looking over her selections again. "I don't know how you could be out, I mean... it's just inconceivable." After a long moment, she shrugged. "Okay. Okay, uh, gimme the brownie."

The cook picked up the cellophane-wrapped plate and put it on Sam's tray. She muttered a thanks and made her way to the nearest empty table. As she sat, she spotted Janet enter the Mess and make her way towards the line. "Hey," Sam called, waving welcomingly. She had been planning to eat alone, but the doctor was welcome at any table, any time. "Janet!"

Janet spotted her friend and returned the wave, getting into line for her own lunch. Sam, in the meantime, picked up her crackers and smashed them in the bag, ripping the top open and sprinkling the remains over her bowl of clam chowder. Everything kept reminding her of the brunette doctor standing a few yards away. It had been six whole months since she had decided to reveal how she felt to Janet, but nothing had ever come of that.

The moment had arrived and Sam had chickened out, asking some inane question she couldn't even remember and drawing Janet's ire for it. They had been short with each other the next day, but ruffled feathers were soon smoothed and they were acting like it had never happened. Sam, however, was forced to replay that early-morning encounter over and over again in her head. "I'm attracted to you, Janet... and I'm not sure how to deal with that." Would that have been so hard?

She was interrupted by the subject of her thoughts taking the seat across from her. "He-ey, Sam," Janet drawled, putting a napkin in her lap as she prepared to dine. Sam noticed the Janet was standing oddly; balancing her tray on one hand and keeping the other wrapped in her lab coat. Had there been an accident? Was she hurt? Janet interrupted Sam's thoughts with a chuckle and said, "Uh-oh!" Tilting her head towards the tray, she said, "I noticed they were out of Jell-O. You going to be okay, or will someone have to make an emergency Albertson's run?"

Sam chuckled. "It's not exactly a life-or-death situation. I should know; I face those enough..." She shrugged. "It just so happens to be my favorite dessert." She poked at her chowder. "The main course tastes a little less... impressive since I know it won't be followed by blueberry. Maybe I should just get back to work."

"You are, by far, the biggest baby I have ever seen. And I'm including Jack O'Neill in that statement." She swept her lab jacket away from her thighs, revealing her hidden right hand. She was holding a tall glass filled with gloriously blue cubes of Jell-O. "Your dessert, my dear."

"Janet!" Sam gasped, taking the cup from her. "Where'd--"

The doctor shrugged. "Patients in the infirmary always get their lunch first. I noticed there were only a few glasses of blue Jell-O, so I took it for you. No big deal."

Against her will, Sam felt tears forming in her eyes. "Thank you, Janet."

"Hey, don't get mushy on me," Janet said, swiping Sam's brownie. "You'd do the same for me."

Sam put the cup down on her tray and wondered if it was time to think about ending her most recent dry spell. She took a breath and looked at the brunette across the table, her delicate jaw working the mushy brownie as she ate her dessert first (a habit she tried desperately to break Cassandra of). She was examining a short file on some patient, unaware she was being examined. Finally Sam took a deep breath and said, "Janet?" Brown eyes rose and locked on blue. "I was wondering--"

"Unauthorized off-world activation! SG-1, report to Gate Room immediately!"

"You have got to be kidding me," Sam growled, dabbing at her mouth.

Janet snatched the Jell-O back and told Sam, "It'll be safe in my office fridge until you get back."

Sam barely had time to thank her before dashing out of the Mess.

---

*thud*

*thud*

The Stargate disengaged as Sam slid into one of the seats facing the Gate Room, scanning the computer. "Two impacts," Walter Davis informed her.

'Oh, please, no,' Sam thought, her hands flying over the keyboard in an effort to determine whether or not the impacts had been organic. She hated the sound of people or things thudding against the other side of the protective iris. Whether it was an enemy - like Jonas Hansen or Alar, the Eurondan guy a few years back - or a friend. Luckily, they hadn't had any allies die in that manner. None that they were aware of, anyway... they hadn't heard from the Nox in a long time...

"Residue seems to indicate that the impacts were..." Davis frowned and rechecked his readings. "Residue indicates that the impacts w-were mudballs, Sir."

General Hammond's frown deepened. "Mudballs?"

"Balls of mud.... uh, Sir," Davis clarified, realizing halfway through his response that it had been a rhetorical question.

O'Neill shrugged. "No skin off my nose if the Goa'uld wanna play it a little safe. Carter, go to the gym and get some dodge balls. We'll challenge ol' Anubis to a game."

Jonas and Teal'c arrived at that moment. "What did we miss?" the Kelownan asked.

"Two iris impacts," Sam informed him. "But I'm not seeing..." She was interrupted when the Stargate began to activate again. She watched the inner ring spin, then turned to General Hammond, "Sir, I think the mudballs might have been a warning."

"A warning?" O'Neill asked. "Of what? Beware of the Mud Men?"

She shook her head quickly. "Someone wanted us to know they were coming through. They sent a harmless message to tell us they were on their way. If you keep the iris closed, I think the next impacts will be people, Sir."

Hammond took a deep breath through his nose, then exhaled slowly. "Open the iris. Defense teams, stand by."

Guns cocked all over the Gate Room, all barrels pointed directly at the now-revealed event horizon.

The first thing to appear was a hand. All five fingers were splayed, like a Goa'uld threatening with a hand device. This palm, however, was bare. An arm slowly followed, appearing up to the elbow before anyone saw a foot. The man was coming through sideways, his free hand covering his face as he inched his way onto Earth. When he was finally through, he peeked through his fingers and exhaled sharply. He straightened his back, then ran a hand over the feathers in his headdress. Once he was certain everything was in one piece, he cleared his throat.

"Greetings," he said, "people of Earth. I am Halasti, representative of the Madronan High Council. I wish an audience with those among you denoted as SG-1."

"Madronan," Sam said. "The Touchstone." She pushed out of her chair and hurried down the stairs to meet the new arrival. The rest of the team followed her. She smiled as she approached the representative, extending her hand. "Halasti? I'm Major Samantha Carter, SG-1."

He bowed, ignoring her offered hand, then turned to face the others. "From descriptions, I know you all very well. Colonel Jack O'Neill. The Jaffa, Teal'c. Doctor Daniel Jackson."

Jonas smiled. "Uh, no... Jonas Quinn."

Halasti frowned. "Was... I misinformed?"

Sam smiled wistfully. "No, Daniel... is no longer with us. What can we help you with, Halasti?"

He nodded, accepting the new team member. "I am afraid we require your assistance once again, Major Carter. Our council fears that Queen LaMoor has been abducted."

---

General Hammond took his standard seat at the head of the briefing room table. Halasti stood at the window, gazing in wonder at the world he had traveled to. Finally, O'Neill said, "We'll give ya a full tour later. How's about filling us in on this abduction thing?"

Halasti turned. "Ah. Yes." He walked to a chair and stared at it for a moment before sitting. "V-very comfortable. Thank you."

"Why don't you start," Sam suggested, "with 'Queen' LaMoor. I thought she was a Princess."

"Yes, yes, she was a princess when you graced our palace with your presence." O'Neill rolled his eyes. "Soon afterward, her uncle passed away and she was elevated to take his throne. She was overjoyed at the prospect of leading us, of controlling the power of the Touchstone. However... more recently, she had fallen into a deep depression. She hardly left her chambers and seldom spoke to anyone other than the Palace Regiment."

Sam leaned back, remembering the vibrant young woman she had known almost four years ago. "Was there anything to explain her depression?"

"No, Major Carter. It was a mystery to us all. A few days ago, a group of traveling minstrels arrived at the palace gates. They had heard of the Queen's sadness and wished to cheer her with song. I agreed and the Queen requested privacy. I granted her this request and returned to my duties. I returned a few hours later to see if the Queen wished for her evening meal. I knocked several times, but she did not respond. When I entered, I discovered the room to be empty! The Queen had vanished! All that remained was a slip of paper with the Stargate coordinates of Earth and a warning of your barrier device."

"You said this happened several days ago," Hammond noted. "Why are you just contacting us now?"

Halasti smiled. "General Hammond, do you not have certain channels you must navigate before making a decision? This action was filtered through dozens of chairpersons before it was agreed upon."

"If it has been several days, is your world experiencing natural disasters as before?" Teal'c asked.

Halasti shook his head. "The Touchstone was set for a moderate climate before the Queen's disappearance. However, this could be just as disastrous. Crops are already in need of rain. Wells are drying. You must assist us in finding our missing Queen!"

"With all due respect, Mr. Halasti," Hammond said, "how is this our problem? It sounds internal to me."

O'Neill shrugged, but looked like he could go either way on the debate. Still, he said, "I'm... a bit curious about why our address was left behind."

"And why did they warn about the iris?" Jonas added.

"Not to mention how helpful our technology would be in a search," Sam said. "A single UAV would prove invaluable. And we've seen the damage that can happen with an out-of-control Touchstone, Sir."

"There is also the matter of our alliance with the people of Madrona," Teal'c intoned.

Hammond chewed his lip. "You've convinced me, SG-1. I'll give you twenty-four hours. If you haven't found anything at that time, I'll scrub the mission and issue our sincere apologies to the Madronan council."

Halasti stood and bowed from the waist. "Many thanks to you for your kindness, General Hammond."

---

He coughed, swirling the clear liquid in his glass and watching the swirling patterns the bubbles made against the glass. Halasti had taken the address and was currently off-world begging for the help of aliens. It was an unforeseen complication, but one that could be dealt with. He took a drink, draining the glass and setting it down for another refill. It was only a matter of time before LaMoor was dead and a new ruler would take her place. Patience was his virtue. He smiled as his servant refilled the glass and took a leisurely sip.

All the time in the world, he thought, as the sun baked the world beyond his window.

---

Madrona was a farm world, despite appearances upon stepping through the Stargate. The people of this world didn't understand the importance of the Stargate and had it displayed in the garden of their palace. A cobblestone trail led up to the ring, flanked on either side by marble columns. Not much had changed in the four years since their first visit to the planet; the skies were still perfectly clear, the birds were chirping and a phalanx of guards stood around the DHD to welcome them. Jack O'Neill took the initiative. "Hiya, folks. Miss us?"

A representative walked up the steps to the Stargate, met halfway by Halasti. "Greetings, Fraro," Halasti said, pressing his palms together and bowing slightly. Sam remembered the ritual and bowed from the waist, a bit dismayed to see the rest of her team didn't do the same; no respect for diplomatic relations or culture... "These are the friends I told you about; the-the aliens from the other side of the portal."

Fraro nodded, his face wrinkled and carved by the elements. He looked like one of the grizzled cowboys in those old black-and-white Western movies Sam's brother had addicted to in his teens. His hair was prematurely white and his eyes were hard. Sam flinched away from his stare, a bit embarrassed by her reaction to him. He made her feel uneasy, despite (or maybe due to) the brightness of his smile. "Greetings," he said, his voice as low as Clint Eastwood in any number of movies. "Halasti believes you have the ability to... find our missing Queen?"

Sam motioned to the MALP. "I think we have something that can make the search easier, yes. It's called a UAV... we launch it from Earth and it flies over the countryside looking for signs of the people who took Princ-- Queen LaMoor. The readings are sent here," she indicated a computer display on the side of the MALP probe. "It should make finding whoever took her a lot easier..."

"Please," Fraro smiled. "Whatever helps. Launch your... ah... Euvie."

"UAV," Sam corrected. She thumbed her radio and turned towards the Gate, stepping away from the event horizon. "Okay, Major. Whenever you're ready..."

A few second passed, then the event horizon rippled as a small plane zipped through. It immediately arced up and away from the crowd gathered, circling as it gained altitude. She handed the MALP controls to Jonas (who had expressed an interest in 'learning to drive'). O'Neill said, "We were told the Queen was taken from her personal chambers?"

"Yes... that is true," Fraro admitted, looking a bit ashamed at this fact. "I do not see how it is possible for her to have been... been taken from right within our eyesight!"

Jack smiled. "We say 'right from under our noses.'"

Fraro frowned. "But... that does not make any sense."

"Ya know... it doesn't, does it?" He dropped the subject and asked, "Can we see her chambers, please?"

"Of course. Right this way, gentlemen... and, and lady, of course." He smiled at Sam and led them down the path and into the adjoining room. O'Neill was familiar with this particular hall; the marble statue that held the Touchstone in one outstretched hand.

"Excuse me, Fraro? Halasti?" Sam asked, indicating the purple globe of the weather device. "Is this still operating? Is it causing any problems?"

Fraro turned and smiled up at the monument. "No. The Queen had it set already when she was spirited from us. While the climate is a bit harsh, it will not cause us problems as it did the last time you were here."

"In fact," Halasti said, "She exited her chamber to set it while the minstrels were present."

That brought SG-1 up short. "She did?" O'Neill asked.

"Yes. The music paused for a bit and she exited her chamber for the first time in days. She came here, examined the conditions and set the Touchstone appropriately. She then returned to her room and the music continued."

O'Neill pursed his lips. "Interesting. Anyway... the chambers?"

---

Queen LaMoor's chambers were about the size of a decent sized condo. One entire wall was composed of plate glass windows (which Halasti informed them could not be opened and, even if they could, led only to a two-hundred-foot drop to the sea below). The furniture was all antique, all of it looking to be at least as old as Teal'c, if not O'Neill. Jack stepped down onto the plush carpet, his boots nearly disappearing into the deep pile. "Swank," he noted. The walls were decorated with numerous portraits of past rulers; Sam recognized only LaMoor and her uncle Roham. LaMoor's portrait had been painted recently; her ordinary toga-like outfit had been replaced by a less revealing tunic and mini-skirt. Her hair was shorter and her face seemed... older somehow.

"The minstrels performed here," Fraro informed them, indicating a large, open area in front of the couch. "LaMoor was in there, laying in bed to listen to them."

Sam frowned. "In bed? Why wasn't she sitting on the couch?"

Fraro glanced at Halasti. "We... haven't told anyone this. It is sensitive information."

"Keeping stuff from us, Fraro?" O'Neill accused.

"Not at all. It is... simply something we did not wish to be public knowledge. LaMoor's recent reclusive behavior was not due to depression. She was falling desperately ill. I do not know if the kidnappers were aware of this or not... however it is imperative we find her before she... before..." He turned away. "It is imperative," he finished quietly.

Teal'c had wandered into the bedroom, examining the neat linens on the bed. "Someone has cleaned."

"Yes. The maids."

O'Neill rolled his eyes. "Fer cryin' out loud... doesn't anyone watch 'CSI'?" Fraro frowned, so he elaborated. "You don't clean a crime scene! Whoever tidied up in there probably destroyed evidence."

Fraro lowered his eyes. "I... was not aware. We are so unused to crime here on Madrona..."

"This room is too small," Teal'c interrupted, returning to the living room.

"Yeah," O'Neill joked. "And the porridge is too cold and--"

"That is not what I meant, O'Neill," he said, turning to indicate the bedroom. "There is a space missing; approximately six feet of floorspace is unaccounted for."

O'Neill passed the Jaffa and went inside, checking out the room design. The four-poster bed stood in one corner, turned so that there was a triangle of empty space between the headboard and where the walls met. The sheer curtain that circled the mattress had been pulled back to reveal the hospital-corners of the sheets. A bookshelf was on the opposite wall, filled with leather-bound books and scrolls. More portraits hung in here, most of them of LaMoor herself and people who were, it stood to reason, members of her immediate family.

Sam went to the closet and pushed it open, leaning inside to take a look. She was confronted with LaMoor's distinctive scent; an aroma that had enamored her so much four years ago that she had scoured the malls looking for a perfume that would duplicate the smell. She had failed. She brushed her fingers over the clothes, then pushed them aside. "Sir?" She stepped inside and knocked on the back wall of the closet. "Sir, I think I found something."

The rest of the team gathered around the closet door. "Yessss?" O'Neill said, stretching the word into an entire sentence.

She put both of her hands flat against the wall and pushed, grunting as she felt the wall begin to give slightly. Fraro pushed his way past Jonas and peered inside as she continued to reveal what was hidden. "This is impossible," he whispered.

Finally, the wall was pushed open enough that the team could peer inside. A tunnel stretched before them, six feet wide, as Teal'c had predicted. At the far end, the could see a faint light. "Looks like an escape tunnel," Sam commented, pulling her flashlight from her pocket. "I think we solved the mystery of how she got *out* of the palace..."

"But who would have known of this passage?" Fraro asked. "*I* was unaware of it's existence! How could common criminals know?"

O'Neill shrugged. "Something we can ask them when we find them." He stepped back and asked, "Is that wide enough for the MALP?"

Sam glanced at the robotic probe, which Jonas still held the controls to. "No, Sir... it'd be a bit too tight."

"All righty. Carter, you head down the tunnel with Teal'c. Jonas and I'll head for the front of the palace and you can let us know where you end up. Sound good?"

"Yes, Sir," Sam nodded.

"Good." He indicated the tunnel and said, "Down the rabbit hole you go, Alice."

"I'm no stranger to the rain
But there'll always be tomorrow
And I'll beg, steal, or borrow a little sunshine
And I'll put this cloud behind me
That's how the man designed me
To ride the wind and dance in a hurricane
I'm no stranger to the rain..."
-- Keith Whitley


Chapter Two,

"Must be something in the teardrops
They've been falling too long
Must be something in the water
Making me wanna move on"
--Terri Clark

"So," Jonas said, following O'Neill through the palace corridors. "This place..."

"Yeah," O'Neill explained. "About four years ago..." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Damn. Time flies. Four years ago, we came through here and learned about this Touchstone that controls their environment. When we came back to see what made the thing tick, it turned out that someone wearing SGC uniforms had come and stolen the thing. We eventually tracked it down on Earth--"

Jonas nodded. "Right! Right, the rogue NID operation!"

O'Neill nodded. "Took a lot to smooth things over that time. Roham wanted to throw us in the clink and hold us responsible for the theft rather than let us look for the thieves."

"What made him change his mind?"

The Colonel paused. "You know, I'm not sure. But I'll bet dollars to donuts that Carter had something to do with it." Since O'Neill had spotted Sam kissing another woman on a mission to a world called Faylinn, he had gone over past missions in his mind. The Major - then a captain - had often snuck of to hold private conversations with Queen - then Princess - LaMoor. He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. At least this time they aren't accusing us of kidnapping the Queen."

They stepped out of the palace, nodding at the Madronan guards, and made their way to the west side of the building. "Colonel? Do you copy?" Carter asked over his radio.

"No," O'Neill replied. "I just studied really, really hard. Where are you at, Major?"

"We came out on the... the west side of the building."

O'Neill nodded. "West it is. We'll see you in a few minutes." He waved the MALP forward and, to Jonas, said, "Lead the way, Mr. Quinn."

---

When the two men arrived at the exit of the secret passage, they saw that Sam was alone. As they approached, she indicated the forest that nearly butted up against the side of the palace wall. "Teal'c spotted a carefully covered trail here. Someone made their way through the underbrush and very carefully covered their tracks."

At that moment, Teal'c stepped out of the trees. Jack stepped back, surprised by the Jaffa's sudden appearance. "Hey there, Teal'c. Find anything interesting?"

"A path, expertly concealed. Our quarry traveled this way," he indicated with a tilt of his head.

Jack looked at the brush, then at the MALP. "Is... this gonna be able to make the trip through that?"

"We'll have to leave it," Sam sighed. "But first..." She picked up the controls and picked up the camera feed from the UAV. "Let's see what our eye in the sky was able to determine." A detailed map of the forest appeared on the computer screen. "Whoever has LaMoor has the benefit of excellent tree cover. We won't be able to spot them from--" She frowned. "Well, that's odd." She zoomed in on one quadrant and tapped the screen. "Smoke."

"Where there's smoke, there's fire," Jack said, raising an eyebrow.

Teal'c smiled. "And where there is fire... there is likely to be a camp." He stepped out of the trees and looked at the screen. Determining where the smoke was coming from, he nodded and said, "Follow me."

Jack indicated the Jaffa and said, "Ladies first."

---

Twenty minutes later, they still had found nothing. Teal'c stood for a moment at a crossroads, looking in both directions, before deciding to continue west. O'Neill pulled off his cap and said, "Hold up, Teal'c. Let's, uh... let's take a little breather."

Sam gratefully lowered herself to a stone platform that served as a chair. "What happens if we can't find her, Colonel?"

Jack shrugged. "Not an option, Carter."

"The fire could've been anything, Sir. We have to consider the possibility that whoever took her has already k..." She paused, then continued. "Has already killed her. What do we tell the Madronans then?"

"We tell them that we tried our best and it wasn't good enough." He took a drink and wet his lips. "Won't be the first time we've failed..."

Sam sighed and examined her boots, then lifted her head. "Do you smell that?"

"What?" O'Neill asked.

She sniffed again, standing. "It smells like..." She shook her head and wandered towards a rosebush and leaned forward, using her gun to push aside some thorny branches. "It's coming from there," she said, smiling. On the other side of the blind, there was a small outcropping of rock. The construction was about the size of a small house and, upon closer inspection, had to be man-made. There were two openings; a rectangular crack that was big enough to allow a person inside stood parallel to the ground and a small hole on the top that allowed the smoke out. Someone had a fire inside. The team made their way past the rosebushes (O'Neill sticking his hand on several thorns) and surrounded the square stone.

"What do you think we should do?" Sam asked.

O'Neill frowned. "Not sure... can't exactly threaten someone through rock."

"I think I should go in," Sam suggested, remembering the scent that had drawn her here.

"Negative," Jack said.

"Sir, if I'm right... we're in no danger here."

O'Neill looked at her skeptically, then reluctantly tilted his head. Sam lowered her weapon and stripped off her vest and supplies to ease her passage through the crevass. She knelt next to the opening and called, "Hello? I'm coming in! I'm unarmed!" There was no reply, so she shrugged and slipped inside. The passage was extremely claustrophobic... she felt the rock pressing against her from all sides... She took a deep breath and began to scoot sideways.

After a few seconds, her butt and back sore from scraping against the rock face, she impacted a stone wall. 'A dead end?' she thought. 'That's impossible.' She swept her hand over the rock, unable to find another opening. She tried to scoot back the way she'd come... but she couldn't seem to move. Her boot was pinned in the corner. She tugged on it... if she could just bend her knee, the boot would pop free. But the ceiling was too low. Turning her head, she saw the opening where she had come in. It seemed small and impossibly far away. "Colonel?" she asked, trying to keep the tremor from her voice.

"Carter?" came the reply, echoing on the narrow stone walls.

"I..." She looked around. "I'm stuck."

"You're *what*? O'Neill snapped.

"I'm..." She was interrupted when the rock began to tremble. She looked up in horror. "Sir!" she shouted. The rock roared loudly as it began to vibrate, moving out of it's original place. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact... that never came. When she opened her eyes, the ceiling was moving away. The wall next to her was also being retracted. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Hold on, Sir... something's happening."

The 'access crack' she had entered led to an opening high on one wall of a majestic room. The walls were all stone and decorated like Queen LaMoor's quarters at the palace. Sam slipped off her platform and stood for a moment, examining the splendor in which she found herself. In the center of the room was a huge waterbed and, laying on top of the mattress, was Queen LaMoor. She was unconscious and nearly nude, dressed only in a shawl-like outfit that bared her legs, arms, stomach and shoulders. Sam stepped forward, the smell that had drawn her even stronger.

"Hello, Sam," a voice said behind her.

Sam turned and smiled. "I knew I smelled gra'taq," she said.

Tae'ya Nerina grinned.

---

"As you may be aware, I was one of the traveling minstrels that visited the ailing Queen," Tae'ya explained once the rest of SG-1 joined them in the stone room.

Jack was seated on the edge of LaMoor's bed, holding a cup of "ale" that Tae'ya had offered him. "Hold the phone. Last time we saw you, you were... all glowing and everything."

"Yes," Tae'ya smiled. "Perhaps I should start at the beginning. After parting company with you on Faylinn," she glanced at Sam, "I journeyed with my mother for a time. It was remarkable; being able to be everywhere and... nowhere... at the same time. I filled my time by observing several planets that interested me, Madrona among them. It was during one of my observations when I discovered that LaMoor was falling victim to this illness.

"The rest of my mother's people, as kind as they were, hindered me from taking action. So I descended and became mortal again. Using my musical skills, I asked a minstrel group for their aide. With their assistance, I entered the palace and spoke with the Queen. It was then that I realized the true nature of her illness; she was not falling victim to any ordinary virus... her death was being orchestrated by forces unknown. LaMoor asked me to take her away from the palace, using the secret entrance known only to royalty. It was I who left the note with your Stargate address and the warning of the iris."

Jack frowned. "How'd *you* know our address?" He didn't remember Tae'ya ever getting near the DHD on Faylinn.

"Queen LaMoor remembered it well," she explained. "I asked the minstrels to remain for a short time and to continue playing music, so it would seem we had been gone less time than we actually had... give us time to make a getaway."

Sam sighed. "So LaMoor knew someone was poisoning her? Did she know who?"

"Only a certain number of people had access to her food and drink. She has her suspicions, but there is no way to prove anything." She turned and faced LaMoor's sleeping form. "She directed me to this place, a safe harbor for royalty in hiding. It had not been used in ages; I was forced to return to the palace several times for supplies. And she continues to grow worse." She bit her lip. "I had hoped that by removing her from the cause of her illness, she would heal. But whatever they did to her remains in her body. I can do nothing but watch her die."

"We have ways to help her, back on Earth," Sam suggested. "If we could get her to the Stargate..."

Jack shook his head. "We were brought here to find her. The people in the palace are more than likely the ones behind this whole thing. How do you propose we get her to the Stargate and to Earth without Fraro and his cronies stopping us?"

Sam shrugged and tilted her head. "I... may have an idea, Sir. If you'd excuse us for a minute?"

O'Neill glanced at Teal'c and Jonas and shrugged. "Sure. Whatever. We'll... be outside." He stood and led the way out of the stone room. When Tae'ya had activated the opening device, a door had appeared in one side. Now, Tae'ya pressed another stone and the door disappeared.

Tae'ya turned in time to see Sam stripping out of her jacket. "Samantha," she smiled. "Does your plan require you to be nude?"

"Part of it does, yeah," Sam said, pulling off her t-shirt.

Tae'ya's smile widened. "Then I hope it is successful."

---

Outside, the rest of the team lounged as they waited for Sam to explain her plan to Tae'ya and do whatever needed to be done. The Colonel hated to be left out of this part of the mission, but he wasn't going to force the issue. Teal'c rested his weight on his staff weapon, keeping an eye on the trees. Sometime during the last few minutes, the very people they'd been trying to help had turned into enemies... As Jack wandered from stump to stump, Jonas leaned casually against the mossy side of a tree. "Okay, I don't remember this... this Tae'ya Nerina woman from any mission reports."

O'Neill sighed. "It's kind of... an undocumented mission. About a year ago, we visited this world: Faylinn. And Tae'ya was the... well, I guess you'd call her the leader of the village. She could make it rain, just by crying. We'd been there a few days when her crying-thing started to go haywire. The city was flooding, people were goin' batty... so Tae'ya and Carter headed up the side of this huge mountain and had a little talk-to with Tae'ya's mother, who just happened to be one of the ascended beings we all know and... love. Tae'ya ascended, the rain stopped and we went home." He neglected to mention his theory of what had happened. He had seen Carter kissing Tae'ya. It wasn't much of a leap to determine what happened later...

"This is amazing," Jonas said, shaking his head. "Why was the mission undocumented?"

"There was nothing really to report. The basis for our investigation - Tae'ya - had disappeared. Something we may have caused nearly flooded an entire village. Basically... it was a 'snafu' and we decided that it would be best to not have a written record of it."

"Snafu?" Jonas asked.

Teal'c supplied, "It is a human acronym, which stands for Situation Normal, All Fu--"

O'Neill interrupted, "Ah, ah, suffice it say it's a bad thing. We never expected any repercussions on it, so Hammond agreed to leave those few days off the record."

At that moment, the stone slab protecting LaMoor's safe harbor began to rise again. The team turned to face it... and froze when Carter stepped out. She was wearing the strip of clothing that LaMoor had previously been clad in. "Not one word," she warned them, holding up one finger in warning. "This is part of the plan and... well, it's better than being naked."

"No offense to the Queen," Jonas said, sounding a bit breathless, "but I don't think you will *ever* pass for her..."

Sam smirked at the newest member of the team. "Shut up, Quinn. Come on inside. I'll fill you guys in." She stepped aside and motioned into the stone room. Jack paused and she said, "No way am I going first... you've gawked all you will gawk, Sir."

He snapped his fingers together in disappointment and trudged into the cave. Tae'ya was kneeling by LaMoor's bedside, brushing dirt into the barely conscious Queen's hair. The redhead was whispering to her patient, her thumb lovingly stroking the other woman's palm. LaMoor was wearing Sam's jacket, shirt and pants, all of which had been smeared with mud and ripped. Sam sighed. "Okay. This is my plan. You take LaMoor, disguised as me with a cloth over her face, back to the Stargate. Tell the Madronans that I had an accident; tripped and fell."

Tae'ya looked up. "There are hunter traps throughout this region. It would not be unlikely to say she stumbled upon one of them. The damage would be great."

O'Neill nodded, then motioned for Carter to continue.

"Okay. You tell them I was hurt in the search. Be as... as indignant as you can possibly be. Get LaMoor through the Stargate to Earth and the infirmary. When she's better, you can come back and reveal what has happened. By that time, hopefully Tae'ya and I will have been able to find out who's been trying to kill the Queen and why."

"How, exactly, do you propose to do that?" Jonas asked.

LaMoor coughed loudly and Tae'ya pressed her lips to the other woman's forehead. Jack arched an eyebrow and LaMoor murmured, "Notes... I have notes on the... court. Files on the people I entrust with my life."

"We'll just look over those and see if any clues jump out. If that fails... we'll just go undercover into the palace. Play a little Starsky and Hutch."

Jack held up a hand. "Hey, hey, hey, *I'm* Starsky. You haveta be... uh..."

"Scarecrow and Mrs. King," Teal'c offered, as stoic as ever, but with a smile evident in his eyes.

Jack smiled and said, "Right. So... when shall we undertake this daunting plan?"

"Now, if possible," Tae'ya said. "The Queen is very weak. She must be tended to immediately. I do not like the idea of moving her too heavily... but I remember the Dr. Janet from my time with you. She is very talented and will be able to help LaMoor. That I am sure of."

Sam nodded. "Great. Okay, let's get something to cover LaMoor's face with and get her moving as soon as possible."

---

A few minutes later, Teal'c took LaMoor's limp body in his arms and led the way back through the brush. O'Neill slipped his goggles on and turned to Sam. "We'll be back as soon as possible for you. Try to keep out of trouble."

"I always *try*, Sir," she smiled.

He returned the smirk and wiggled his eyebrows as he followed Teal'c and Jonas through the brush. Once they were alone, Sam turned to Tae'ya. "Well. Looks like it's just you and me."

"You do not mind being stranded here with me?"

"Of course not," Sam smiled. "Come on. Let's get to the bottom of this mystery, Mrs. King."

Tae'ya chuckled and said, "Whatever you say... Scarecrow." They turned and went back into the stone room.

---

"Clear the way, people! I got an injured woman here!"

Fraro exited his chamber, still holding the scroll he had been copying. He wore a pair of rimless eyeglasses, which he pulled off as he examined the scene before him. The soldiers from Earth, SG-1, were rushing through the corridors of the palace. One of them was draped over the arms of the Jaffa. "What is this all about?" Fraro shouted, trying to be heard above the stomping of the aliens' boots. "Stop right where you are!"

His words had drawn the attention of the palace guard, who moved to block the intruders' access to the Stargate. O'Neill stopped and faced Fraro. "We have an injured team member here," he explained. "You wanna tell these mooks to step aside?"

The frownlines of Fraro's face deepened. "What happened to her?" The blonde woman, he noticed, was the only one missing. Although... the body in the Jaffa's arms seemed too small. "Is she dead?"

"She will be if she does not receive medical attention," Teal'c said, eyeing the guards.

Fraro looked at the body. "Her face is covered."

"You don't want to see what happened to her face," Jonas stepped in. "Could you *please* ask your guards to let us through?"

The aide seemed to ponder it for a moment, then stepped aside. "Very well. You will return to continue the search once she has received help?"

Jack couldn't believe the man's selfishness. "Once we're sure she's okay, yes. We'll be back as soon as humanly possible." He turned to Jonas and said, "Dial it up. Quick."

---

"Oh, my God," Janet said, jumping slightly. She looked up from her notes and glared at her daughter. "Cassandra." The girl didn't look up; she simply bobbed her head in time to the music. "Cass-ANDRA," she repeated, raising her voice a little more. No response.

She picked up her pencil and tossed it at the teen. It bounced across her paper and the girl jumped, finally lifting her head and pulling aside her earphones. "What?" Cassie asked, sounding incredibly indignant at the interruption.

"What is the point of wearing headphones if you're going to turn it up so loud that everyone in the room can hear it?"

Cassie sighed and turned the CD player off. "Sorry," she said. Since her brief stay in the infirmary a year ago, Cassandra had gotten into the habit of bringing her homework to the base with her. She claimed that something about the place helped her think more clearly. And a junior in high school taking classes in quantum physics - even if that student was Cassandra Fraiser - needed all the clear thinking she could get.

Returning to her own 'homework,' Janet asked, "What are you listening to, anyway?"

"Sum 41," Cassie replied. "It's a song called 'Hyper-Insomnia-Para-Condrioid.' It's *so* cool."

Janet wrinkled her nose. She remembered a time when music had something called 'lyrics' and 'tone.' She remembered when buying CDs meant looking for the newest release and not looking for a sticker denoting CLEAN VERSION among the dozens marked with warnings of EXPLICIT LYRICS. She shook her head. Why couldn't Cassandra like the Beatles? Or Elvis? She decided to thank heaven that the girl didn't mind missing out on the explicit version and left it at that.

Suddenly, loud and abrasive music was the last thing on her mind. The emergency klaxons began to blare and she shot out of her seat. "Stay here," she called to Cassandra as she left the office. Cassandra, the typical teen, rose to her feet and followed.

"STAY THERE!" Janet called.

"Medical team to the Gate Room!"

Janet sped out of the infirmary, spotting one of her interns bringing the supplies. 'Good,' she thought. 'One less thing I need to do.' The only team out was SG-1, so they would be the only ones coming back with injuries. Her mind immediately went to Samantha, Cassandra's surrogate parent. They had raised the girl together for almost six full years... Janet had no idea what she would do without the blonde. She hated even considering it.

In the Gate Room, she immediately counted three standing SG-1 team members and none of them were blonde. 'Oh, no. Please, God, no,' she thought, hurrying to Teal'c. "What happened? Lay her down here," she ordered, indicating the ramp. Sam's face was covered by a white cloth and Janet pulled it away. It took her a moment to process what she was seeing. Finally, she looked up at SG-1 and said, "What is this? Who the hell is this?"

"Dr. Janet Fraiser," O'Neill said. "Meet Queen LaMoor. She needs our help."

Janet exhaled sharply and began to give her new patient a cursory examination. This was one debrief that she was definitely going to sit in on...

"For every drop of rain
That ever touched the ground
For every tear that ever fell
And never made a sound
I'll be there to hear you call
And I'll be there to catch you baby
Should you ever fall."
--Brooks and Dunn


Chapter Three,

"Well open up the window
And you will hear the rain
Come back to me once more
And throw away the pain."
-- Stevie Nicks

Sam and Tae'ya returned to the stone hut, moving towards the table where dozens and dozens of papers were strewn about. During moments of consciousness, LaMoor had given Tae'ya bits and pieces of information concerning her royal guard. The notes were a bit scattershot, but they might hold the key to the entire conspiracy. All they had to do was sort through it... Sam took a seat, trying to watch Tae'ya as she did. "So... are you still, ah... you still have the..."

"Am I still ascended?" Tae'ya asked. "No. I told you, I gave that up in order to help Queen LaMoor."

Sam smiled. "Thanks, but... I was actually going to ask if you still had the ability to make it rain."

"Oh," Tae'ya blushed, looking down at the table. "I don't know. I haven't tried it since my return."

"Well... it's just a thought, but one of LaMoor's people told me that they were desperately in need of some rain. I don't think they would mind a... spare raincloud? Maybe a few showers over the fields..."

Tae'ya grinned and closed her eyes. "Okay. I'll try. Give me something sad to think about."

Sam looked at the redhead, then said, "Imagine LaMoor dying... if Janet can't think of something to help her."

The rainmaker's eyes opened, the violet irises flashing with anger. "Not that."

"So I was right," Sam smirked. "You have feelings for her."

Tae'ya pursed her lips. "Since my encounter with you, I have tried not to feel those... feelings for anyone. It was easy when I was a higher being; I had no physical body to give me urges. Yet... LaMoor called out to me. I was fortunate this world had a weather device so I could explain my interest here. In fact, I was monitoring LaMoor. That is why I became aware of her illness. I only wish I could know who was doing the deed." She paused, then asked, "Have you... been intimate with the Queen? She seemed to express much happiness at the thought of seeing you once more."

"No," Sam said, shaking her head. "We kind of planned to, but nothing ever came of it. We kissed once during our initial visit and a further relationship was hindered by the theft of the Touchstone. We never... did anything more than kissing." She shook her head. "But that's not what we're here to talk about," she said, smiling nervously. She tapped the papers in front of them. "Someone is out to kill LaMoor and the answers might be in here. What do you say we start looking?"

"It..." She paused, trying to think of something she had heard Sam and the others say once or twice on their previous encounter. "It sounds like a plan," Tae'ya nodded, picking up a handful of papers and starting to read.

After a few minutes, Tae'ya looked up. "You have not told me of your life," she said. "I believe when I left, I told you to seize the day and speak to Dr. Janet of your true feelings. Have you?"

Sam didn't meet the other woman's gaze. "No. I-I chickened out." She exhaled. "I went to see her as soon as I got home, I had every intention to tell her... but then I got this image of her being sickened by the idea. I pictured her cutting me out of her life. I pictured no Janet, no Cassandra, no... no nothing. And it wasn't worth the danger. So, no, I
haven't told her a thing."

"I see," Tae'ya said softly. "It has been how long since we last spoke?"

"Six months," Sam said.

Tae'ya just nodded.

"It's not as simple as going up to her and saying, 'Hey, guess what, I'm in love with you and want nothing more than to lie next to you in bed every night.' There are rules, regulations... it's not allowed!"

Tae'ya pushed aside the folder she'd been working on and picked up another. "I see."

"We'd have to hide it from everybody. Her family. Her friends. *Our* friends. People we work with... It would be too hard."

"You don't have to convince me," Tae'ya said.

"I know. I'm trying to convince myself," Sam said, looking at her folder in disgust before shoving it aside.

---

Janet tapped her fingers on the tabletop as she listened to O'Neill recount what had happened on Madrona. She was also trying to devise a way to make Sam pay for scaring her like that... Finally, O'Neill finished and she spoke up. "I've examined the Queen. There are large amounts of an arsenic-like poison in her system. Whoever was trying to kill her didn't mind being methodical about it; the poison would have had to be administered in very small doses to keep the victim from realizing what they were taking. Are you positive this woman you left Sam with is trustworthy?"

"Tae'ya Nerina proved to be honorable on our last encounter. She showed no reason to distrust her. Major Carter, I am certain, is perfectly safe where she is."

Janet pressed her lips together. "I see." She left it at that, but had to fight to hold herself back. Leaving a teammate on an alien world with no way to get home... didn't O'Neill know better than that?

Hammond said, "Someone on that planet *does* want the Queen dead. You're sure Major Carter is in no danger?"

O'Neill answered, "They were in a safe place that only the Queen knew about. The Madronans hadn't found them yet, so I figure it was pretty damn safe. The only reason we were able to find them so quickly was because we had the use of the UAV and... well, Teal'c is kind of a huge asset when it comes to tracking someone."

Hammond nodded. "Okay. You're on stand-down until Dr. Fraiser has something to report on Queen LaMoor's condition."

"Shouldn't we go back to Madrona?" Jonas asked. "Help out Sam and Tae'ya?"

"No," Jack shook his head. "We don't want them getting suspicious. We'll... drop in now and again to check up on them, but we're staying here until we can take the Queen back safe and sound."

Janet stood. "With your permission, Sir, I'd like to get back to the infirmary." Hammond nodded and Janet left. The sooner she got the poison out of LaMoor, the sooner Sam would be out of danger.

---

"This is peculiar," Tae'ya muttered.

Sam looked up and craned her neck to see what the other woman was reading. "That's Queen LaMoor's information."

Tae'ya nodded. "Take note of this," she said, turning the sheet around so Sam could read it.

She tapped one paragraph and Sam read it aloud. "Royalty was passed down to the daughter of Rello, niece of Roham. It's a familial thing. So?"

"So LaMoor has no children. She has no siblings, no relatives to speak of. She is the last of her line."

Sam arched an eyebrow. "So if she dies..."

"Who becomes the ruler?"

"I think," Sam said, a smile slowly spreading across her face, "we have ourselves a motive."

---

Halasti meekly entered the throne room, trying to determine why Fraro had summoned him. He coughed quietly, then said, "Hello? I-is anyone here? I-I was summoned?"

"Yes, Mr. Halasti," Fraro said, his voice coming from the shadows all around them. "I summoned you."

"Why?" he asked, unable to keep the tremor from his voice.

Three guards appeared, all of them equipped with staff weapons like the Jaffa, Teal'c, was armed with. "Impressive, aren't they?" Fraro asked, stepping into the light. "I had a team duplicate the weapon after SG-1's arrival here so long ago." He chuckled. "They cause quiet a bit of damage." His smile vanished and he said, "Do you know where Queen LaMoor's abductors might have taken her?"

"No," Halasti said. "No, I-I have no idea."

One of the guards fired and Halasti's right knee exploded. He roared in pain, collapsing and clutching the injured limb. Fraro said, "I will ask again. Are there any hiding places where the Queen might have been taken?"

Halasti winced, gritting his teeth against the pain... but he wasn't made to withstand torture. "There is one place... a stone room in the forest." He coughed and tightened his grip on his leg. "There is a map in her chambers."

"Good. Was that so hard?" Fraro asked. He turned to the guards and said, "Have someone kill this fool. Come... we have a Queen to save."

---

After a few hours pouring through the information, Sam and Tae'ya took a break. They left the stone room and rested on the false top. Night had fallen and they sipped gra'taq tea (made from a delicacy Sam had first tasted on Tae'ya's homeworld, Faylinn). Sam felt self-conscious in the revealing garb she had traded LaMoor for, but since the only person around had already seen her naked, she decided it didn't matter too much. She sighed and took another sip, watching the stars. "I can never get over how different the night sky looks on other planets."

"Does it not look like this where you are from?"

"Well... well, yeah. But not totally the same. I mean here, there are constellations I've never seen before. And I can't find the Big Dipper or the North Star. Traveling to other planets has become routine, but I can never get used to seeing all-new stars."

Tae'ya smiled. "So what have you spent your time on in the past six months?"

Sam exhaled slowly. "Well... our friend Daniel Jackson got really sick. He almost died, but he ascended to a higher plane. With your people..."

"I know," Tae'ya said. "We spoke briefly."

"You did? H-how is he doing?"

"He is very well," Tae'ya said. "How has your friendship with Dr. Janet faired?"

"As good as ever. We're... stable."

"You take no risks," Tae'ya noted. "You do not wish to take the step to make your relationship with her something more, even though you desire it with all your heart." She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. "If you came upon a chasm, would you attempt to cross it in two steps?"

Sam laughed out loud. "You *did* spend a *lot* of time with Oma Desala, didn't you?" She shook her head. "It's just complicated."

"Complicated. Complicated," Tae'ya repeated. "She cannot sleep when you are out of contact for more than a day. When you are off-world, often she wakes up crying and does not know why. She cherishes you, Samantha. Why can you not see that? She feels the same way you feel."

"How do you know that?"

"I told you," she winked. "I observed. Sam, tell me... has there ever been a time when you thought... perhaps she had feelings stronger than friendship for you?"

"You'd look great in glasses, I think," Sam muttered.

"Pardon?" Tae'ya asked. But Sam was already far away... three months away, in fact...

 

Three Months Earlier;

"Sam, are you *still* on that computer?" Janet asked, stepping into the lab, hands on her hips.

The Major smiled. "Just a few more minutes, Janet," she said, checking her calculations before typing them in. "I'm almost done here."

Janet came up behind her and put her hands on the taller woman's shoulders. "You're going to ruin your eyes staring at this thing twenty-four-seven. You're going to need glasses." She chuckled and tightened her grip on Sam's shoulders. "Of course, you'd look great in glasses, I think. I've always been a sucker for the intellectual look."

"God, Janet," Sam muttered. "That feels good..."

"What?"

Sam kicked herself. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. She had really meant it felt good to feel Janet touching her. Covering, she said, "The, the shoulders. Keep rubbing."

"Oh," Janet said, rubbing gently. "That good?"

Sam groaned. "Ooooh, yeah. Oh, man, how long have I been sitting here?"

"Three hours," Janet said, glancing at the clock. Technically, two hours and thirty-four minutes... but close enough. "If you wanna come to the infirmary, I could get a private room and give you a proper massage."

Sam's face turned beet red and she cleared her throat. "Ah, no. No, I don't-don't think so. My shoulders feel fine now."

"Okay," Janet said. "Just let me get rid of this knot."

Sam closed her eyes and rolled her head to one side to allow the doctor's hands freedom. It would be easy... just accept the invitation of a backrub. Go into a private, locked room... take off her clothes and let Janet touch her all over. Let Janet's hands massage the aches and pains and knots out of her body... It would be so easy. She opened her eyes and said, "Want to grab some lunch?" she asked. Lunch meant commissary. Which meant other people. Which is what Sam had to be around *quick* to get her mind off this track.

"Sure," Janet said. "Wanna go back to my place? I could heat up some leftover pizza. And, if you wanted, I could just give you that massage in my bedroom."

'Good God, she's honestly trying to torture me.'

"No, I-I think the commissary would be better."

Janet smiled. "Great. Meet you there in five minutes?"

"Make it ten," Sam said. She suddenly had something... important to tend to...

---

Tae'ya laughed after hearing the story. "You're right, Sam. I don't know what I was thinking. She definitely doesn't like you the way you love her."

Sam blushed. "It's not that simple."

"You keep saying that!" Tae'ya snapped. "Take a moment. Think about what you want and don't worry about difficulty. Wouldn't your life be so, so much better, so improved, if you would just take that step? You love Janet. She obviously has strong feelings for you. If I live to the end of time, I will never understand why humans spend so much time trying to conform to the norm. It breaks their hearts, ruins lives, keeps them from attaining happiness. It is as if you have a fear of attaining too much."

"It's not attaining too much that scares us. It's fear of getting everything and then losing it... or trying to get too much and being rejected. I don't know if I could survive if I went up to Janet, told her I loved her, and she turned me down. I could not handle that," she said, tears in her eyes.

Tae'ya embraced Sam and said, "I do not believe that would happen, Sam. Take the chance as soon as you can."

Sam took a shuddering breath and sat up. "You're right." She shook her head. "Will you help me?"

With a laugh, Tae'ya said, "I will help you write down what you wish to say, if you want."

"Perfect. But first... let's see if we can find who was trying to kill LaMoor."

Tae'ya nodded. "Right. I have not forgotten."

---

"Can you hear me?"

Janet looked up and scanned the room. She couldn't see anyone, but she *had* heard the question. "Is someone there?" she asked. "Cassandra?" She thought the girl had gone home, but she might have hung around to see some of the 'excitement' she had heard about. She started across the infirmary when the voice came again.

"What is this place? Please...?"

Janet paused and turned to face the only occupied bed in the infirmary. "Queen LaMoor?" she asked, pushing aside the curtain. The brunette was awake, her eyes darting every which way as she tried to determine where she was.

"Queen LaMoor, this is a world called Earth. We--"

"I remember. The SGC," she said weakly. "Tae'ya said she would attempt to contact you... Where am I?"

"You're on Earth. We're getting the poison out of your system. You'll be just fine in a few hours."

LaMoor shook her head. "We do not have much time. I must... bear a child."

Janet frowned. "You what?" She looked at the woman's flat stomach. "Y-you're pregnant?"

"No," the Queen said. "I must... bear a child. Before it is too late. I must have an heir."

Her frown deepening, Janet grabbed the phone by the bed and pressed the extension for Hammond. "General... get SG-1 down her immediately. The patient is awake." She hung up and looked at the young woman. Hopefully SG-1 would have some answers...

---

"Apparently," Janet explained to Hammond and O'Neill, "LaMoor knows why she was targeted. If a seated ruler dies before producing an heir, the royal aide takes over. In this case, a man by the name of Fraro."

O'Neill nodded. "Know him. Not a fan. You think he's behind this?"

"It is likely."

Janet asked, "There wouldn't be an investigation? An examination to ensure that you had died of natural causes?"

LaMoor shook her head. "It is unthinkable for a Madronan to commit murder."

"That's what the Tollan thought about Omoc," O'Neill muttered. To Hammond, he said, "So we go in. We interrogate Fraro and see what's up. Plus, we can fill Carter in about everything that we've learned."

Hammond nodded. "You have a go. But LaMoor stays here."

Jack agreed. "We'll just tell them that Carter's okay, but can't travel yet. We'll be ready to go in fifteen minutes."

---

Sam sipped the drink and said, "This gra'taq is delicious."

Tae'ya looked up from her current reading, frowning slightly. "That is not gra'taq. That is a food; this is a liquid."

"So... what am I drinking and why does it smell like gra'taq?"

"It is called meadowbrue. It is made with the same ingredients as gra'taq."

Sam took another sip. "Well, it's delicious. Just like every other Faylinn-based delicacy I've tasted." She pursed her lips, then asked, "Have you been back to Faylinn since your... ascension?"

"No," Tae'ya said without hesitation. "I simply... don't have anything left there. It wouldn't be prudent for me to return."

"Didn't you have friends?"

She smiled softly. "Would you want to be friends - true friends - with the person who decided whether or not your crops got rain? I was revered and awed. Which meant people only wanted to use me. So I stopped reaching out to people. When you and your friends arrived on my doorstep that night, you were my first guests in a very long time."

"Wow," Sam said. "I had forgotten that you led such a solitary life."

"It was my destiny. Or so I thought... I am much happier now that I am able to explore the universe."

"But you're not ascended anymore."

"That doesn't mean I cannot use the Stargate. I think I shall enjoy traveling."

Sam finished off her 'meadowbrue' and took it to the kitchen area to refill it. "Are you sure you want to keep traveling? I mean... you seem pretty close to LaMoor."

Tae'ya blushed. "Yes, well... I..." She chuckled nervously. "Tell me something, Samantha... the night we made love, you mentioned it had been some time since your last mating."

Sam tucked her head down and tilted it slightly. "Yeah. Six months or so..."

"But you had been with a lover before..."

"Yes!" Sam said, a little too quickly. "Yeah. I wasn't a virgin or anything." She realized what Tae'ya was saying. "You're... not a virgin, are you?"

"Of course not. I made love to you."

"And how many before me?"

Tae'ya smiled nervously. "One. A male. Who... was, shall I say... not as enjoyable as you. I do not know how to... approach someone I find attractive."

"So you didn't tell LaMoor how you felt?" Sam asked. "Does she feel the same way?"

"I believe so. The way she reaches out to me is truly heartwarming."

Sam shrugged. "It doesn't seem like that big of a problem. When she gets better - and, thanks to Janet, she *will* get better - I think you should stay here. Tell her how you feel. It's not often that someone comes along that... makes you feel..." She grinned slowly and said, "You sneaky, double-faced..."

Tae'ya laughed. "What?"

Sam shook her head and went back to the information. "Very clever. Very sneaky and clever..."

Their laughter was interrupted when something impacted the side of the stone construction. They both froze, tilting their heads towards the ceiling. There was a chance it had just been a wild animal; Tae'ya explained that sometimes happened. A few second later, however, they heard something attempting to slide down the same access tunnel Sam had used earlier.

Both women stood and moved towards the front of the room. "Could it be your team?"

"Colonel O'Neill," Sam said, thumbing her radio. "Colonel O'Neill, are you guys back?" Silence. "The radios might not work through the stone."

Suddenly, the back wall exploded inward. Sam and Tae'ya both dropped, both of them regretting not keeping any weapons. The rubble was pushed aside by a trio of guardsmen from the palace, their feathered headdresses denoting they were of the upper echelon; the phalanx, as LaMoor called them. All three carried staff weapons. Sam stood, trying to block their shots of Tae'ya. "Just... relax, fellas. There's a very simple explanation for this."

"I would love to hear it," Fraro hissed, entering through the destroyed wall. "I suppose the Queen was the woman taken through the Stargate by your cohorts? Very clever... but not clever enough."

He snapped his fingers and the phalanx moved forward. Sam tensed for battle; she might not have a weapon and she might be wearing a glorified Kleenex, but she was still trained to kick ass. "Just hold back," she said, trying to sound as commanding as possible.

Fraro seemed to inflate with power. "I will not hold them back. Roham made a fatal error when he trusted you four years ago. I will not allow Her Majesty to make the same error... provided she is still alive. Tell me, what have you done with her?"

"We're only trying to undo what someone here did. She was poisoned heavily. We're trying to *save* her life."

Fraro smirked. "Poison? You'll have to come up with a better defense than that. Phalanx, take them."

Sam half-turned to Tae'ya. "I'll distract them. You run." She then faced the three guards and launched herself.

The first guard was caught off-guard and didn't even bother to fire. He swung his staff like a bat, hitting Sam in the side. She brought one arm down and pinned the weapon against her body, twisting as she fell and wrenching it from his grasp. The second guard growled and shoved the first out of the way. Sam lifted her stolen weapon and used it as a foil to misdirect the man's aim. His shot went wide and destroyed most of the bed LaMoor had been using. The third guard was moving towards Tae'ya's position.

While Sam fought, Tae'ya had activated the entrance sequence on the room. She turned in time to see the end of the third guard's staff weapon level at her midsection and cried out. At the sound of Tae'ya's voice, Sam turned and was caught by a lucky punch. She fell back, her distraction nearly fatal. The first guard, having overcome his shame at being unarmed, grabbed her arms and pinned them back. The second guard punched her in the stomach, putting everything he had into the move. Sam crumbled, her knees giving out. She turned in time to see the third guard's weapon flash and Tae'ya fall to the ground.

Fraro pushed aside Sam's attacker and pulled her to her feet. "You will pay for what you have done to our beloved Queen," he smirked. "Fortunately, your friend will not be forced to suffer the torture I have in plan for you."

"You did it, didn't you, Fraro?" Sam sneered. "You wanted LaMoor dead so you could take her throne."

The guard holding her arms twisted her wrists violently. Sam cried out and bit her tongue, glaring at Fraro. He returned the hateful look and said, "Spread all the lies you want. You will receive punishment. When your people return for you, they will be greeted by your battered and lifeless body." He kicked her in the stomach, then to the phalanx said, "Bring her."

As Sam was carried out of the room, she glanced back at Tae'ya's body laying on the floor. 'Please don't let her be dead,' Sam whispered in her mind. 'Please...'

---

Jack O'Neill stepped onto the dias in the Madronan garden and frowned at what he saw. Dozens of guards lined the path leading to the Touchstone room. They were all armed and they were all glaring at the Stargate. Jack removed his sunglasses and pursed his lips before offering, "Hello..."

Something impacted him from behind and he cried out, falling to his knees. Teal'c spun around, his staff weapon ready to unleash hell, but the attacker disarmed him and managed to wrestle the big Jaffa to the ground. Jonas was grabbed, his arms pinned behind his back. The ambush had been well-planned; the guards had been standing behind the Stargate when it activated. They had been hidden by the event horizon. Jack kicked himself for falling for the trick, but couldn't think of how he could have prevented it. "So," he managed as his hands were bound. "I'd say things took a turn for the worst?"

"Your collaborators have been killed," one guard hissed. "You will be tortured until you reveal what you have done with our beloved Queen LaMoor."

Jack was forced to march forward, but his mind was still trying to wrap around what had been said. 'Killed. Carter?' He shuddered involuntarily as he was marched past the guards.

"The good intentions and the pain
Lay drowned now in the pouring rain
I tried to be so good this time
But here I am under the sky.
The good intentions and the pain
Lay drowned now in the pouring rain."
-- Electric Light Orchestra


Chapter Four,

"Rain falls on everyone
The same old rain
And I'm just trying to walk with you
Between the raindrops."
-- Smashing Pumpkins

The three members of SG-1 were led to a part of the palace they had never seen before; the dungeon-like sub-floors were usually only seen by jailers and prisoners and weren't part of the tour. Teal'c looked downright feral when he was disarmed and shackled, but a quiet look from O'Neill kept him from disemboweling their captors. They were each assigned a different cell, all of them separated from the others by at least two compartments. Once they were alone again, Jack pressed his face to the bars and tried to see signs of life. "Jonas. Teal'c... give me a sign or something."

Both Jonas and Teal'c stuck their arms through the bars on their doors. Teal'c was five doors away on the same wall as Jack. Jonas was in the final cell on the opposite wall. "Is there anyone else here?" Jonas asked.

There was no reply. Jack sighed. "That guard said our collaborators have been killed. You don't think he meant..."

"Major Carter. She and Tae'ya Nerina are the only ones I believe he could have been referring to."

Jack winced. He had been afraid of that. "Which means they found the hideaway and raided it. Which means they probably know we fooled them. Which explains... this." He stepped back and looked over the cell. A small bunk with a threadbare blanket was against one wall and a tiny basin that served either as a sink or a toilet (or both, Jack thought with a disgusted sneer) was on the opposite. There was a small window covered with a mesh screen and steel bars. Even without the bars, it was too small for anything bigger than Junior to get through. Prisons were alike all over, he noted. At least this one had the decency to not play around with gravity... "Either of you have an idea how to get us outta here?"

"Perhaps we could apologize for our actions," Teal'c suggested. "We contact Dr. Fraiser to return the Queen. She will be healed and we will be freed."

"Unless Fraro decides to kill us for the hell of it," Jack muttered. "And besides, we cannot let these guys get away with... with killing Sam." There was a tremor in his voice that he had never felt for anyone in his command. He shook it off and said, "These bastards are going to pay for that," he swore.

Teal'c spoke. "I do not believe you would risk the life of your team to quench your thirst for vengeance."

Jack snapped, "Big talk for the guy who nearly got me blown up in a supernova going after Tanith a year or so back. Remember that, Teal'c? Shot in the back, brainwashed by Apophis, holding me and the rest of SG-1 prisoner for your 'god'? Don't talk to me about 'thirsts for vengeance,' buddy." He immediately regretted his harsh words. "Look... I'm just... Carter didn't deserve to die like a criminal."

From the corner, Jonas chuckled. "Sam gave me my first ice cream sundae. Told me that everyone tops it with sprinkles, hot fudge, almonds... and tabasco. God, I was so mad at her..." He chuckled again.

"Major Carter introduced me to something called 'jalapeno' peppers. To her surprise, I enjoyed them greatly."

Jack smiled. "I owe my life to her about a thousand times over."

After a long moment, Teal'c said, "We will escape this prison, O'Neill. And we will avenge our friend."

Jonas agreed, "It's the least we could do for her."

Jack just nodded.

---

Moving quickly towards the castle, Fraro was flanked on each side by one of the phalanx. Sam and the third brought up the rear of the little troupe. Sam stumbled and the first guard of the phalanx kicked her. "MOVE!" he hissed, pawing at her clothing. Fraro paused, but continued forward. The other two guards stayed with him. Sam watched his retreating back, then turned to the guard holding his weapon on her.

She managed to get into a crouched position, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. "Come on. We've been walking for so long," she complained. Truthfully, it had only been about ten minutes. She was good to go another few miles. But the guard didn't know that.

"You wear our Queen's clothing... you spirit her away to another planet... you should die where you stand."

She managed a smile through her disgust. "C'mon. We can rest a little, right? I mean... I was out there alone with that redheaded girl for so long. It's nice to finally be able to talk to... a man."

That was working. The guard glanced in the direction Fraro had disappeared.

"Just tell him we stopped for a break," she whispered, conspiratorially. "Maybe... maybe get to know one another a little better?" She winked.

The guard smirked and said, "I'd wager you've never known a palace guard."

"Oh, heavens," Sam said, faking innocence. "Never! Is there... anything I should know?"

He laughed and Sam wanted to vomit. His teeth looked like planks of wood that had been driven haphazardly into the ground. She supressed a shudder as he said, "You must remain silent as I pleasure you," he said, hands going to his belt. "It would not do if Fraro were to hear you and return."

"Oh, not at all," she agreed. Fraro's return was definitely not part of her plan. "But... how can I do anything with these shackles?" For a brief moment, she realized this guy might be into bondage and the shackles would play right into that. If that were the case, she'd be unable to escape and helpless to stop him as he... she shook her head. He was already fumbling with the keys. "It's gonna be so good, baby," she whispered. He pushed her shoulder forward and leaned around to unfasten the metal binding her.

When she felt the cuffs fall away, she immediately brought one knee up and introduced it to his groin. The guard howled and Sam pulled him forward, covering his mouth. "Remember," she said. "Quiet." She grabbed his weapon and grounded her other knee in his stomach. He doubled over, crying with pain but making no sound. She used the butt of the staff to crack him along his jaw. Three of his disgusting teeth flew out and a trail of blood sprayed across the leaves under his face. A simple shove was all it took to flatten him on the ground. She aimed the staff at his broad back, but couldn't bring herself to fire. He had killed Tae'ya; he had been planning to rape her. He deserved it.

As she debated, the guard rolled over onto his back and looked up at her with pained eyes. It occurred to her that he could see up her skirt, but she didn't care about that at the moment. Finally, he spoke around a mouth full of loose teeth and blood, "Is this... part of the intercourse on your world?"

'The stupid bastard,' Sam thought. 'He thinks this is *foreplay*.' She smiled down at him and said, "Yeah. This is sex. Get ready for the money shot." She pressed the staff against his stomach and fired. "That's for Tae'ya," she hissed.

Once the guard was dead, Sam removed his overcoat. There wasn't much blood on it and it would at least cover most of her body. She pulled it on, thankful the guard was bigger than her, and buttoned it. Picking up his staff weapon, she made her way towards the palace, careful to take a different path than Fraro and the two remaining guards.

---

Tae'ya felt the pain first, like a fire in her stomach stoked by movement. She lay still for a long time, trying to remember the last time she had been in such agony. She couldn't think of anything... After a long, long moment, she brought her hands up - nearly the only movement that didn't make her whimper - and touched her abdomen. She was bleeding badly and the flesh of her torso was sensitive to the touch. She was hurt badly...

She rolled her head to the side and remembered the chaos that had fallen upon them. The papers where LaMoor's notes had been transcribed were blowing in the gentle breeze let in by the gaping hole in the wall. Fraro had found them somehow... he had shot her and... and done what with Sam? She managed to find her voice and weakly asked, "S-a-am... antha?" Even speaking hurt.

Laying down, Tae'ya realized she was dying. Shot like a criminal... left to die in the middle of the forest. Sam had tried to protect her and had been taken. LaMoor... that was the one bright spot in this whole hell. LaMoor was likely to survive. But so what? As soon as Sam and the rest of the SGC soldiers were dealt with, what would stop Fraro from continuing his plans? Perhaps LaMoor would be more observant this time, but perhaps Fraro would, in turn, be more subtle in his deeds.

Everything was ruined. Destroyed. Ended. She had failed. She felt her tears on her cheeks and rolled her head to the side. She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't help it. She had been the one who wrote the Stargate address and left it in LaMoor's chambers. She had insisted the royal court contact the SGC. It was her fault, whatever happened to them. It was over.

As she cried, she felt raindrops on her blouse. It took her a moment to realize what it was, and she raised her head to see the dark cloud hovering over her head. "Raining," she whispered. "In-inside?"

In an instant, a plan sprouted in her mind. If only she had the power to make it back to the palace... She struggled to her feet, gasping as she felt the pain in her midsection. It was excrutiating! She doubted she would be able to make it out of the stone room, let alone all the way to the palace! She took a deep breath - the motion causing her stomach to howl in agony - and straightened her back. "Just a few steps," she told herself. One step right after another. Not a long journey at all... just a series of steps. She could do that. She was certain...

---

Jack's body jerked as the cell shook. He jumped to his feet - he had sat cross-legged on the cot - and hurried to the cell door. "What the hell was that?"

"I am sorry, O'Neill," Teal'c said, sounding pained. "I attempted to use myself as a battering ram on the door."

"Sturdy?"

Teal'c grunted, "Extremely."

"Nice try, anyway," Jack said. He exhaled and ran a hand through his hair.

"Man, you guys are some of the biggest whiners I have ever heard."

Jack froze and turned, pressing his face to the window in the door again. "Did you guys hear that?" It had sounded like Carter. Was she haunting them? Was she going to be like the newly-ascended Daniel, dropping in and seeing how he was every time he got put in prison?

There was a quiet whistle coming from... behind him? He turned and spotted the window, which was set high in the wall. He walked over to it, unable to stand on anything and see through. "Carter? Is that you? What are you *doing* out there?"

"Hanging out," she said, looking down at her dress under the guard's coat and thinking that was literally the case... "What happened with you guys?"

"We came back to give you an update," Jack whispered. "A bunch of guards were waiting for us. They snatched us up and brought us here. They told us you were dead!"

"Probably just wishful thinking," Sam said. "But they did shoot Tae'ya. I... I don't think she made it."

Jack winced. "I'm sorry, Carter. You think you can get us outta here without causing too much commotion?" Without having to worry about revenge, their plan simply relied on them getting to the Stargate. That would be easy enough... he hoped.

"Actually, commotion might be good. We need a distraction," Sam said. After a moment, she said, "I think I just came up with something useful... Give me ten minutes, Sir."

"Take all the time you want," Jack said, looking around the cell. "We're not going anywhere." He moved back to the door and, as quietly as possible, explained to Jonas and Teal'c what had happened.

---

Fraro looked down at Halasti's lifeless body and stepped on the hand, crushing the fingers. Halasti wouldn't feel the injuries - which, compared to what he had already been subjected to, was minor - but it made Fraro feel better to hear it. He kicked the dead man's head and turned to the phalanx. "What the hell is taking him so long?"

"Relax," the taller of the two said, examining his fingernails. "He probably stopped to partake of the woman."

Fraro scoffed. "Sex. Rape..." He didn't see the point of sexual relations, unless it brought forth a child. He would have to force himself soon if he wanted to have an heir once he was appointed to the throne. He didn't want to suffer the same fate as poor Queen LaMoor. He smiled. All she would have had to do was get pregnant and none of this would have happened... but reports indicated that the lovely Queen preferred members of her own sex. Which meant no chance of heirs. Fraro had done the world a favor by disposing of her. Before long, Madrona would have the leader it deserved... just as soon as the alien terrorists were put to death. Let them keep LaMoor on Earth... it was just as good as being dead.

But he was infuriated by the delay. "How long does sex take?"

"For Tiwa," the tall guard said, referring to the one they had left with Carter, "about eight seconds." He laughed long and hard at that.

"Go find him," Fraro seethed. "If he does not come immediately, castrate the bastard."

The tall guard straightened and said, "Right, Sir. Cut off his genitalia if he does not come." He snickered at a joke that Fraro didn't get and hurried out of the throne room. Fraro chewed on his lip, then said, "Bring me one of the prisoners. I need... I need to kill something." Halasti had been killed by interrogators loyal to Fraro and he had spent so much time and effort killing LaMoor slowly, he had been unable to enjoy it. He longed for the feel of life ebbing between his fingers. It had been too long since he had hunted in the forest, killing deer with his bare hands. He hungered to feel the final heartbeat again. He sipped his wine. He could hardly wait.

---

Sam knelt next to the UAV and inspected it. They had entered instructions for the probe to return to the MALP before they went into the forest in search of the smoke source. It was undamaged and she would still be able to control it from the computer mounted on the MALP. She smiled and picked it up, carrying it to the corner of the palace. Hurrying back to the probe, she activated the UAV. It launched, flying high and far before she commanded it to turn back towards the building. "Get ready, guards," she whispered. "You're about to have a bird loose in your palace..."

---

Tae'ya collapsed in a pile of leaves, her eyes still watering. The black raincloud, however, was no longer following her. She exhaled sharply and pushed herself back to her feet. She had passed the dead guard a few minutes ago; no doubt the work of Samantha. Tae'ya grinned, finding strength in the image of Sam overpowering someone bigger and stronger than she was. If Sam could disarm and kill someone like that guard... then Tae'ya felt she could at least *walk*. Walking wasn't a skill or anything hard. It was just... one foot in front of the other.

Piece of cake.

---

The guards of the palace wore elaborate feathered headdresses to denote their rank. The lower ranks wore shawls that covered their faces. One of the highest guards, a man by the name of Chaet, stood in the front hall berating one of the lower guards for a minor offense. He lifted his head and howled the rules at the poor young man... and was struck in the temple by a huge metallic bird.

Chaet fell, crying out as he felt the blood start to flow. The bird continued on, apparently unaware that it had hit anything. Forgetting his punishment, the younger guard dashed away to inform Fraro of the incident.

'The bird,' however, *did* know what it had impacted. It just didn't care. Sam was watching the progress of her toy on the small computer screen, angling so that it wouldn't impact the walls and cut it's flight short. The low fuel guage began flashing, but she didn't care; that was part of the plan. Before launching it, she had opened the fuel tank. The UAV was leaving a flammable trail in it's wake. Sam directed the UAV towards where she assumed the cells would be, hoping it had enough fuel to make it the entire way.

A guard stepped into the corridor and was immediately struck by the plane. He fell backwards, his body covered with the gas. Sam hoped he wouldn't be in the way once she lit the path... She swallowed and steered the plane to the left. She remembered being a kid and playing old Atari games with her brother. She had always been an expert pilot, even then. He hadn't stood a chance. The UAV crashed through a small door and she grinned when she saw O'Neill's sleeve sticking out of the door. "Just stand back, Sir," hoping he would comply.

He stepped back, probably shocked by the arrival of the probe, and she angled the plane violently to the left. It slammed violently into the cell door, the wreckage causing the steel to crumple like paper. The crash also ignited the fuel trail, causing a fairly large explosion. She abandoned the MALP and hurried towards the front door, hoping the guards would be too busy with the fire to notice her sudden appearance.

Jack, meanwhile, wrapped himself in the threadbare sheet and took a deep breath. "Damn it Carter... fry me alive, why doncha..." He rushed towards the burning door and wriggled through the opening, tossing aside the flaming blanket before it could spread to his clothes. That done, he moved to the wall and found the keys. Just as the prisons were alike all over, jailers rarely varied from form; they usually kept the keys in a painfully obvious place. He released Jonas, then Teal'c. Straddling the line of fire that had freed them, Jack said, "What say we go see if Carter needs help?"

"It does not seem likely, O'Neill," Teal'c stated, a slight smile playing at his lips.

"Right," Jack agreed. "Then let's she if she can help *us*."

---

Fraro exited the throne room that should have already been his and glared down the corridor. The guard who had warned him had not been exaggerating; there was a fire burning near the entry way. "The otherworlders did this?"

"Yes."

He hid his smile well. This little attack would only serve to prove what he had been saying about SG-1 since the beginning. The Stargate would have to be buried to prevent more terrorist troops from coming through, but that could be arranged. He had hated that hideous thing since it had been discovered. "The prisoners?"

"We... have not yet checked."

Fraro turned, furious. "You have not checked them? Did you not realize..." He hissed and said, "I shall attend to it myself. Make yourself useful and put out those flames." He didn't bother to dismiss the underling. The stupid humans were ruining everything. All he had to do was kill them and he would once again be on the path to his true destiny.

---

Sam met up with the rest of her team in a huge corridor bisected by the lane of fire. She tossed the staff weapon to Teal'c, who brandished it like a long-lost appendage. He was far more at ease using the staff than she was; she just wished she had a P90 or a zat to take it's place. "Long time no see," Jack quipped, moving towards her. "Kinda had you pegged for KIA."

"Perish the thought," Sam smiled wistfully. "But they got Tae'ya. Shot her right in the..." She stopped and steeled herself. Finally, she asked, "How does it look?"

"We've probably got a clear shot at the Stargate with Teal'c on point. Especially now that he's got that thing."

Jonas asked, "What if we run into one of Fraro's men?"

"These are a peaceful people," Sam said. "Despite some of their bad seeds. I think the majority would be too scared to do much of anything to stop us."

The Kelownan nodded and pointed down an adjacent hallway. "Okay. What do we do if we run into Fraro himself?"

Sam turned and saw the man who would be king marching towards them. He was unarmed, but looked angry enough to kill them with his bare hands. "Looks like we've got a little fight on our hands."

"Teal'c," Jack said, already backing up. "You bring up the rear. Keep that maniac back as long as possible. Carter, you lead the way and get that Stargate dialed."

"GDOs, Sir?" Sam asked, referring to the devices needed to open the iris on their Stargate.

Jack kicked himself. How could he have overlooked something as important as the GDO? It would be like climbing in a getaway car without the keys. "Goddamnit, they got 'em. No idea where..."

"That certainly complicates things," Sam muttered.

Fraro was upon them now. Teal'c, reluctant to fire, used the staff as a bat. He swung at Fraro's midsection and caused the man to double over. "We must move, O'Neill!" he called, already backing up out of the room.

"Yeah, yeah," Jack said, still angry at himself. "We have to find those GDOs or else we're stuck here."

Sam looked down at the floor. The fire was spreading... most of the doors in the palace were made of fabric; she had counted on that fact when forming the whole 'bird of fire' plan. Now, it was working against her. "We're going to have to do something about this fire before the entire palace burns down."

"What do you suggest we... do... Carter," Jack asked, the question slowed by the sudden downpour. Everyone - including Fraro - froze and looked up at the dark cloud that was spreading through the corridor. Rain pelted them as the 'storm' grew. Sam realized what was happening first. Jack quickly picked up and said, "I thought you said Tae'ya was dead..."

"Looks like I was wrong," Sam admitted.

Teal'c swept the staff across the floor, knocking Fraro to the ground. "Go!" he shouted over the rain. "I shall keep him occupied!"

Jack waved thanks to his friend and hurried off to find the all-important piece of equipment.

---

Tae'ya gasped and released her stomach. She had pressed firmly against her wound to produce tears and it had worked better than she had anticipated; the storm clouds filled the main hall and began spreading like smoke in a burning house... which, in a way, it was. She fell to her knees, the rain plastering her hair to her face. The tears continued, but even without them the storm was so powerful it would rage for hours. Her power had grown to amazing proportions... part of her ascension, she assumed.

After a while, it became too hard for her to remain upright and she fell onto her side, looking up at the clouds she had produced. It was so beautiful... and she had created it.

She was unaware of how much time passed before she saw Sam again, but the blonde's face suddenly filled her vision. "Tae'ya," the human said, blinking away raindrops (or were they tears?) as she examined Tae'ya's wounds. The Major looked beautiful in the rain; her features softened by the rain, shining with wetness. Her hair was plastered against her forehead. Sam shook her head as she saw how badly Tae'ya was hurt. "You're a very strong person, aren't you?"

"I... strove to become more... like you, Samantha..." Tae'ya gasped.

From behind the Major, Tae'ya heard Jack O'Neill call, "Got 'em, Carter! Let's go!"

Sam brushed Tae'ya's hair out of her face. "I'm not leaving her, Sir. I can't."

"Oh, fer cryin' out loud," she heard the Colonel mutter.

---

The GDOs - as well as the rest of their gear and weapons - had been stowed in an easily accessible room. Jack handed out the weapons and then searched for the GDOs. As he had searched, Sam spotted Tae'ya laying in the main entry hall and had ran to her side. Jack finally found his wrist-strap and pulled it free. He turned and saw this his second-in-command had vanished. "Got 'em, Carter! Let's go!"

"I'm not leaving her, Sir. I can't."

Jack saw the intimate brush of Tae'ya's face and nearly lost it. Carter - Major Samantha Carter, scientist, career Air Force, total professional - was letting her feelings get in the way of her team's escape. "Oh, fer cryin' out loud," Jack griped, hurrying to Sam's side. Sure, the rainmaker had helped them... but there was no denying the amount of blood pooling around her body. "She's dying, Carter. There's nothing you can do."

"I have..." Tae'ya started, choking on the words. "I have to help. LaMoor..."

"Help her what?"

The redhead gasped, closing her eyes. She was in excrutiating pain; the wound in her stomach was fatal and there was no way she'd make it to the Stargate. Jack could just picture Tae'ya dropping to her knees on Earth's ramp and dying. And she expected to *help* LaMoor? "How?" he finally asked.

"She... is targeted because she has no child. No... no heir to the throne. She must bear a child."

Jack glanced at Carter. "And?"

Sam remembered why Tae'ya's mother had put a stop to their relationship six months earlier. "Sir... an ascended being of either sex can impregnate a woman. She told me about it last time we met."

"Yes, I can impregnate her. She will bear the child after several hours... but I must be ascended to do so. It is th-the only way to ensure that no one will attempt this plot again. If LaMoor has a child, the bloodline will be established. Fraro will have no choice but to cease his actions."

Jack winced. Women being knocked up by other women? It was a crude way to look at it, but... He shook his head. "The point is, you're not ascended any more. You need the help of the others to... go all glowy."

"We know someone who can help her, Colonel," Sam said, looking up at him through the rain. "Daniel."

Jack was momentarily shocked by the suggestion. "No way. Besides, there's no way to even contact him. She's going, Carter. You have to accept that. We'll find some other way to save LaMoor."

"Really, Jack, were you always this close-minded?"

Everyone - except Tae'ya, of course - turned. Daniel Jackson was standing in the doorway of the palace, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a wool sweater. He was without his signature glasses and the rain seemed to pass right through him. Sam blinked a couple of times, trying to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, then said, "Daniel."

He nodded, then looked at Tae'ya's dying body. "You guys can't seem to stay out of trouble, can you?"

"Dark cloud is coming
Headed straight for your heart
Might get just a little bit crazy baby
Might try to tear us apart
When the storm blows over
Only the strong love remains
If we're ever gonna see a rainbow
We have to stand a little rain."
-- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band


Chapter Five,

"I'm no stranger to the rain.
I can spot bad weather,
And I'm good at finding shelter in a downpour.
I've been sacrificed by brothers,
Crucified by lovers,
But through it all I withstood the pain.
I'm no stranger to the rain."
-- Keith Whitley

Janet couldn't believe her eyes. She moved away from Captain Richardson's broken arm and hurried across the Infirmary. "Get back in that bed this instant," she ordered.

LaMoor simply shook her head. "I cannot," she gasped. "Stargate... I must return to Madrona."

"No, you're in absolutely no condition to travel."

The Queen turned to look at the doctor with sad eyes. "I must. My world is in turmoil. I must... be there to calm the people. Fraro cannot be allowed to destroy everything my uncle and father did." She winced. "If he cannot kill me outright, he will ruin my reputation. I must be there!"

Janet sighed. LaMoor needed bedrest; the poison wasn't completely out of her system yet. But she could see the woman's point. She shook her head and said, "All right. But I'm going with you."

---

Sam still couldn't believe Daniel was standing a few feet away, after all this time. "Can you help her ascend?"

He seemed to ignore the question, kneeling next to Tae'ya and putting a hand on her forehead. "Hey there," he said. "You can't seem to stay out of trouble."

Tae'ya smiled weakly. "At least... I proactively did something. Unlike w-whispering battle plans into someone's ear..."

Daniel returned the smile and looked up at Sam. "She's extremely weak. If I help her ascend, it would be a blatant attempt to help her change this world's history. Unless, of course, she changed her mind about impregnating LaMoor..."

"I must," Tae'ya said.

"She'll be punished. For this, for kidnapping LaMoor in the first place... for everything. As weak as she is, there's a chance she won't survive it."

Sam winced. "Tae'ya, what has to happen to ensure the bloodline?"

"LaMoor must give birth in the presence of a cleric of the court. Once the bloodline has been established, the newborn will be removed from the palace and taken to a safe place. Only... the Queen... will know where. LaMoor's life will no longer be in peril."

"Then I guess we'd better hurry."

"Wait just a second, Jackson," O'Neill snapped. "If you do this, if you help her ascend when you know she's gonna break the rules... won't you get punished, too?"

Daniel pursed his lips and looked at Jack for a long moment. Finally, he said softly, "We'd better hurry."

Jack winced, but knew there would be no way to talk his old friend out of this. His voice was quiet and hurt as he said, "The Stargate should be open... Hammond needs to be warned about what's coming through. Teal'c..." The Jaffa nodded and hurried off. "Okay, Daniel... do your thing..."

The blood was now staining the bottom of Tae'ya's dress. Her face was deathly pale, her hair shining like spilled blood. It pained Sam to look at her. Daniel took the redhead's hand and said, "Are you ready?"

Tae'ya nodded and closed her eyes. Daniel began to glow brightly, his body quickly losing all detail. Tae'ya's battered body shook and twisted, quickly glowing as brightly as Daniel's. The two glowing beings seemed to merge, rising up off the floor. While Daniel's sweater and jeans - apparently consciously created so he wouldn't be nude - had disappeared with him, Tae'ya's bloody robe fell to the ground in a wrinkled pile.

As the twin entities moved through the palace, the remaining members of SG-1 followed quickly. Fraro stood in front of the DHD, blocking their way. His nose looked broken and his chin was covered with blood. He and Teal'c were in the middle of a standoff, both of them unwavering in their stance. "Crap," Jack sighed, bringing his gun up. "Step aside, Fraro!"

"No!" he cried. "It's my destiny!"

Jack was about to open fire when one of the orbs blew past him. It collided with Fraro and the man screamed. He was picked up, hovering a few feet above the DHD. "Dial it up, Teal'c!" Jack said, watching as Fraro was spun blindly by the ascended entity. The Stargate activated and Sam pulled out her GDO, dialing the proper sequence to make passage safe for them.

Once the Stargate was clear, the entity dropped Fraro. He sprawled on the marble floor, shaking his head angrily. "NO! NO!!!" The ride he had just been taken on had made him too dizzy to stand.

SG-1 moved past him quickly, eager to get home and close the Stargate before he could follow them through.

---

Janet entered the Gate Room as the third chevron was locked. She turned to LaMoor, adjusting the jacket the frail woman was wearing. "Are you sure you want to do this? Someone on your world wants you dead. If you come through in such a weakened state..."

"I must," LaMoor said. "Fraro must be punished for his deeds."

"What about your pregnancy? Who will protect you before your child is born?"

LaMoor smiled. "I hope Tae'ya has survived to assist me. I have grown very fond of her during our time together."

Janet almost blushed. She turned to the Stargate and heard Sergeant Davis proclaim, "Incoming wormhole!"

She cursed. Was SG-1 retreating? Had something happened on Madrona? Was it just another team who had amazingly bad timing? The Stargate roared open and Teal'c came through. "Hold your fire!" he commanded, stepping down the ramp quickly. Sam and Jonas followed. Janet was relieved to see the blonde wasn't too worse for wear. The jacket she was wearing, though, was interesting... to say the least. Janet pulled her eyes away from Sam's bare legs before she could be accused of staring.

Following Sam was a huge orb of light. Janet recognized it immediately as an ascended being. She gasped and unconsciously stepped away from LaMoor. The entity moved in front of the weak Queen and her eyes widened, looking at the being with a mixture of awe and fright. Suddenly, she said, "Tae'ya?"

"Do not be afraid," a feminine voice whispered. The light enveloped LaMoor immediately. Thought she looked through squinted eyes, Janet couldn't make out LaMoor's body anymore. After a long moment, during which the Stargate disengaged, the light receeded and two women were standing at Janet's side. One was LaMoor, looking amazingly pregnant and ready to burst. The other Janet recognized as Tae'ya, the rainmaker whose eyes she had examined a few months ago. Tae'ya, Janet noticed with a start, was completely nude.

"How long do we have?" Sam asked, pulling off the jacket she had been wearing and wrapping it around Tae'ya's body. Janet was even more shocked by the Kleenex's Sam was wearing.

Tae'ya looked at LaMoor's stomach. "An hour. Perhaps two. Could we find a cleric in that time?"

"Yes," LaMoor said, sounding more than a little tired. "But we must hurry. This child wishes to be born soon."

---

Fraro fought his way to his feet and stared at the disengaged Stargate. "No..." he whispered. The humans would have to come back to return LaMoor. He was sure of it. A few seconds passed and the Stargate suddenly started to dial. He had successfully calculated their plans and would be easily able to stop them. He stood in front of the giant ring and laughed quietly. He would grab them as soon as they came through. There would be no way to anticipate this method of attack and no way to combat it. He chuckled and shook his head. Such fools. Victory was his.

As the seventh chevron locked, he thought back to the last time he had seen the Gate open. Wasn't there some kind of huge wave that shot out at--

---

Sam tripped and stumbled, keeping her balance and turning to see what was laying in her way. She gasped when she saw a pair of sandals that she knew without a doubt had belonged to Fraro. "He killed himself," she said. "Suicide."

Jack, who had already seen the remains and was leaning on the DHD, said, "Yeah. Guess he couldn't live with what he'd done. Maybe he had a conscience after all."

"Never know," Sam said, shaking her head sadly. Tae'ya and LaMoor were already headed into the palace to find a cleric. It was all over except for the birth.

---

LaMoor gave birth to a baby girl. Her eyes were a brilliant violet, just as Tae'ya's were. LaMoor named the child Adalia, in honor of Tae'ya's mother.

Halasti's lifeless body had been discovered and buried outside the palace. LaMoor eulogized him as a hero who had risked his life to contact the SGC in order to save her and that he would be forever remembered.

Tae'ya herself had disappeared soon after the baby was born. There was no word on where she had gone or what she was going to do. Daniel had also left without so much as a good-bye. The clerics, guards and everyone else loyal to Fraro had left the palace voluntarily, shamed by their actions. The phalanx had been disbanded and banished from the kingdom for their deceit and betrayal.

On Earth, SG-1 did their part in briefing Hammond about the situation. They filled him in on the escape tunnel, the traveling minstrels, the conspiracy by Fraro and the phalanx to take over the throne. In the end, Hammond officially filed the original mission reports the team made upon meeting Tae'ya and included the return to Madrona as a follow-up. The Pentagon might not like the fact that one woman had impregnated another but... well, that was their problem. General Hammond also agreed to assign SG-12 to assist in rebuilding the palace, since one of his team's *had* been the cause for much of the destruction.

Jack invited everyone out for dinner to celebrate their latest 'escape from prison,' but Sam had refused. Jonas had asked, promising to pay for her stuff since he was just so happy she was alive. She had, again, refused. Teal'c offered to sing karaoke, provided the bar had the machine. Sam... couldn't pass that up. It meant putting off her commitment to tell Janet a few hours, but that could prove to be a good thing; it would give her time to sort out everything she wanted to say.

She stopped by the infirmary to invite Janet out to dinner with them, but the doctor was engrossed in a phone call in her office. Sam pantomimed eating and Janet had simply shaken her head, pointing to the fridge in her office. Sam gave her the 'okay' sign and whispered good-night before slipping away from the base.

The team caravaned to the closest karaoke-equipped bar. Sam drank more than she should have. The sight of Teal'c on-stage trying not to torture David Bowie's "Space Oddity" was too much and she laughed harder than she expected. She danced with Jonas when he asked and ate more buffalo wings than she had ever eaten in her life. At the end of the night, Jonas offered to drive her home. She had politely refused, knowing what the Kelownan had in mind; he was slowly but surely developing an innocent crush on her. 'First Narim,' she thought. 'Now Jonas. I have a way with the lonely aliens...'

At eleven-twenty-two, with a few too many beers in her (and way too many wings), she left the bar. As she drove, she could've sworn she was heading home. She had no ulterior motive... no reason to believe she was going elsewhere. But somehow, through no fault of her own, she arrived at Janet's house. She looked up at the two-story domicile, picturing the family that lay within. 'A family,' she thought with a smile. '*My* family. Disfunctional and not very traditional... but mine.'

Janet had, more than once, brought up the fact that she considered Sam a co-parent. Sam had always joked about being more like a co-conspirator... but had Tae'ya been right? Were there more to Janet's throw-away comments? Were her backrubs carefully disguised excuses to be in contact with Sam's body? She closed her eyes. "Be that as it may," she whispered to her steering wheel, "How do I break it to her? 'Hey, Janet. How's things?' Maybe, ah, 'Hey, Janet. Want to be my girlfriend?'" She shook her head angrily. "'Hey, Janet. Ever thought of me sexually? Here's your chance!"

She grunted angrily and grabbed a pen and pad from her glove compartment. She had put it there to help her calculate gas mileage... now it would help her come up with something far more important. She sat in the cold front seat of her car for over two hours, writing blindly, before she finally tore off a dozen sheets of paper and opened her door. 'It's going to happen,' she told herself. 'Tonight.'

Before she got out of the car, she realized that Janet would smell how drunk she was. She pulled a small tin from the pocket of her jacket and popped some mints into her mouth. She crunched them to powder, wincing at the bitterness that swept her tongue, then breathed into her hand. Acceptable...

Hoping her resolve would hold out, she climbed out of the car walked confidentally up to Janet's porch and ... froze, staring with terror at the doorbell. Her courage vanished in an instant. Everything she had written suddenly seemed juvenile and unimportant. She tapped her foot on the porch step. Was she planning to chicken out again? Run away without revealing what she had longed to do? At least this time she hadn't rung the doorbell... yet. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Then she counted to fifteen. Then twenty. Finally, she decided she wasn't going to go through with it. She hated herself for the decision, but it was... the right thing to do.

She was about to turn around and leave when the front door opened. "Was your plan to stalk my front yard all night, or can I invite you in?"

Sam winced at the bitterness in Janet's voice. "I'm sorry," Sam said. "I woke you up again. I should've just waited..."

"No. No, I was awake," Janet said, her voice a bit softer. "Just a little irritated by... by things."

Irritated. Great. That would make her *so* receptive to this... "I just..." Wanted to talk about coffee again. No. "Can we talk inside? In private?"

Janet nodded. "Of course, Sam." She stepped aside and let her friend in. "Is something wrong?" she asked as she locked the door. "Did something happen with the baby?"

Sam smiled. "No. LaMoor is worried sick about Tae'ya, but that's to be expected. Other than that... everything is great."

"Glad to hear it," Janet said, sitting in her recliner. Sam glanced at the bit of negligee revealed by Janet's robe opening. The brunette caught the glance and quickly closed the halves, making Sam feel like a pervert. "So? What's the problem?"

Sam took a deep breath. Then she let it all go. She took another deep breath. And then she let it all go. She took another deep breath... and she held it. Finally, she exhaled quickly and shook her head. "I have something to say."

"I should hope so."

"Remember that-that night about six months ago when I came by in the middle of the night and we talked about coffee?"

Janet smiled. "I finally get to hear the end of that conversation, huh? Been waiting for this."

"Yeah. A-and I've written it down," she waved the papers she held. "So... it's very difficult for me to say. Let me get through it, okay? D-don't interrupt or anything."

"I'm intrigued," Janet said, crossing her legs.

Janet was wearing a pair of cheap slippers, her toes poking out of the ends. Sam felt her mouth watering at the sight of her friend's bare calves. Sam cleared her throat and looked at her notes. "Seven years ago, I thought the most amazing thing I could ever see was the Stargate opening. I dreamt about it, pictured it in my daydreams, fantasized about it. And then, when it finally happened, I was so... overcome with emotion. It was like fulfilling a lifelong dream. And then... life went on. Opening the Stargate became ordinary.

"When I was a girl, I thought walking on the moon would be the ultimate high. To be in *outer space* was too much to dream about. Now, I've been on several moons and it's nothing spectacular. In my life, I sometimes feel like I've gotten used to the extraordinary. I've seen women who can make it rain by crying, fairies that can make entire cities invisible, used an armband that turned me into Wonder Woman, seen my father blended with an ancient alien being... Stuff that would make another person gape makes me yawn. But there's one thing that I have experienced that still takes my breath away.

"You, Janet. You're just... you're everything I wish I could be. You're the most talented doctor I've ever seen. You garden like Martha Stewart. You're the best mother Cassandra could possibly ever hope for. You're the best friend I've ever had in my entire life. You're funny, smart, beautiful..." She closed her eyes. "And, in time, I think my awe of you has grown into something... more. I think--" She looked at her notes and saw she had underlined BE FIRM! several times. "I know without a doubt... that I am in love with you."

Janet sat still for a moment, eyes wide and hands resting on her crossed leg. She swallowed, then said, "Um."

"You don't have to say anything, Janet. You're straight and... and that's that. I just thought you had a right to know how I truly felt. Just... promise me you won't stop being my friend. I've learned how to hide these feelings for so long and I-I've waited so long because I don't think I could handle losing you or Cassandra."

Janet's brow furrowed and she said, "I'm straight." It sounded a bit like a question.

"I know. I... know. I thought I was, too. For a long, long time. I've only ever slept with one woman: Tae'ya." She bit her bottom lip. "It was six months ago, when I first met her. And she urged me to tell you this. But... I chickened out."

"This is a lot to take in at two in the morning. Truthfully, I wish you *had* talked to me about this six months ago," Janet admitted. She stood and asked, "Can we talk this out tomorrow morning in detail?"

Sam stood. "Sure. I think that would be best."

"Let me show you out," Janet said, wanting to look polite. "It's not like I'm throwing you out," she said as she unlocked the front door and pulled it open. "I just need time to digest that my best friend just declared her love for me."

"I understand," Sam said sadly.

Janet wanted to kick the blonde. 'I'm considering it, you knucklehead!' she wanted to shout. Instead, she stood on her tiptoes and curved her hand to the back of Sam's head and pulled the taller woman down into a closed-mouth kiss. They stayed like that for a long time, simply pressing their lips together. After a long, long moment, Janet let her feet fall back to the floor and looked up at Sam. "It's a lot to consider," she repeated. "But I... really, really want to give it a shot. Promise me we'll have breakfast tomorrow. Hey... hey, what about meeting at the Egg?" she asked, referring to a nearby 'home-cooked breakfast' restaurant. "We haven't been there in a while."

"Sure," Sam said, obviously still reeling from the kiss. "That'd be really nice."

"Okay," Janet smiled. "I'm looking forward to it. M-meet you at, uh, nine?"

Sam winced and looked at the clock. "Better make it ten."

Janet nodded, quickly. "Right. Ten tomorrow. The Egg... we talk about all of this. Sound like a good idea?"

"It sounds like a great idea," Sam agreed. "Good-night, Janet."

"G'night, Sam. And, and thank you."

Sam went back to her car and climbed inside, hugging herself as she waited for the car to heat up. 'Janet's open to the possibility. She *kissed* me... She pounded the steering wheel with both hands, bounced up and down in her seat and said, "SHE KISSED ME!" She soon got control of herself again and exhaled, looking up at the house. "She kissed me," she repeated, this time in a whisper. She pulled her car away from the curb and started home, intent on being rested for their talk in the morning...

"Sun is shinin' in the sky,
There ain't a cloud in sight
It's stopped rainin'
Everybody's in a play
And don't you know
It's a beautiful new day."
-- Electric Light Orchestra


AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, that was a fun story, wasn't it boys and girls? Now, if anyone would like to know the names of the songs from which I stole... er, uh, borrowed... the lyrics from, here's a complete list of them.

TITLE
Clint Black - "Like the Rain" (Black/Nicholas) on "Clint Black - The Greatest Hits"

CHAPTER ONE
Shania Twain - "I'm Jealous" (Twain/Lange) on "Up!"
Keith Whitley - "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" (Curtis/Hellard) on "Keith Whitley's Greatest Hits"

CHAPTER TWO
Terri Clark - "Something in the Water" (Shapiro/Clark/Water) on "Just the Same"
Brooks & Dunn - "Every River" (Richey/Angelo/Littlefield) on "Steers and Stripes"

CHAPTER THREE
Stevie Nicks - "Listen to the Rain" (Nicks/Jones/Crago) on "Street Angel"
ELO - "Standin' in the Rain" (Jeff Lynne) on "Out of the Blue"

CHAPTER FOUR
Smashing Pumpkins - "Raindrops and Sunshowers" (?) on "Machina/The Machines of God"
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - "Stand a Little Rain" (Schlitz/Lowery) on "Twenty Years of Dirt"

CHAPTER FIVE
Keith Whitley - "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" (Curtis/Hellard) on "Keith Whitley's Greatest Hits"
ELO - "Mr. Blue Sky" (Jeff Lynne) on "Out of the Blue"

Thanks to John O'Connor for pointing me towards some of these songs! As for everyone else, hope you enjoyed the story! It can be found in one piece in a couple of days at www.realmoftheshadow.com/geonn.htm


Fistful of Rain

Geonn

Stargate SG1

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