Title: Stranded IV: The Indifference of Heaven

Author: Geonn Email: neil_j_miser@yahoo.com Rating: R

Pairings: Sam/f, Janet/m, Sam/Janet

Category: Drama, AU

Series: "Stranded" ("I Believe," "You're Missing," and "Worlds Apart")

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.

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

Notes: This involves a Janet/m relationship. There will be no graphic sexual situations, however. The title is stolen from Warren Zevon.

Spoilers: "The Fifth Race," "Small Victories," "Divide & Conquer," "Scorched Earth," "Meridian"

No Thank You In The World Is Big Enough To Accurately Portray The Thanks She Deserves: To Mesh Felvegi :D

Summary: Janet returns to Earth, but things aren't exactly back to normal.

Chapter One,

"When you're out there on your own
It can chill you to the bone
There's a cold wind blowin'
But it feels good knowin'
The worst is over now - I'm finally goin' home."
-- Bryan Adams

Sam could still hear Kiera's words about the claddagh ring in her hand...

*"When worn on the right hand with the crown turned towards your body, your heart is unoccupied. If you wear it on your right hand with the crown pointing out, your heart is commited to someone. I want you to take this on the mission. Wear it with the crown towards your body if you still... if you still want to love me. If you want to stay with me. But if Janet is still the one you desire, point the crown outward. I'll get the message and I'll understand, either way."*

Sam looked at the ring and then turned her gaze to Janet. She bit her lip and stuck the ring back into the pocket of her vest. She had time to make her decision before she saw Kiera again. She sighed and put her hands flat on the table, looking at the bar where they'd decided to talk things out. People seemed wary of the group, keeping their distance. Deshret was the only local sitting with them.

Deshret. Sam hated the way he touched Janet's hand. She hated the way Janet curled her fingers around his and the way they looked at each other. She forced herself to look away and sighed. "So. You must've had... quite a life here."

Janet smiled and squeezed Deshret's hand. "Yeah. Quite a life."

O'Neill was standing in the doorway, watching as the xenophobic aliens gave him a wide berth. "Hey, I'm not saying this isn't a great place, but what do you fellas say we save the reunions for the road?"

Janet frowned. "Sir?"

"Not to be rude," Jack said, eyeing the other patrons of the bar. He was obviously wary of the tensions boiling beneath the surface of the people gathering here. "But this isn't exactly the warmest welcome I've ever received. I think the sooner we take off, the better it is for everyone."

Janet looked at Deshret and said, "I... I never really thought of that."

"You never thought of leaving?" Daniel asked.

"No, of course I did... but... wow. Now that I actually have the option, it feels weird to leave this place behind." She looked around. "I have a life here. I have responsibilities." Her gaze stopped on Deshret. "I have... love."

Sam winced visibly and looked down at the table.

Janet chewed her lip. Finally, she shook her head and said, "No. I can't do it. I can't leave." She looked at Sam when she said, "I'm not going back with you."

Luckily, Jack saved Sam the trouble of replying to this decision. "Yeah. That makes sense. Work all this time to save you and you don't want to come..."

Deshret, however, was the voice of reason. "Janet, these people are your kind. They are offering you Earth." He looked at the tabletop and took Janet's hand. "You must go. This is not where you belong."

"Deshret," Janet said softly, cupping his face. Sam stood and walked to the doorway, pretending to be taking over O'Neill's spot as look-out. "Okay. I'll go with you on one condition. Deshret comes with us."

Everyone looked at her. "What?" O'Neill snapped.

"Janet," Deshret smiled. "What are you suggesting?"

"You come home with me. To Earth. We'll raise our baby together, live together... It won't be like this on Earth. People won't hate *you* for being an alien because they won't know!" She smiled and looked at the others. "Assuming it's okay with you, Colonel."

O'Neill shrugged. "Hey, who'm I to stand in the way of young love?" He checked his watch and sighed. "I'll give you kids a little while to pack what you need and say your good-byes. We'll leave in forty-five minutes."

Janet stood. "Oh. You... wouldn't happen to have a spare watch, would you?"

Sam pulled hers off and tossed it to the doctor. "Thank--" Janet said, surprised to see Sam had already walked out of the bar. "--You," she finished, strapping on the watch.

---

Janet found Sam a few minutes before the deadline, crouched in the terrypijn field next to the stream. It was where they had met up during SG-1's original trip to the planet, where they had shared their last few moments together. It was the site of their last kiss. Janet knelt next to the blonde and said, "Hi."

Sam stood and brushed off her pants. Janet followed suit. "Three years," Sam said quietly.

"Did you really expect me to... wait for you, Sam? I had no idea if you would ever penetrate the cloud again." She furrowed her brow. "How did you penetrate the cloud again?"

Sam ignored the last question. "I didn't expect you to wait for me, Janet. It just... hurts."

"Seeing me with someone else?"

"Seeing that we've both moved on so easily. I've been seeing someone else, too."

Janet flinched at that and looked at the stream. "Oh."

Sam shook her head and chuckled. "See? You're pregnant with someone else's baby and you still feel bad about me being with someone else." She ran a hand through her hair. She sighed and stood up. "We're about ready to head home. You ready?"

"Yeah," Janet nodded, looking around. "Y'know, as bad as this place was and as horrible as some of the people sometimes were... I'm actually going to miss it."

Sam smiled and said, "Yeah. Come on. I've got a lot to tell you about."

---

Janet shook her head and said, "Wait... wait a second. The Gadmeer *wanted* the planet but you had already transplanted the... uh..."

"Enkarans," Daniel supplied.

"Right. The Enkarans were already transplanted. So you used the computers on the Gadmeer ship to locate the Enkaran homeworld?" She shook her head. "Simply amazing."

As Daniel finished his story about the conflict between the Gadmeer and the Enkarans, Jack O'Neill swept in and started filling her in on a handful of days when he had the full library of someone called the Ancients downloaded into his brain. Deshret smiled and looked down at the floor of the ship he was traveling on.

'The ship I'm traveling on,' he thought. 'I'm traveling on a spaceship! I'm leaving my planet and going to another one thousands of light years away!' He marveled at the thought and looked over at Janet again. She was sitting on a cargo crate, reclining against the wall with her bare feet swinging back and forth as she listened to her friends speak. He would never again wish for Janet to suffer the trials she had suffered on Sekhet-Aanru; he hated the idea of her being disliked and feared. But now that she was among friends, he wondered if he may be pushed to the sidelines.

He walked out of the cargo hold and sat in the cockpit, where the two bald men were sitting. "I'm sorry, I don't remember your names," he said.

"I'm Jacob Carter, Sam's father. This is Teal'c."

The Jaffa bowed slightly in his seat. "You are the father of the child Janet Fraiser carries?"

Deshret smiled proudly. "I am."

"I believe the proper response is... congratulations."

Jacob smiled. "It is." He reached across with his right hand. "Congratulations, Deshret. Welcome to Earth, by the way."

"Earth. Yes... I've heard marvelous things about Earth from Janet. Blue skies, so many people... automobiles. I look forward to learning about radio and television."

"Have you thought of names for the baby yet?"

"Janet is confident it will be a boy. We have been... arguing over what to name him. I prefer traditional names from my world, she prefers names from Earth. I would suppose a common Earth name would be appropriate. Do you have any ideas?"

Jacob shrugged. "I've always been partial to the name Jacob..." He winked and shrugged. "Besides... I'm sure the names from your world aren't *that* bad. What were you thinking of calling your son?"

"Nut."

The Tok'ra sat still for a moment, then nodded. "I'm sure you'll think of something you two can agree on."

---

Janet woke up a few minutes after falling asleep and rearranged her skirt over her legs. "Hey," Sam whispered from the shadows. "You up?" The cargo hold was dark, the lights dimmed to help Janet sleep. They had another three hours before they reached the closest Stargate-equipped planet and the team had decided sleep would be best. Unfortunately, turning out the lights and saying 'sleep' at what felt like three in the afternoon wasn't exactly the best way to get rest.

Janet rolled onto her side, putting both hands on her stomach. "Hey."

"I've been trying to find a way to say this subtly, but I can't. I got a promotion. I'm a Major now."

She heard a quiet gasp and felt Janet's hand on her own. "Sam, I'm so happy for you! That's great! Congratulations!"

Sam rubbed Janet's knuckles and said, "I've missed being able to touch you. What you must have gone through... I'm sorry for leaving you there for so long, Janet."

"It wasn't your fault. Colonel O'Neill told me all about the Tollan phase-shift device, not to mention how many times you asked the Tok'ra and Tollan for help. Thank you for that."

Sam shrugged and rolled onto her back. Across the cargo hold, she could hear the 'rkkkkk-shnnnn' of her CO's snoring. She'd grown accustomed to it over the years during off-world missions. She ran a hand over her short hair and said, "We really have to talk. Privately. Alone."

"Yeah," Janet whispered.

"Hey," O'Neill's sleep-slurred voice came from across the room. "You two girls stop gabbing and get to sleep."

Janet smiled in the darkness. "Yes, Sir," she said. She squeezed Sam's hand one more time before rolling over and trying to get to sleep.

---

Jacob hugged Sam at the Stargate. "I wish I could go back with you."

"A Tok'ra's job is never done," Sam smiled. "I understand." She hugged him again and stepped aside as her father moved on to bid farewell to everyone else in their little team.

When the elder Carter got to Janet, he smiled. "Ma'am."

"General Carter," she said, extending a hand. "I want to thank you for coming to get me."

"It was a pleasure, my dear." He shunned her hand and hugged her tightly. "Welcome home, Doctor."

Janet looked at the Stargate and exhaled. "I'm not quite home yet. But thank you. I look forward to being home again."

Sam turned at that and began dialing the Stargate. Janet watched, moving towards the DHD as Sam did the same thing Janet had done every day for the first two years of her life on Sekhet-Aanru. For a while, she had been sure she'd gotten the order screwed up; dialed the wrong address. She was certain that, even if they managed to get through she would end up on the wrong world anyway. But Sam dialed it exactly as Janet remembered. The only difference this time was the wall of water that appeared in the center of the ring.

"It opened," Janet breathed.

"Yep," Sam smiled, dialing the GDO on her wrist. When she put in the last few digits, she looked up at Janet with a smile. "Care to do the honors?"

O'Neill pulled off his goggles. "You earned it, Doc. Go on home."

Janet put one hand on her stomach and wrapped her other hand around Deshret's as they approached the Stargate. Three years after leaving, she was finally going to go home. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what a trip through the wormhole felt like. She had been told to exhale on the other side; it was just easier on the body. She took a deep breath and pressed forward. The blue-white energy enveloped her, sucking her through the event horizon. A few seconds later, she felt the hard, cold ramp beneath her cloth sandals, the air conditioned - *air conditioning!* - Gate Room humming all around her.

"Doctor Janet Fraiser," Hammond's voice boomed. "Welcome home."

Janet smiled at Deshret. "Welcome to my neck of the woods."

---

After an initial welcoming speech, Hammond dismissed the team to the infirmary to be looked over. Janet walked into the room that had once been a second home to her, amazed at how different it looked. The new doctor had changed everything, but it was so *slightly* altered that she could almost imagine it hadn't changed at all. She chose a bed for herself and lay down, staring up at the ceiling. Deshret had been taken to an isolation room; nothing personal, they just wanted to make sure he wasn't carrying any dormant diseases from Sekhet-Aanru (really, 'War of the Worlds' had turned people into such germophobes).

Sam had accompanied her to the infirmary and was waiting when Kiera came in. "Hey, Sam," the redhead smiled. "Welcome home." Turning her attention to the bed, she said, "Well... this must be my infamous predecessor," she said, extending her hand. "Janet Fraiser, Kiera Morgan. Pleasure to meet you."

Janet took the hand and shook it weakly. "Thank you. You too."

O'Neill came into the infirmary, interrupting the awkwardness. "Carter. Hammond wants to know our side while he's waiting for the Doc and Deshret to join us."

"Can it wait?" Sam said, tilting her head towards him without actually looking at him.

"Nope," the Colonel said, slapping the doorframe with his palm a few times. "Hop to."

Sam sighed and said, "I'll try to be back soon. I'll see you."

The blonde squeezed Janet's palm and then looked at Kiera. Janet read volumes in the look they shared, and she suddenly knew who Sam was in love with. Once they were alone, Janet said, "You're in love with her?"

Kiera paused, then nodded. "I am. And... the feeling is mutual, I think."

"I know it is," Janet smiled. "I've seen Samantha Carter in love. And she loves you."

Kiera smiled, then shook her head. "You saw us together for three seconds."

Janet nodded. "Which should tell you how much she loves you. How long have you two been..."

"A little over two years," Kiera said, wincing a little. "I just... she still holds a little bit of herself back when it comes to love. She's still holding a candle for you and she never gave up. I just... I want you to know that."

"And I still love her. But... I love Deshret, too." She closed her eyes and coughed a little laugh. "When did love get so complicated? I'm divorced, separated from a woman I really do love, all but married to a man I do love... I thought love was supposed to be straight-forward, 100 percent with one person. Does this mean that I'm not really in love with *either* of them?"

Kiera chuckled. "Janet... if anyone could rationalize love, there wouldn't be a market for psychiatrists or self-help gurus."

---

Three years off-world leads to a rather lengthy debrief. Janet gave as much information as she could regarding her time on Sekhet-Aanru, interrupting a few times for trips to bathroom (damn her already small bladder, not to mention the added trips necessitated by her pregnancy!). Finally, Hammond determined he'd gotten enough information to determine that she posed no threat to the SGC (a comment that led to Sam explaining, in full, the za'tarc crisis of a year or so earlier).

When they were dismissed, Janet waddled to the elevators, leaning against the wall as she waited for the car to arrive. Sam joined her, pressing her forehead against the cement wall. "Kyle."

"What?" Janet frowned.

Sam shrugged. "I've... the name Kyle. I've always liked it."

"Kyle," Janet said, nodding. "It's nice. Very nice. I like it, too."

The elevator doors opened and Sam escorted Janet inside.

"Are you ready for this?" the blonde asked.

"No," Janet smiled. "It... it seems so weird to be home. You know? I spent so much time convincing myself I'd never see Earth again and that I'd never see you or Cassie again... it's just hard to accept that I'm actually here. I feel like I'm dreaming. Has anything else changed that I should know about?"

Sam thought, then said, "You remember Cassandra, right?" Janet nodded with a smile. "Forget the sweet little girl you left. This girl is a Triple-T: Typical Teen Terror. Anytime Kiera and I try to get her to do anything as a family--" She stopped mid-sentence and winced. "I mean..."

"It's okay. I understand. You've moved on and so has Cassie. And so have I." She closed her eyes. "God. It's so..."

"There's another issue we need to address. Kiera and I have been sleeping together in your house. In... i-in the bed you and I shared."

Janet's arms visibly shook. "Y-you slept with her in *our* bed?" Her brow furrowed. "I-I don't think I can... laugh that one off."

"I know. I don't expect you to. I just... wanted you to know."

"How are we going to deal with the living situation, by the way?" Janet asked. "You, me, Deshret and Kiera living under the same roof? How would that look?"

Sam forced a smile. "Like Deshret is the biggest swinger this side of Abydos?"

Janet smirked. "Seriously."

"I'll move out. I've been thinking about it since Narim gave us the phase-shift device. I can move into Kiera's apartment. It'll be okay."

"Okay," Janet nodded. "But what're we going to do with Cassandra?"

The elevator bells dinged and the door opened. Janet stepped inside, holding her hand against the side of the door when she noticed Sam wasn't following her. "Are... you coming? We really should talk about this."

"Yeah. Uh... can I catch up with you, Janet? I have to tell Kiera something."

Janet nodded. "Okay. I'll see you in my quarters."

"Okay," Sam agreed. She turned and walked through the Control Room, searching for Kiera. She finally found the redhead leaving Hammond's office after giving him her report on Deshret and Janet's health. "Kiera. Hold up for a second," Sam called.

She touched the redhead's elbow and led her to a supply closet. She closed the door and pulled the ring from the pocket of her jumpsuit. "I assume you notice I didn't put this on."

Kiera nodded sadly. "I understand if you haven't made up your mind."

"I did," Sam said. "I really did make up my mind. It's just that... I..." She closed her eyes and dropped onto one knee. "We can't get married. Or even publicly engaged. But... I think this ring symbolizes that this relationship is something important to both of us. You helped me get through hell with my sanity - for the most part - intact. Just because Janet is home doesn't change the fact that you were there for me. You gave yourself to me without expecting anything in return." She took Kiera's hand and slid the ring on Kiera's right ring finger, with the crown pointing out. "I want you to know how I feel. I love you, Kiera."

The redhead blinked and pulled Sam to her feet, kissing her softly. They held each other for a few minutes, among the surplus toilet paper rolls and Kleenex boxes awaiting requisition. For those few moments, they had each other and everything else in the world - as far as they were concerned, was perfection.

---

Cassandra flipped the page and scanned the article for keywords before going back and reading it from the beginning. She sipped her applejuice as she read one of the cover stories in the latest issue of Seventeen. She was halfway through when she heard the front door open and someone came into the house. "Crap," the girl whispered. She tucked the magazine into her bookbag and dragged out the quantum physics book, cracking it to the page she had been assigned. Half the work was already done, but Sam wouldn't believe that unless she saw it. "Up here!" she called, pulling her pencil from behind her ear.

Sam knocked lightly before opening the door. "Hey, hon. Homework?"

"Yeah. How was the mission?"

"Cass," the blonde said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "The mission I went on had a... special objective. I didn't want to tell you anything because I didn't want to get your hopes up, but... well..." She turned and said, "Come on in."

The door opened and Janet meekly entered the bedroom. "Hey, Cassandra. I'm home," the brunette said, smiling shyly.

Cassandra's eyes widened. In a weak voice filled with tears, she whispered, "Mom?"

"It's me," Janet assured her.

The teen launched herself off the bed, grabbing Janet and hugging her tightly. "Mom! Mom, you're back! God, Mom, I missed you!"

Janet stepped back, brushing the girl's face. "God, look how *big* you are! You're so tall!" She shook her head. "You look like a completely different person."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like a totally ugly teen with an awful complexion and everything..."

"Like a beautiful young lady," Janet corrected. "God, I missed you so much," the woman said, kissing her daughter's cheeks. "We have to talk, though."

"I'd say," Cassie said, looking at her mother's stomach.

"Sandra," Sam started, then explained to Janet, "It's... a nickname she picked for herself with Kiera. Honey, Kiera and I are going to be moving out now. Your mom found someone else to help get her through her time off-world and... well, they're in love with each other now. Like Kiera and I are in love."

Cassandra frowned. "I thought you guys were just kind of... helping each other until Mom came home."

"We were at first. But... real feelings started to grow. I can't just stop loving Kiera. I can't just turn those feelings over to your Mom. It doesn't work that way. You know how you feel about Dominic, right?"

"Dominic?" Janet asked.

"He's, uh, Cassandra's boyfriend. Cass, imagine if he left to go to... to Paris. And you found someone else here that you really, really liked and you were with this new person for three years. And then Dominic came back. Can you kind of think of how that would be?"

"It'd suck," Cassie said softly. "Big time."

Sam smiled. "Yeah. It would. Key and I are going to move into her apartment. Janet and Deshret will move in here and live together."

"Mom, I'm sorry," Cassandra said. "But... would you mind if I wanted to live with Sam and Kiera?"

Janet's eyebrows rose and she shrugged, looking down at her hands. "Wh... well, of course not. I mean, they've been your parents for three years. I understand if you want to stick by them."

"But I'm not saying that's what I want just yet," the girl sighed. "I want to sleep on it."

"Of course, honey. Of course."

Sam stood and helped Janet to her feet. They went into the hall, quietly closing Cassandra's bedroom door behind them. Alone, Janet collapsed in Sam's arms and began to cry quietly. Sam shushed the petite doctor, holding her until her tears dried. Homecoming was not supposed to be this heartbreaking...

Chapter Two,

Janet was wheeled into the delivery room, surrounded by a flurry of activity. She felt like an extra on "ER." Kiera Morgan was on one side, shouting orders at a nurse as she went by. Sam and Deshret were on the opposite side, both of them taking turns holding her hand. Janet rolled her head on the pillow as she was transfered to the bed. Her feet were put in stirrups and Kiera lifted the gown. "You're fully dilated," the redhead reported, slipping on her rubber gloves. "This baby is ready to come out."

Janet squeezed Deshret's hand and laid her head back on the table. Suddenly, he was pulled away. She sat up, frowning. "Deshret? Wh-where are you taking him?"

"I'm sorry," Kiera said. "He can't be present during the birth."

Deshret was taken through the double doors, protesting the entire way. As soon as he was gone, the doors swung open again and four men in dress blues entered. Their patent-leather shoes squeaked on the hospital floor. The one Janet recognized as Maybourne pulled off his hat and tucked it under one arm. "Status?" he asked, his nasally voice grating on Janet's nerves.

"Subject FC-458291-A is crowning," the redhead reported

Janet furrowed her brow and grit her teeth. "Subject... what? His name is Kyle..."

"Not anymore," Maybourne informed her, handing her a sheet of paper with a large red X on it. "The President signed this order giving me full control of this being."

"He's my son."

Maybourne smirked. "As I said... 'it' is nobody's son. It is an experiment. Doctor, it would be in your best interest to push."

Janet didn't want to do anything this slime wanted. She didn't want to make anything easy for them. But she grit her teeth and pushed. Kiera smiled and said, "It's coming. Keep pushing."

"He," Janet forced out. "HE is coming..."

"The thing inside of you, Dr. Fraiser, is an alien being. It would be best if you didn't become attached to it."

Janet felt tears burning down her cheeks. "What?! What are you talking about?" Realization struck her and she looked at the doors. "Where is Deshret? Where did you take him? What did you bastards do with Deshret?!"

Maybourne checked his watch and didn't answer her question.

"He's human!" Janet said. "Deshret and my baby... they're both human! They were taken from Earth! They aren't aliens!"

Everyone ignored her pleas. Kiera straightened and said, "The Subject has been born," she reported, lifting the bundle in her arms. Janet choked back a scream as she saw the slimy, tentacled creature the doctor held in her hands. "This is your child, Janet," Kiera reported. "This is what's growing inside of you. An alien. A *monster*."

Maybourne took 'Kyle' and wrapped him in a sheet. "Prepare the dissection tools." He and the other three men left the room.

---

Janet sat up, a scream dying in her throat. She held her stomach as she hurried to the bathroom, falling to her knees and throwing up in the middle of the floor. She was sobbing as her stomach convulsed, her throat burning painfully as she leaned against the sink in her private quarters. She'd come back to the base after seeing Cassie so she could be close to Deshret. She hugged herself, wanting Deshret to hold. He was still in isolation, being checked out for what they assumed was just a common cold virus. She coughed, then straightened and went to the shower, turning it on and sitting under the stream in her nightgown.

As if sensing her lonlieness, Kyle kicked her.

Janet gasped and put her hands on her stomach. "I know you're not a monster, sweety. You're going to be my little boy." She kissed her fingers and rested them on her stomach as Kyle kicked her again. "You're my little boy..."

---

Early the next morning, Kiera allowed Janet to be the one who broke the news to Deshret. He'd been found clean of any contagious diseases and was cleared to be released as soon as possible. He thanked both of the doctors, then let Janet lead him out of the isolation room. She took him to the elevators, promising the small metal car was safe. He still looked nervously at the ceiling when the doors slid shut. Janet pulled him down and kissed him softly, whispering reassurances as the car began to move. He swallowed sharply and wrapped his arm around her. "I trust you," he said as they rode up through the mountain.

They arrived at the halfway point and Deshret looked dubious about immediately getting onto another car. Janet softly explained how deep they were in the ground, how important security was, and how two elevators really made more sense than one. Licking his lips nervously, Deshret again boarded the car. He didn't, however, look at the doors as they closed.

When they finally reached the surface, they were surprised to see everyone that had preceded them standing in a semi-circle around the elevator. "Surprise!" Sam shouted, throwing a handful of confetti in the air.

Jack O'Neill looked up and mumbled "Surprise," as he tried to use frosting to cover the stolen bite he'd taken from his cupcake.

Janet smiled and said, "Thank you, guys... Thanks so much."

Sam handed Deshret a cupcake, which he looked at with only slightly less trepidation than he had the elevators. "Do you need a ride home? I'd be happy to give you a lift." She grinned and said, "Cassie's been planning this since you dropped in last night. I have to give her an exact ETA or she'll bite my head off."

"I will take that ride, thank you," Janet said. "I doubt I could even steer with this thing in front of me," Janet said, patting her belly. "Now... where'd you park?"

---

Janet sipped water while Sam and Deshret had coffee. Deshret seemed intrigued by the taste of the drink, but hadn't made a decision on it yet. Janet said, "I think that Kyle would be a great name for our child."

Deshret tilted his head. "Yes. I like the sound of that."

Sam smiled. "Has he kicked yet?"

"Last night," Janet smiled, smoothing her hand over her stomach. She didn't tell them the kick came after the terrible nightmare; they didn't need to know about that... "Powerful little kicker."

Sam smiled and looked up as Cassandra entered the living room. "It's not perfect," the teen said, "but here it is!" She put the cake down on the table and stepped back, using a cigarette lighter to light the four candles at each end.

"Young lady, where did you get that lighter?" Sam asked.

The girl looked at it and said, "Um... a kid I know at school gave it to me."

Sam snapped her fingers and held her hand out, palm up. Cassie sighed and handed over the contraband. Sam slipped the lighter into her pocket, giving Cassie a hard look. "You better just be using it for candles."

"Promise," Cassie said. "Go 'head, guys. Make a wish."

Janet took Deshret's hand and leaned over (as much as she could lean, anyway) and exhaled sharply. The candles were extinguished. The cake was chocolate with vanilla frosting, the words WELCOME HOME written across the top in letter-shaped cookies. Cassandra took the 'W' and chomped on it. "I'll get a knife." She headed into the kitchen, shouting an affirmative when Sam reminded her to get plates, too.

Janet rubbed her face and sat back on the sofa, resting her hand on her forehead. "I forgot about traffic," she said, referring to the car wreck that had delayed their arrival home by forty minutes. "I forgot there were so many *people* here." She looked out the window. "It's going to take a while getting used to all this again."

"You'll have me and Kiera and Cassandra to help you adjust," Sam said. "Speaking of whom... where *is* that kid?"

Cassie came in from the kitchen then, with a big butcher knife and four plates. "I had to wash a couple of plates."

Sam sighed. "I thought doing the dishes was on your chore list this morning."

The girl shrugged. "I got busy."

"Cassandra, get in the kitchen and start a load of dishes before you eat cake."

"Mom! Key said I could--"

"Cassandra Carter..." Janet started a bit at this, but said nothing.

"Kiera said--"

"NOW," Sam growled. "Go. Or we'll add stuff to the list."

Cassie growled and stomped back into the kitchen.

Deshret raised an eyebrow. "Are all children this... disobedient on Earth?"

"The teenage children are," Janet said, rolling her eyes and cutting the cake. "I swear Sam, the kids in Tuat, you wouldn't even have recognized them as teenagers. Polite, considerate... completely different than here."

"Maybe we could send Cassandra for a few weeks for boot camp or something."

Deshret helped Janet distribute the pieces of cake. Cassie returned a few minutes later, sulking but not angry enough to turn away her cake. The room fell into comfortable silence for a few minutes as they ate. Sam looked up, noticing that Janet and Deshret both seemed to be questioning the taste. "Everything all right?" the Major asked.

"Yes, it is delicious," Deshret said. "But... it needs..."

"Terrypijn," he and Janet said in stereo. They laughed and Janet said, "I'm sorry, Sam. Cassie. The cake is excellent. I guess I've just gotten used to everything being flavored with terrypijn. It's a grain on Sekhet-Aanru that was used in everything." She licked some frosting from her fingers and shook her head. "It's great, though. God, I've missed chocolate."

The front door opened and Kiera entered, unwrapping herself from her coat and scarf. "Hey, everyone. Sorry I'm late." She walked up to Sam and the blonde stood, kissing her lover hello. Janet swallowed her mouthful of cake and looked down at her plate, feeling silly for feeling jealous. She sighed and took Deshret's hand. "What'd I miss?" Kiera asked.

"Sam yelled at me about the dishes," Cassie moped.

"Oh," Kiera said, "I-I told her she could put it off so she could make the cake."

Sam frowned. "Well... it was her chore. And she could've done the dishes while she was waiting for the cake to cook."

"I didn't think it was a big deal," Kiera said, glancing nervously at Janet and Deshret.

"I told her to do those dishes and you told her it didn't matter. Those are her chores, Key. They're important."

"They're *dishes*."

"They're her responsibility."

Icicles grew on the air between the two women. Deshret glanced at Janet and pulled the O-shaped cookie from the cake. Janet stood and said, "Sam, don't you think you're over-reacting to this? It was just dishes."

"No, Janet, it wasn't just dishes," Sam said. "Kiera has been the fun one ever since she started staying here. She tells Cassie it's okay to bend a rule every now and then. I'm sick of it."

Janet raised an eyebrow. "Because you don't get to be the fun one anymore?" Sam looked at the brunette and Janet laughed. "Oh, how quickly they forget! Sam! How many times did I tell Cassie to do something, only to find you playing video games with her in the den? Lay off poor Kiera."

Sam worked her jaw, then nodded. "Sorry, Key."

"No problem," Kiera said. To Janet, she added, "Wish you'd been here for the Field Trip Fiasco."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Please, not that again. Can we just eat cake and enjoy the evening?"

"Yes, please." Kiera sighed, taking a seat next to Sam. "Pass me the 'M' cookie, please?"

---

Janet and Deshret helped Sam pack up and Kiera loaded up the car. As soon as they were done, Sam hugged Janet. "Are you sure you'll be okay? It'll probably be weird being home after all this time. I could sleep downstairs for tonight--"

"I'll be fine," Janet promised. "Deshret and I will be just fine." She kissed Sam on the cheek and said, "Thank you for taking care of... of everything."

"My pleasure. I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast, all right? Bye, Cassandra! We'll see you tomorrow!" The girl was staying the night, as she had school the next day and didn't have time to set up her room at Kiera's. Sam kissed Janet's cheek, shook Deshret's hand and walked down the brick path to Kiera's car.

Janet closed the door and hugged Deshret tightly. He kissed the top of her head and said, "We're home."

She smiled and said, "Yes. We are..."

The baby kicked then, and both of them felt it.

---

Sam deposited her things on the floor of Kiera's apartment and slipped off her jacket. "Honey, I'm home," she smiled. She ran her fingers down the white doorframe that had marked her jacket with a skunk-stripe oh-so-long ago. Kiera walked up behind the blonde and hugged her, the redhead's hands rested on Sam's abdomen. "Hey," Sam whispered.

"Hi. What do you want to do?"

In lieu of answering, Sam turned and kissed the doctor, tangling her fingers in the other woman's hair. "Let's go in the bedroom."

Kiera brushed Sam's cheek and said, "No."

"Kiera, please..." Sam said, closing her eyes. "Not the game..."

"I won't go in the bedroom until you tell me why you want to go in there."

Sam bit her lip. "I want to be with you," she finally managed.

"You can be with me in here," Kiera said, kissing Sam's cheek. "I want to hear you say it."

"Honey..."

"SAY it," Kiera insisted.

Sam closed her eyes. "I want to make love to you."

Kiera pushed Sam towards the bedroom door, unbuttoning her blouse. "A little better." She finished with the buttons on Sam's blouse and pressed her palm against the blonde's stomach, leading her into the dark bedroom. "Where do you want my hand?"

"Down."

"Where?"

Sam swallowed. "Put y-your fingers under my panties. Touch me..."

Kiera complied. She undid the catch on Sam's slacks with one hand and slipped the other into the darkness. Sam closed her eyes and fell back onto the bed, spreading her knees as Kiera knelt between them. Kiera felt the blonde's coarse pubic hair against the back of her fingers, felt the warm wetness rising from below, captured by the material of Sam's underwear and slacks. She turned her hand around and cupped the blonde's sex entirely in her hand, slipping her middle finger into the slit. Sam lifted her hips slightly off the bed and made a quiet 'mmm,' sound.

Using her index and ring finger to massage the blonde's outer folds, she thrust the tip of her middle finger into the blonde, a slow mechanical process that slowly edged Sam's body closer and closer to the precipice of orgasm. "Ummmm," Sam whispered, putting her hands back and balancing herself on them as Kiera manipulated her.

The redhead withdrew her hand and pressed her face forward, kissing Sam through the multiple barriers of underwear and pants. Sam lifted her head slightly, looking quizzically at her lover, but confusion turned to beautiful pain as Kiera kissed the slightly damp material between Sam's legs. The blonde started to push her pants down, but Kiera stopped her. "I want to do this," she said. "Let me."

Sam relented, leaving her slacks hanging low on her hips as Kiera's mouth and tongue moved over the denim of Sam's blue jeans. She lifted her head and rubbed the now-wet circle with the tip of her index finger. The difference was the majority of the moisture was from the doctor's own lips and tongue. "Sam... you know that only dirty, nasty girls come in their pants, right?"

"What?" Sam breathed.

Kiera kissed the wet spot again. "I don't want you to be dirty or nasty, so I'm going to trust you not to come until I take off your pants."

"Key..."

"Promise me!"

Sam nodded and threw her head back. "Okay! Okay..." She panted and grabbed her bra, pulling it off and tossing it into the corner. She had to do something to get her mind off the storm brewing between her legs. She gasped and grabbed her breasts, toying with the nipples and pinching them hard, biting her lip as Kiera continued to play between her lover's spread legs. "Kiera, stop," Sam said, causing the redhead to immediately freeze. "I-I need... stop."

Kiera immediately stripped Sam's pants and underwear off. 'Stop' was their safe word. A thoroughly unimaginative safe word, but it worked. Kiera pushed Sam down onto the bed and covered her pussy with one hand to capture the escaping fluid. Sam kissed her lover as she came, tears flowing down her face as she coated the redhead's hand. Kiera kissed away the salty tracks, using her tongue to smooth out the wetness.

When Sam's orgasm subsided, Kiera brought her hand up and she shared the bounty with Sam, alternating long, languid licks with kisses. Finally, Sam rolled over and pinned Kiera to the mattress. She took both of Kiera's hands and stretched them out to either side, holding the redhead firmly. She then put her sweaty forehead to Kiera's and breathed, "I'm sorry." She pressed her thigh against Kiera's center and began to rock her hips back and forth. The redhead matched her thrust for thrust, emitting the low 'um-um-um' sound Sam had grown accustomed to.

Kiera tilted her head up, snaking her tongue out and finding Sam's lips. The blonde moaned as she kissed her lover, then elaborated. "I'm sorry," Sam repeated, "for yelling at you. I'm sorry I embarrassed you in front of Janet and Deshret."

Moaning, Kiera rolled over, pinning Sam to the mattress. She rose up and pressed her thighs together, slipping between Sam's legs and pulling the other woman's wet lips against her stomach. "Apology accepted," Kiera whispered, using her thumb to circle Sam's clit.

The blonde bit her lip and threw her head back, burrowing into the pillows. "Play," Sam whispered, the word barely audible.

"Are you sure?" Kiera asked.

Sam grit her teeth and repeated, "Play!"

The redhead grabbed a handful of Sam's short hair and pulled her head up. "Tell me."

The roughness phase had just entered into their relationship. Nothing major, no spanking or fisting or anything of that nature. Just sometimes things got a little... heavy. "Tell me," Kiera growled.

"I love you, Kiera," Sam mewed.

Kiera tightened her grip. "TELL me what you like," she demanded.

"I love it w-when you fuck me." Her ears were already red and her cheeks were following suit. "I l-love when you make me come."

"Are you going to come for me?"

"Yes," Sam whimpered, arching her back.

Kiera kissed Sam passionately, forcing her tongue into the blonde's mouth. Sam moaned around the invader, welcoming the invasion as her climax shook her body. She linked her hands behind Kiera's back, pulling the redhead closer. Kiera in turn moved her hands down to cup Sam's face, slowly lowering herself from the height she'd been on. "I love you, too, Samantha," the doctor whispered as she pressed her body against the exhausted blonde's. "I love you." They curled against each other, their bodies seemingly flowing together beneath the blankets.

---

Janet lay awake under her grandmother's comforter, holding her hands to her ears.

So much damn noise here... it was so loud! Cars passing in the street, radios blaring, dogs barking non-stop, car alarms blaring, a train whistle in the distance, the humming of the air conditioner, the infernal tick-tick-tick of her bedside clock... Not to mention how *bright* it was. The clock on the night stand, the street light outside... She sat up and got out of bed, going to the bathroom and searching for a sleep-aid she could take without endangering Kyle.

Finding nothing in the medicine cabinet, she went downstairs and got a glass of milk, pouring it into a pan on the stove to heat it. She was so tired, but how could she sleep with all these distractions?

She rubbed her forehead and finally allowed herself to think what she'd been avoiding for the past two days. Maybe returning to Earth had been a mistake.

---

Sam quietly disentangled herself from the sweaty limbs of her lover, careful not to wake the redhead as she slipped into her robe and headed to the bathroom. Not completely familiar with the layout of Kiera's apartment, Sam stubbed her toe on the doorframe, whispering a curse before sitting on the closed toilet lid. She rubbed her face as she thought about the previous night and all the nights before. Kiera had almost mauled her in their love-making. She had been desperate, angry, wanton... almost hurtful at one point. Sam didn't blame her; she had every right to be anxious about Janet.

Ruffling her hair, Sam thought about the proclamations Kiera demanded while they were making love. "I love you" wouldn't do. It had to be "I love you, Kiera."

It hurt Sam to know Kiera was that insecure, but she knew that it wasn't completely baseless. She got up, leaving the bathroom light on as she knelt next to the bed and gently woke her lover. "Kiera," she whispered. "You awake, baby?"

"Uhm, hrm," Kiera whispered. "What? Sam? What is it?"

Sam brushed her lover's hair and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Kiera Morgan. More than Janet Fraiser, more than anybody. You're my love. You're my heart. You're my everything. I could never leave you. I would never want to leave you. The claddagh ring I gave you not only signifies my love for you, but my undying connection to you. You'll always be in my heart. I was heartbroken when Janet disappeared. Crushed. Devastated. But I didn't know what good could come from it. I met you, the woman I'm supposed to be with. And while I'll always love Janet, my feelings for her pale in comparison to what's in my heart for you. And all I can ask is that you... trust that." She swallowed and said, "Okay?"

Kiera opened her mouth to speak, but all that issued forth was a sob. Sam caught Kiera as the redhead fell forward. "Shh," Sam whispered. "It's okay. I'm here. I'll always be here for you, sweetheart."

Chapter Three,

As Sam parked the car, Janet turned the mirror and looked at herself. She straightened her jacket, then pulled the collar of her blouse out and laid it over the black material. Her hair was in a ponytail, but a few strands were loose in the front. She pulled off her sunglasses and blinked a few times, hoping her fatigue wasn't evident. Finally, she sighed and said, "Okay. Let's go back home."

"Janet," Sam chuckled.

"I just..." She turned and looked at the house they had parked in front of. She'd obsessed during the flight, she'd obsessed at the rental agency, she'd obsessed every moment since she had found out about this trip. "Maybe we should leave well enough alone."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Janet, she deserves a little more than that, don't you think?"

"She thinks I'm dead," Janet said. "My mother had a funeral for me. And now, not only am I alive, I'm pregnant with the child of some guy she's never seen before?" She turned to the backseat. "Sorry, Deshret."

"I am not offended," he assured her. He couldn't have been offended; he was too busy marveling at the world around them to hear anything she said.

Janet sighed. "Can we just go?"

Sam threw open the driver's side door and said. "Out. Now!"

Janet grudgingly did as she was ordered, climbing out of the car and standing on the sidewalk, tugging the hem of her jacket down. She had buttoned the front in the hopes of concealing her six-month pregnant belly. She sighed and walked up the brick walkway, her hands shaking as she approached the heavy oak door. Sam and Deshret walked on either side Janet, hoping to prevent any chance of fleeing. Finally, they arrived on the porch and Sam stepped to Janet's side. "Allow me," she said, ringing the bell.

After a few moments, the front door swung open and Janet's mother appeared, her once brown hair gone white. Her health had declined rapidly after she decided Janet was dead; it pained Sam to see how far the woman had gone. "Hello, Mrs. Fraiser. I... have some good news for you."

Janet turned and smiled weakly at her mother. "Hi, Momma. I'm back."

The cup in the elder Fraiser's hand fell to the ground and shattered.

---

A remarkable thing happened in the Fraiser house that day. Marjorie Fraiser seemed to grow. It was like watching a time-lapse of a seedling growing from a small sprout to a flourishing plant. Color rose in her face and stayed there. Sam was so shocked by the transformation she was observing that she barely heard Janet's cover story.

According to Hammond, Janet had been part of a mission to a country in Africa where they needed medical attention. The country - which, unfortunately, she couldn't reveal the name of due to politics - was in the midst of a rebel coup. The camp Janet had been sent to care for the refugees in a remote village in the jungle. The camp had been ambushed and Janet had been forced to flee with the rest of the villagers there, lost in the woods. The Air Force retrieval teams had been unable to find any sign of Janet in the dense foliage and she had been declared missing in action.

The child, she explained, was the result of a romance she shared with another doctor in the camp; Deshret. She had finally been rescued when they stumbled upon a group of American tourists. Janet and Deshret had come back to America and everything had been fine.

"Well," Marjorie said. "That is... quite amazing!" She walked around the coffeetable and embraced her daughter. "I'm so happy to have you back, my sweet child." She backed up and touched Janet's stomach. "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Janet seems convinced it will be a boy," Deshret said.

Janet smiled. "Not... exactly. We only picked boy names. But that's because... if I have a daughter... I can't think of a better name than Marjorie."

Janet's mother began to cry and they embraced. Sam and Deshret quietly extracted themselves from the room. This wasn't the place for lovers or ex-lovers... it was a place for mother and daughter and no one else could possibly fit between them.

---

Upon returning to Colorado Springs, Sam dropped Janet and Deshret off at their home, promising to return in a few hours for the dinner she'd promised them. Janet wished her friend well and went into the house, dropping her purse on the table and immediately making a bee-line for her favorite armchair. Traveling plus all the walking she'd had to do was taking it's toll on the baby. As she lowered herself into the recliner, Deshret entered the living room and raised his eyebrows. "You didn't say anything."

"Deshret, please, not now..."

He sighed and sat next to her. "When will be a good time?"

"A good time to tell Sam that I regret coming home and want to go back to Sekhet-Aanru? That sounds like a death-bed confession to me. Seriously, Deshret, it will crush her."

He looked around. "What do you plan to do?"

Janet looked at the house, inadvertantly following the same trail Deshret was. The lights were all off and would remain off until evening. Even then, they only turned on a lamp or two. Janet had gotten used to the half-light of nighttime on Sekhet-Aanru and Deshret had never lived in a house with electricity. They never turned on the TV or radio. The air conditioning hummed, but on a very infrequent basis.

"I'll tell her," Janet promised. "Soon."

---

Dr. Manfred Soop left his office deep behind the security perimeter of Area 51, holding a mason jar in his right hand. The jar contained the samples of Replicator blocks SG-1 had managed to retrieve from the Russian sub a while back. He shook the jar as he walked, trying to see the danger they presented. Nothing. They were a remarkable piece of machinery, however. Blocks, created from ordinary metal taken from the hull of the submarine, wired with enough power to make them into the Replicators. But where did the wiring come from? How was it created and put to use? Did Replicators have a brain that told them how to build more Replicators? And if not, how the hell did they *make* more?

It was all very exciting.

Soop was searching for his colleague Dr. Allen Campbell (they'd heard all the jokes, so save it) and, turning a corner a few seconds later, he found him. Or... to be more precise, found *part* of him. Dr. Campbell's head, left arm and left leg were all that were visible of the scientist. Soop gasped and almost dropped the mason jar, catching it in his thin fingers at the last moment. "D-Dr. Campbell?" he ventured.

Closer inspection revealed the separated man was actually connected to the wall on a molecular level; there was no line of separation between them. For all intents and purposes, he *was* the wall. Security was called, as were the scientists from the top levels of the lab. They soon discovered the cause for this oddity; one of the backward-engineered phase-shift devices SG-1 had gotten from the Tollan.

They reactivated the device, but it was too late. Campbell was dead and, for all intents and purposes, he'd taken the phase-shift experiments with him. A phase-shift device that cut out with no warning was of no use. The project was scrapped.

---

Sam found Janet outside of her house, staring up at the stars, her hands deep in her pockets. "Hey, Janet," Sam whispered, stopping next to the brunette and matching her upward gaze. "Whatcha looking at?"

"The stars," Janet whispered, turning slowly. "I don't know if... I forgot about them or... what. I just... it's been so long since I was able to look at the stars."

"Right... The cloud," Sam said, realizing why there had been no stars on Sekhet-Aanru. The cloud had blocked them all from sight. "Well. Enoying the view?"

Janet nodded. After another moment of silence, Sam said, "I got a call from Area 51 today--"

"I know," Janet interrupted. "They're shutting down the phase-shift program. There will be no way back to Sekhet-Aanru after tomorrow." Sam handed Janet a small package. "What's this?"

Sam shrugged and Janet opened the gift. Nestled inside was a small grey lozenge-shaped device with several buttons on the smooth surface.

Janet looked up. "Did you steal this?"

"Not exactly. But I will steal it... if you want to go back to Sekhet-Aanru."

"Sam... I can't let you do that."

Sam took the present and looked down at it. "I know how you feel, Janet. Cassie told me how you never turn on the lights and how you're scared when you go shopping--"

"I'm not scared," Janet interrupted. "I'm... it's just... there are too many people. It makes me anxious."

"Whatever. I know you and Deshret would probably be happier on Sekhet-Aanru, so--"

Janet interrupted again. "Sam... this is my home. Sekhet-Aanru was great, but I had no friends there. This is where I belong. It's where my child belongs." She rubbed her stomach and blinked away tears.

Sam put a hand on Janet's shoulder. "But what about Deshret?" she asked.

"My home is wherever my love and son are," Deshret said, coming out of the house behind them. He stood on the porch, looking up at the stars. "This world has many beautiful things in it. While it is not home to me yet... I think I will enjoy exploring it." He came onto the lawn, wrapping an arm around Janet's waist and pulling her close to him. He kissed her forehead and said, "We're home. Thank you for the offer, Samantha. But return the device."

Sam covered the box again and nodded. "I'll see you guys tomorrow?"

"Yes. For lunch," Deshret said.

As Sam went back around the house, Janet looked up at Deshret. "What happened to your stand on me being friends with her?"

"She risked everything to offer you a way back to Sekhet-Aanru. It... was a step towards me accepting your friendship. It shows me that she understands you have moved on and it shows me she has moved on as well." He brushed Janet's hair out of her eyes and said, "I love you."

Janet nuzzled his palm and said, "I love you, too, you crazy Aanru..."

---

She couldn't stand any more. She had been called to the infirmary as an extra set of hands/eyes and as an extra brain to work on the problem. Daniel had been exposed to a lethal dose of radiation and they needed all the help they could get, even from a pregnant doctor who had been MIA for three years. But it was too much. Finally, Janet abandoned her post and ran down the short hallway, into the office that had once been hers and slammed the door. She dropped to her knees and clasped her hands in front of her face. "God... God, please. I k-know You and I aren't on the best of terms... but please.... please, please, please, I beg of You... don't let Daniel die because of me."

"Janet?"

Her body stiffened. She thought she was alone in here... She turned slowly and cursed quietly as she saw Kiera Morgan standing up behind the desk. "I didn't know you were in here," the brunette said, pulling herself to her feet. "I-I'll go."

"No, wait," Kiera said, holding her hands up. "I... were you praying?"

"It's not something I do often," Janet said softly. "I just... had to this time."

"Why would Daniel's death be your fault?"

Janet could no longer hold back the tears. "Because... because I just got back from Sekhet-Aanru. And maybe I wasn't supposed to be back. Maybe God or Fate or Whatever You Believe In was thrown for a loop when I came home and this is an attempt to even the score."

Kiera put her hands on Janet's shoulders. "It doesn't work that way, Janet. This is the SGC. Frankly, I'm surprised it took this long for someone on SG-1 to get seriously injured like this. You don't have to feel guilty. It's pointless."

She led Janet to the couch and sat her down. "Do you want to rest here for a while?"

Janet nodded. Kiera laid the brunette down, covering her with an afghan that was draped over the back of the sofa. She smoothed down Janet's hair and kissed the other doctor's temple. She stood, turning off her desk lamp to give the petite woman some privacy. As she was leaving, Janet weakly said, "Kiera?"

"Yeah?" the redhead said, turning in the doorway.

"I'm... so glad Sam had someone like you who was there for her when I..."

Kiera smiled and looked down at her hands. "I'm the lucky one," Kiera said. "Get some rest. I'll keep you updated on Daniel's condition."

She closed the door and leaned against the frame, smiling and twisting her claddagh ring.

---

When Kiera got home, Sam was crying on the couch. Daniel had ascended, apparently, to prevent his own death. He was now out there somewhere, floating around with Oma Desala and her cronies. Kiera took Sam's hand and led the blonde to the bathroom, where she helped her lover get undressed and put her in the bath. She soaped Sam's body, cleaning her of the day before helping her up and out of the tub.

In bed, Sam started the motions of love-making and Kiera followed, allowing Sam to lead the way. As Sam rocked against the redhead, she pulled one of Kiera's hands up and put it on her head. "I'll say it," Sam promised. "Pull my hair."

Kiera straightened the short blonde hair and kissed Sam's throat. "I won't hurt you anymore. Not even playing."

"I don't mind," Sam assured her.

Kiera kissed Sam's lips and said, "I don't need to make you say it. I already know."

---

A few months later, Sam and Kiera invited Janet and Deshret on a double-date. They were going to meet in the commissary of the SGC, just to make things easier for them (since Deshret couldn't drive and Kiera would just be getting off-duty). The lunch room was almost completely deserted at 2000 hours, save for a few techs in the corner and the staff. Kiera arrived a few minutes late, hurrying in and making sure she was presentable. She spotted Deshret sitting at a table and waved to him, sitting cater-cornered from his position. "Hello. Where are Sam and Janet?"

"I do not know," Deshret explained. "I think they're running late."

Kiera nodded. "Oh. Okay." She didn't say what she was thinking... 'My girlfriend is running late and her ex-lover is AWOL... I can remember why Sam and I ran late a couple of times...' She pushed that thought away and leaned forward. "So. How have you been?"

Deshret smiled shyly. "I have been well."

"Excellent."

Kiera sat back in her chair, tapping her finger on the tabletop. She attacked a smudge that seemed too stubborn to be lifted and eventually gave up. Deshret sat up straight in his chair, scanning the room for their dates. Sliding the napkin out from beneath her silverware, Kiera began to tear small squares off and dropped the remnants into the bowl reserved for cream. When the napkin had been obliterated, she clasped her hands on the tabletop and sighed. "Your planet had a purple sky, huh?"

"What?"

"Your planet. The sky was, ah, was purple. Right?"

"Yes."

Kiera nodded. "That's cool." 'Could you *be* any dumber?' she asked herself. "Purple's my favorite color." She rolled her eyes and thought, 'Mission accomplished!'

"Oh."

"Do you have any special superpowers?"

'KIERA MORGAN STOP TALKING THIS INSTANT!' her mind screamed.

"It's just," she continued, drowning out the voice in her head. "Well, Superman's planet had a different colored sun and the yellow sun of our planet made him into Superman. I... well, since your planet has purple skies and ours has blue, I think it'd be pretty cool if you... got... you know, powers from it." Her common sense packed up it's belongings, kissed her on the cheek and left the commissary. She closed her eyes.

Deshret said, "No... I-I don't have any powers."

"Bummer," Kiera said. She looked around. "Where the hell are they?"

As if in answer to her question, an airman approached. "Dr. Morgan?" She looked up. "There's a call for you. Major Carter. She says it's urgent."

"It better be," Kiera said, following the airman to the phone. She listened, asked a few hurried questions, then ran back to the table. "Deshret, come with me. We have to hurry."

"What happened?"

"Janet's in labor. C'mon..."

Chapter Four,

Sam and Janet's doctor met them at the front doors of the emergency room. She kissed Kiera and shook Deshret's hand. "She's in labor right now. The doctors'll let Deshret in, but not us." To Deshret, she said, "Go. She's been asking for you." The doctor led Deshret away and Sam hugged Kiera again. "She didn't get lamaze. She didn't get anything..."

"She's a doctor," Kiera said. "She knows what to do. Are *you* okay?"

"I'm fine," Sam said. She pressed her face against Kiera's shoulder and said, "No, I'm not. It scared me. I mean, Janet calls me and says she needs help, I show up and she's on the floor in a pool of..." She closed her eyes. "I thought she had been shot or-or cut or something. I thought she was dying." She closed her eyes.

Kiera smoothed Sam's hair. "Her water had broken?"

"I'd never seen it before," Sam said. "I... I'm a mess." She sniffed and shook her head.

"You're fine. Janet's fine. You did what you had to do." She kissed Sam and said, "Let's go find out what kind of candy they have in the snack machines."

Sam held up a yellow bag. "Raisinets."

Kiera laughed and took the candy, leading Sam into the waiting room.

---

Four and a half hours, six bags of Raisinets, two cans of Diet Coke and seven episodes of Friends on the hospital TV later, Kyle Graham Shen Fraiser was born. Six minutes after that, Marjorie Samantha Nebu Fraiser unexpectedly followed her brother out of the womb, abandoning her hiding place in exchange for the outside world.

---

Sam was asleep, resting her head on Kiera's thigh, when the doctor arrived and told them the news that Janet had given birth to a healthy boy and a healthy girl. Janet was asleep, but Sam and Kiera went with Deshret to see the twins in the nursery. He pointed them out and explained the odd names: Shen was the Aanru word for eternity and protection. Nebu was gold, the most precious thing imaginable. To the Aanru (and to ancient Egyptians), it was thought to be the skin of the gods and represented immortality.

As odd as those names were, Sam couldn't stop crying about Janet naming her daughter "Samantha." She hugged Kiera, then congratulated Deshret. After an hour or so, they were finally allowed in to see Janet.

The brunette was holding both babies, looking at them with awe. When she saw her guests, she smiled brightly and said, "Twins."

Sam leaned over the doctor and smiled down at the babies. "Kyle and Marjorie Fraiser... I'm your aunt." She tickled Kyle's chin and he scrunched his face, shaking it away from it. She giggled and said, "Sorry, little man. Didn't mean to disturb you."

Marjorie, on the other hand, was wide awake. Her eyes were dark, dark brown and a few curls of light auburn hair dusted the top of her head. Her lips were pursed as if she were trying to say 'oooooh'. Sam reached out to tickle her chin, but the miniature child grabbed ahold of the blonde's index finger and began to examine it. Janet laughed and said, "Oh, great... another scientist in my life. Just what I need..."

The door opened and Jack O'Neill came in, pulling off his cap. "So, I'm sitting at home through yet another airing of Die Hard, when I get a call that one of my dearest friends has been in labor for over four hours. I'm driving down here, breaking every law and I learn she's had twins." He held his hands out and said, "We've had a communication break-down, people!"

Sam chuckled. "Hello, Sir. I'd move to let you see them, but-- well..." She tugged on her finger and Marjorie brought it to her mouth, biting gently on it. "I'm trapped."

O'Neill walked around to the other side of the bed, where Deshret was sitting. He shook the father's hand, then looked at the babies. "Ooh, Doc... they're gorgeous." He kissed her forehead and said, "Congratulations. What're their names?" Janet told him. "Nice," he said. "No room for Jack or Jonathan, but... Shen is nice..."

Janet chuckled and said, "Have you called my mother?"

"She's on her way," Sam assured her.

The brunette looked down at Kyle, who was miserably trying to get some sleep. She rubbed his cheek and laughed. "Go to sleep, little boy. Get some rest. You've got a big life coming up..." Sam watched Janet laugh, aware how rare it would become to see a smile on the doctor's face in the coming weeks...

---

For a while, things seemed extremely quiet for Sam. Janet had holed up in her house to take care of her 'two precious ones' for a while. Kiera was at work most of the time. Cassandra stayed in her room with her books and homework. One night, in fear of being driven crazy by the monotony of Kiera's living room, Sam went down the hall and knocked on Cassandra's bedroom door. After a moment, there was a quiet, "Come in."

Sam pushed the door open, eyeing the room. It was about half the size her room at Janet's house had been, but the girl had put what space she had to good use. One wall was entirely devoted to posters showing the periodic table of the elements and the solar system rather than the current pop idols. There was a desk in one corner with a laptop computer on top of it, surrounded by assignment sheets and doodle-paper. The bed took up the majority of the space; a massive queen-sized that she couldn't bear to part with when moving out of what was officially Janet's guest room.

"How's it going?" Sam asked, sitting on the edge of Cassandra's work desk.

Cassie was sitting cross-legged on the bed, thumbing through a magazine. The quantum physics text book next to her told Sam that the girl was taking a breather from the heavy lifting. She sighed, wishing the girl would give her lessons on how to manage schedules. "I'm good," Cassandra said, looking around. "This room is a lot smaller than the one I had at home."

"I know," Sam said.

"But I can handle it," Cassandra smiled.

Sam brushed the girl's hair and looked down at the magazine. "You need to talk about anything? Like Janet giving birth or Deshret..."

"Nah," Cassie said. "I can understand. My only problem is..." She sighed. "What the heck do I call myself? What do I call you guys? What do I call the babies?"

Sam laughed. "You do have a pretty fractured family. We've always referred to Janet as your mother."

"I know. But... you and Kiera seem more like my parents now. Can..." She looked at the magazine again.

"What is it, honey? You can ask me anything..."

Cassie sighed. "Well... you know I want to be called Sandra, right?" Sam nodded. "What if... well, what if I wanted to be called Sandra Carter?"

Sam had to blink back her tears, but she finally nodded. "I'd really like that, Sandra," Sam said, embracing the girl tightly. "God, that means so much to me."

"Well... you're my mom. I might as well have your name."

Sam laughed. "Now you're *trying* to make me cry." She sat back and brushed her face, blinking her vision clear again. "So... have you thought about anything else?"

"I was thinking about one thing..." Cassie admitted. "When do I get to babysit?"

---

Deshret opened the door and allowed Sam into the house. "Thank you for coming."

Sam took off her jacket. "How bad is it?"

Deshret didn't answer; he just indicated the back door. Sam rubbed his shoulder and went outside, squinting in the brightness. Janet was sitting on a lawn chair, staring up at the sky. She was quietly crying, a Kleenex balled in one hand and a dozen discarded tissues littering her dress. "Hey," Sam whispered, kneeling next to the chair. "Deshret tells me you've been having some trouble adjusting."

"Adjusting," Janet scoffed. "I'm not strong enough to be a mother," she said.

"Janet..."

"I'm not!" Janet snapped. "I-I-I'm so tired all the time. And Deshret, I haven't had time for anything with him." She sniffed. "I know he wants... he wants sex, but..." She closed her eyes. "God, after breast-feeding and taking care of Kyle and Marjorie..." She whimpered and covered her face. "Neither of us have a job. We can't *afford* to have twins." She sobbed and Sam embraced her. "I miss *them* most of all. The babies."

Sam nodded. "I understand."

Janet leaned back and said, "I'm a wreck. I'm terrible at this." Her tears started fresh. "God... why don't they just--"

She closed her eyes tight and Sam rubbed her shoulders. "Janet... Janet, look at me. Deshret didn't call because he thought you were doing a bad job. He called because he was worried about you. Frankly, Kiera and I are worried, too. Listen... do you know how many people you are?"

"What?" Janet rasped.

"One! You are *one* single solitary person, Janet. And you gave birth to TWO persons a few weeks ago. Remember that? No one - absolutely *no one* expects you to raise these children all by yourself. You need to ask for help when you need it. Deshret, me, Kiera, Cassandra... God, Cassie is *dying* to babysit." She brushed Janet's tears away and said, "It's tearing you apart trying to do this all by yourself. You can't. Everybody needs help. It's a sign of strength to admit when you need a hand."

Janet closed her eyes and said, "I... need..." She swallowed sharply, cleared her throat and said, "Sam? I need help."

"Yes," Sam smiled. "You do. But right now, you need rest. Kyle and Marge are sleeping, so you go inside and sleep on the couch. We'll wake you if anything needs done, but you *will* sleep. Deshret and I will take care of the house and the laundry."

Janet let Sam lead her into the house. "So I'm cured?"

"God, no," Sam chuckled. "But this is a start. A very good start."

---

Sam shook her foot free and Marjorie grabbed it again, squeezing her big toe through the material of her sock. Sam leaned back against the side of the couch and chuckled. "I swear, this kid has a habit of putting other people's body parts in her mouth."

Kiera handed the blonde a can of soda and wiggled her eyebrows. "She's gonna be popular in high school!"

Sam swatted Kiera's ass as the redhead retreated into the kitchen to get the sandwiches. Janet and Deshret had gone out to dinner and a movie, another part of Janet's postpartum recovery. Janet had confided to Sam that she and Deshret were intimate once more, but Sam stopped her from giving away too many details. Kiera brought the sandwiches back on a big plate, laying them on Sam's lap as she sat down.

"What's the playbill tonight?" Kiera asked.

"A classic. 'A Muppet Movie'!"

Kiera rolled her eyes and scooted closer to Sam. "Lovely."

Sam turned and spontaneously kissed Kiera's lips. The doctor's mouth tasted like lettuce and mayonnaise. When the kiss broke, Kiera said, "Wow. Thank you. What was that for?"

"Helping me help Janet." Kyle climbed onto Kiera's lap and the redhead adjusted him so he could see the TV. "You don't have to be here. It means a lot that you're doing this."

"Wait..." Kiera said. "I *don't* have to be here? See ya! I have some things to do at home..."

Sam pulled Kiera forward and kissed her passionately, both of them smiling. "I love you," Sam said.

"Love you, too."

"Marry me?" Sam asked.

"One day," Kiera promised. "Have my children?"

"The minute you and I manage work out the mechanics," Sam assured her. She brushed Kiera's face and said, "We're... we're missing the movie."

Kiera shrugged. "We've seen this movie." She kissed Sam and said, "What do you want to do when Janet's gets home?"

"Hand over the kids, run to your apartment, strip naked and... let you do whatever you want."

Kiera raised an eyebrow. "Anything?"

Sam licked her lover's lower lip. "Anything."

"Mmm," the doctor sighed, curling against her lover's side. "I've been meaning to clean the kitchen cupboard..."

Sam pinched Kiera in a very tender spot.

---

Marjorie Fraiser's backyard was more than big enough to accomodate the wedding party. All members of SG-1 were invited, including the newest member Jonas Quinn. Although he hadn't sent an RSVP, Sam was pretty sure that Daniel was keeping an eye on them as well (judging by the storm that was scheduled for the day of the wedding, which had inexplicably turned on it's heels and headed north instead).

Janet wore her mother's wedding dress, a thought that made her weepy every time it crossed her mind. She dabbed her eyes, using a fan to keep her make-up from running, and peeked down the aisle. Deshret was standing at the front of the white carpet, looking resplendent in his tux. His best man was also his new best friend, a relationship Janet had tried to keep from being made at all costs. But something about Jack O'Neill appealed to her soon-to-be husband, so she finally gave in.

Sam was her maid-of-honor and Cassandra was her bridesmaid. Janet had been surprised when Teal'c offered to watch Kyle during the ceremony, but the Jaffa underwent a transformation that would boggle the minds of all the scientists at Area 51. It would cause a few Nobel Prize winners to scratch their heads if they saw the mighty warrior tickle Kyle's belly and coo at him.

Marjorie Fraiser held her granddaughter, playing with the curly hair that now covered the little girl's head.

During the actual ceremony, Deshret stumbled a bit on his vows. Janet whispered assurances to him and he made it to the end. Finally, the priest announced them as man and wife. As they were led down the aisle toward their car (which would take them to the reception), Janet turned and tossed her bouquet into the crowd. To Sam's surprise, Kiera caught it and held it above her head like a torch.

Sam blushed and raised an eyebrow. Kiera tapped the flowers against her palm and pursed her lips in a private kiss. She cupped her hands over her lips to hide what she was going to say and mouthed, 'You are mine!'

Sam mocked fear as she escorted Janet and Deshret to their car.

---

The girl who had eventually ended up christened Sandra Carter graduated on a Tuesday night in the auditorium of her high school. As she crossed the stage, dressed in her black robe and cap, she raised her hand at her hip and waved nervously at the audience. She had to have the biggest cheering section of anyone graduating that night; Janet, Deshret, Kiera and Sam were in the front row, Jack, Teal'c, Jonas, General Hammond and Jacob Carter were right behind them.

When everyone had taken the Walk and gotten their diplomas, when all the caps had been tossed, the kids milled around for a few minutes before heading to whatever parties they had planned. Sandra made her way over to her crowd, greeting with cheers, hugs and pats on the back from everyone there.

O'Neill shook her hand and said, "Whatever happened to that little girl we rescued from Hanka, huh?"

"Indeed," Teal'c added. "You have grown into a beautiful young woman, Cassandra."

The teen blushed, then said, "Uh, guys... could I talk to Sam and Janet alone for a minute?"

The Colonel raised his eyebrow and said, "Of course. We were just going to go... uh... stand by the wall anyway."

As the crowd parted, Sam embraced Cassandra. "So proud of you, kiddo. Congratulations."

Janet brushed her daughter's hair with one hand, her other arm holding Kyle to her chest. General Hammond was in charge of Marjorie. "You look beautiful, hon. Are you sure you don't want to hang out with your friends."

"No, I'll hang with them all night at home anyway." Janet, in order to prevent Cassie from ending up at a drink-all-night senior bash had offered up her home as a safe destination. "I just wanted to tell you guys something." She took a deep breath. "I did this about mid-semester, but I didn't tell you because I didn't want to get your hopes up. But now, it's official and... I'm joining the Air Force!"

Sam and Janet looked at each other, then each of them smiled. One looked more happy than the other. "That's great, Cass! Maybe you'll get assigned to the SGC... get to work with us." After her maternity leave, Janet had been welcomed back to the SGC as assistant CMO to replace Dr. Warner, whose latest offworld experience had soured him on working anywhere near the Stargate.

Janet, however, didn't look thrilled. "Cass... Sorry, Sandra... what about college? What about a-a career?"

"Well... Air Force can be a career. Jack didn't go to college and he turned out okay."

"You are not Jack O'Neill--" Janet started. She was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked into Sam's wide blue eyes, then groaned. "But I guess... if this is your decision. I'm happy for you." She embraced the girl and said, "And I'm so happy for you."

Sam ruffled the girl's hair. "First alien in the Air Force."

Cassie rolled her eyes.

---

"Looks like we made it," Janet said, quoting an old song.

"Hmm?" Sam asked, turning to her ex-lover. "Did you say something?" She waved at the ceiling. "It's hard to hear over all this music." The party was in full swing; Cassie and her friends were dancing to some new English pop group whose popularity, Sam felt, was in no danger of being long-term.

Janet leaned in and raised her voice. "I said, it looks like we made it. Four years later, and look at what we've gained. I have a husband. You have a woman you love more than anything. I have two beautiful, beautiful babies... Now I think everything is as it should be. All is right with the world. I'm home, we both have love - even if it's not the love we thought we needed... It's amazing how things work out, isn't it?"

Sam took a sip of her punch and said, "Amazing. Care to dance?"

Janet put down her own cup. "I would love to."

They embraced and began dancing slowly to the pulsing, pounding rock beat filling the air. They had only been dancing a few minutes when Sam felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and smiled at Deshret. The alien sheepishly asked, "May I slice in?"

"It's cut in," Sam said, stepping back. "And yes, you may."

As Deshret and Janet danced away, Sam leaned against the wall and watched them. Deshret had grown slowly but surely into a well-groomed Earthling. He'd found work as a clerk in a used bookstore, which gave him ample time to explore the literature of his wife's planet. He was becoming a full-fledged bookworm. Now, as he danced Janet across the floor, Sam couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

The way Janet smiled as he whispered in her ear... that was supposed to be *her* whispering private jokes.

The way Janet looked lovingly into his eyes... that was supposed to be *her* being stared at with such longing.

"Pretty women should not sit out dances."

Sam turned and smiled at Kiera. Janet had found Deshret... jealousy wouldn't change that. Sam had Kiera. She reached out and took the redhead in her arms, nuzzling her cheek. "Hey, hon. You don't have to dance... I know you hate it."

"I also hate dresses," Kiera said, taking Sam's hand and leading her out onto the floor. "But I'm wearing one for you. Come on. Let's dance together."

Sam leaned on Kiera as they traced their way across the living room, cutting through teenagers jerking in rhythm to the song. Every now and then, Sam caught a glimpse of Janet across the room and the vision of the brunette made her smile. Damn their expectations... damn what they thought they wanted. Everything had ended up perfectly; exactly as it should be.

And they danced.

~Fin~