Title: Tears on the Jukebox

Author: Geonn

Email: neil_j_miser@yahoo.com

Fandom: Stargate SG-1

Characters: Janet, Sam

Pairing: Janet/OFC, Sam/Pete

Spoilers: Chimera, Affinity

Dedicated: to teryl_brat42

Rating: Teen And Up


Joey bumped the kitchen door open with her hip, carrying a tray of Buffalo wings, pretzels and beers out. Normally, drinking was allowed only in the bar area, but the management made exceptions for regular customers. Customers like Jack O'Neill and his motley crew of followers. There was the nerdy-looking guy, Dan, who hardly ever touched alcohol. The beautiful Sam, the always silent and mysteriously unnamed "T," and occasionally one or two others.

This particular evening, there were two people seated at the table. She recognized Janet, a beautiful brunette that joined the foursome occasionally. The only one she didn't recognize was a blocky young man, his arm draped none-too-subtly across the back of Sam's chair. The guy might as well have been wearing a shirt that said MINE with an arrow pointing at the blonde.

She delivered the beers and refreshments, putting a hand on Janet's shoulder as she scanned the table. "Can I get you guys anything else?"

"Think we're good, Jo-Jo," Jack said, popping a pretzel into his mouth.

She squeezed Janet's shoulder and stepped away, heading back behind the bar. She busied herself with other customers, pretty much forgetting about her regulars at the other end of the restaurant. After about half an hour, she glanced over when she heard a few people applauding.

Sam and the newcomer were both standing. He, naturally, had one arm around her waist and they were both smiling to beat the band. Jack looked stunned, T looked perplexed and Janet looked horrified. Dan was the one clapping, looking proud. The rest of the applause was coming from the surrounding tables.

After another few minutes, Jack came up and paid the bill. "Some kind of announcement?" Joey asked, motioning at the table he had just vacated. The rest of the group was getting their things together to head out as well.

"Carter's getting married," he said, his voice betraying no emotion one way or the other. He forced a smile and handed her the cash. "Keep the change."

"This is a fifty, Mr. O'Neill," Joey said, raising an eyebrow.

"Wh..." He looked at his wallet, and then slid it back into his pocket. "Ah, you know what? Keep it anyway. Have a good night, Joey."

She pocketed the tip and moved back down the bar, refilling drinks before she tackled cleaning O'Neill's table. When she headed over, she saw that Janet was still sitting at the end of the table, staring into her beer. It didn't look like she'd touched it. Joey made her way over. "Can I get you anything else?"

Janet looked up and blinked, as if surprised anyone would speak to her. "No. I'm... still working on this one."

"Okay. Just let me know if you need anything else." She smiled and headed back up to the bar. She busied herself with refilling drinks, going back and forth into the kitchen, gathering up dirty glasses and bussing tables as quickly as she could before finding another customer to serve.

About half an hour before closing, she was surprised to see Janet move to the bar. "I thought you'd gone home already," Joey said.

"Nope. Been hiding out," Janet admitted.

"Are you okay?" Janet looked up, questioning with her eyes. "It's just you don't usually come in with O'Neill and the others. And when you do, you're usually a lot more animated. I love your laugh."

Janet blushed and shrugged, looking down at her empty beer mug.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want a refill?"

"No. Yes..." She pushed the mug towards Joey. "Yes, please. Thank you."

Joey refilled the drink and pushed it back. "So. A rough night?"

"Are you the clichéd bartender?" Janet smiled. "Sympathetic ear, cheap therapy?"

Joey grinned. "I do what I can."

Janet sighed and pushed her bangs out of her face with one hand. "I just... my best friend just got engaged."

"I heard."

"It's... I just always kind of had this hope..." She sighed. "You know, when you're single and the person you have a crush on is single, it's just..."

"Oh," Joey said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I just assumed you were talking about Sam."

"I am," Janet said, still staring at her beer.

"Oh. Oh, I... I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Janet said with a smile. "Military. It's probably better if I'm not obvious about it." She sighed. "All this time I've just been fooling myself. Telling myself that it was a possibility, even if neither one of us ever had the guts to go through with it."

"I understand that all too well," Joey said. She put the glass back in front of Janet and leaned forward. "Guys don't like getting served by dykes."

Janet raised her eyebrow and Joey shrugged. "It was either stay quiet about it or get shipped out to some bar called Lawrence of A-labia."

Janet snickered, covering her mouth. "Oh, my God. Well..." She brought her glass up, toasting Joey. "Here's to keeping secrets."

Leaning across the bar, Joey lovingly swept the pad of her thumb across Janet's cheek. Janet was surprised to see that her finger came back wet. She'd been crying. She dabbed her face with a napkin and Joey said, "Here's to never crying over another woman."

Janet scoffed and shook her head, smiling and taking a drink anyway.

As Janet drank, Joey said, "Look, this place is shutting down in half an hour. Can you hang around? Talk for a little while about Sam and her little over-protective fiancé?"

"Sure," Janet said. "I'd like that a lot."

---

Joey shut off the outside lights, shooing away the last of the regulars before shutting the doors. "Come on over here," Joey said, heading towards the jukebox. Janet slid off the bar stool and headed over, stumbling slightly as she crossed the wooden floor. All of the lights, save for the ones behind the bar, had been shut off.

Janet dropped into one of the booths, resting her head on the back of the seat as Joey looked at the jukebox selections. "Most nights, it's too loud to hear anything from this." She hit a button and turned around, holding her hand out to Janet. "Come on."

"No, I don't dance," Janet said.

Joey walked over and took both of Janet's hands, pulling her out of the booth. "Come on." The music started; a slow, piano song.

"Why are you doing this?" Janet asked, stepping out of her uncomfortable shoes. If she was going to dance, she wasn't going to kill herself doing it. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"You left your tears on the jukebox," Joey smiled. "And you're beautiful. And... I don't think I need another reason." She guided Janet's hand to her shoulder, resting it there as Janet looked down at her feet. Joey put a hand on Janet's hip and began to lead her in time to the music. As the song continued, Janet found herself growing increasingly calm, her body seeming to collapse against Joey's.

When the song ended, neither woman stopped dancing. Joey smoothed her hands down Janet's back, holding the woman tight. Janet looked up into Joey's eyes, seeing only deep blue framed by blonde hair. She lifted herself up, pressing her lips tightly against Joey's. Joey closed her eyes, moving her hands up into Janet's hair and holding her in the dark silence. When they parted, Joey said softly, "I'm not her. Don't make me her."

Janet reached up with both hands, pushing the hair back and out of Joey's face. Joey closed her eyes, letting Janet look at her. She kissed both cheeks, sliding her lips down to the point of Joey's chin. Joey parted her lips and Janet slipped her tongue between them, pulling her closer for another kiss. Joey's hands moved down, each closing around a cheek of Janet's ass and squeezing through her skirt.

Janet moaned into Joey's mouth and broke the kiss. She looked at the other woman, her cheeks flush, her eyelids still closed and her lips parted in remembrance of the kiss. Janet kissed her eyelids and softly said, "You're Joey."

"Josephine Lamb," she said, brushing her thumbs over Janet's cheek. "Not Sam Carter."

"Sam who?" Janet asked. She kissed Joey again, dancing with her even though the jukebox had long ago fallen silent.


Geonn

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