Author: Geonn

Email: neil_j_miser@yahoo.com

Pairing: Sam/Janet

Category: Pre-slash, Romance, Angst

Rating: PG13

Series: The Midnight Series

Disclaimer: Stargate and characters are the property of MGM, Gekko, etc. Mainly you need to know no one with the name of Geonn owns the deed to these ladies.

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

Note: Based on my current icon, which is truthfully a scene from the Jeremiah episode "Rites of Passage."

Summary: An unspoken tradition continues.

The bedroom was at the end of the hall, at the top of the stairs. It was past the bathroom, the double-doors set into a small alcove that set it apart from the rest of the rooms in the hallway. The doors were on the north wall, the bed extending from the west wall. A wide headboard supported three huge pillows which topped the massive purple-and-white quilt. Parked in the center of the bed was Janet Fraiser, currently sitting up and reading a paperback novel. She licked her thumb, resting it at the top corner as she read the final few words, quickly flipping to the next page with her moist digit.

Across from the bed is a bureau passed down from her grandmother, the drawers of which still exude that familiar smell. Maine in winter. The mirror above the dresser presented Janet with a view of herself. More than one lover had commented on the kinkiness of this positioning, but Janet had never really thought of that when setting it up. A large window on the north wall looked down on the night-shrouded street, most of the view blocked by either the sprawling oak tree below or the sheer white curtains hanging slightly apart.

Her room was illuminated by one lamp on the nightstand, casting a warm yellow glow over everything. Even the shadows looked warm rather than frightening.

She pressed her feet together, bending her knees and tenting the blanket around her rising legs. She reached under her hair, lightly scratching the back of her neck before she turned the page again. As she came to a chapter break, she glanced at the clock hanging next to the closet door (which was on the east wall) and saw that it was eight minutes until midnight. She had time to read one more chapter, if it was short. As she was thumbing through, peeking to see how many pages Chapter Fourteen consisted of, she heard a familiar rumble in the street below.

'Sam,' she thought, smiling. She found the bookmark next to her on the mattress and placed it, laying the book on her nightstand. She scooted down on the mattress, resting her head on the pillow and staring up at the ceiling. She laced her fingers together, resting them just below her breasts after tugging the blanket up to her shoulders. She closed her eyes and licked her lips. She'd taken off her make-up earlier in preparation for bed.

Downstairs, a key turned the lock and the door opened. Hurried footsteps sounded on the stairs, sounding as if she was trying to keep from making too much noise. Footsteps in the hall and Janet's heart kicked up. She turned her head to the side, parting her lips slightly and slitting her eyelids to see Sam when she entered. The door closest to the bed opened and Sam Carter stepped inside, pausing when she saw Janet was apparently asleep.

She let her hand slip from the doorknob, cautiously approaching and resting on the edge of the mattress. She was trying not to disturb Janet's sleep any more than necessary. Tentatively, Sam reached out and her fingertips touched Janet's face, a gentle caress, moving to the small beauty mark on the brunette's cheek. Her thumb brushed the brunette's moist bottom lip and Janet resisted the urge to suck it into her mouth.

The hand disappeared from her face, moving to her hair. For a long time, several minutes at least, Sam stroked Janet's hair. She shifted on the mattress and Janet pressed her face into the pillow with a quiet, "Mmm."

Sam froze, then continued her stroking when Janet didn't open her eyes. After a few minutes, Sam whispered something Janet couldn't make out and stood, the mattress moving with her. She bent down and kissed Janet just below her hairline, her warm lips lingering just a moment longer than necessary. She walked around the bed, extinguishing the lamp and straightening the blankets around Janet's shoulders. She brushed the brunette's hair once more and headed for the door.

As the footsteps again descended the stairs, Janet threw back her blankets and rose. She stood by the bed, naked but for the pajama top with it's hastily-done buttons, and stared at the sliver of hallway light the doors let in. She tugged the hem of her shirt down a bit; the front reached mid-thigh, but it was cut on either side to reveal almost to her hip. The buttons were undone near the top and the sides were skewed, revealing most of one shoulder and a wide expanse of skin between her right breast and collarbone. She moved to the door, pulling it open as she heard the front door open below. "Wait," she whispered, leaning over the bannister to see Sam pull the door closed behind her.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," Janet chanted, flying down the stairs, her bare feet making quiet 'thock-thock-thock' sounds on the wooden steps. She made it to the front hallway, the balls of her feet slipping on the tile, and pulled on the door. Sam had locked it behind her. Janet cursed and flipped the latch. She dashed onto the porch, grabbing hold of one of the supports as she watched Sam's bike swerve onto the street and towards the corner.

The cold air caressed her bare thighs and reached under her pajama top to tighten her nipples. She hugged herself, rubbing her hands over her upper arms and stared at the empty street as if expecting Sam to return. She didn't know why Sam would return this night; she never had before. Janet blew into her hands and walked slowly back into the house, locking the door behind her. As she climbed the stairs, she thought about this little teasing game she had going with Sam.

One night a week earlier, Sam had called and asked to come by. 'They needed to talk,' she had said. Janet had agreed, but by the time Sam showed, Janet had fallen asleep. She had woken to the feeling of Sam's hand stroking her hair. She had enjoyed it so much, she had feigned sleep until the blonde stopped. She didn't realize she'd fallen back to sleep until she heard Sam's motorcycle roaring away.

The next morning, Janet had apologized to Sam. The blonde had shrugged it off, saying that it hadn't been important and they could drop it. That night, however, Janet heard Sam enter the house. She had pretended to be asleep again, hoping Sam would let something slip when she thought she wouldn't be heard. She just wanted to hear Sam say the words... she just wanted to know if what she felt was reciprocated.

So far, Sam had said depressingly little. But the touches, the intimacy, was enough for Janet. For now.

She closed her bedroom door, climbing under the covers and staring at the ceiling. The clock ticked in the corner, quietly 'donging' when it hit midnight. She had just closed her eyes to go to sleep when a thought struck her.

She had a key to Sam's house and she could find Sam's bedroom in the dark.