True & False

Title: True & False

Author: Geonn

Email: neil_j_miser@yahoo.com

Rating: R

Pairings: Sam and Janet, established relationship

Disclaimer: Not mine. None of it. I even borrowed the letters that make up the words.

Spoilers: Watergate, but mostly just previous stories in my series

Series: Seventh in my "Ampersand Series."

What Came Before: "Life & Death," "Search & Rescue," "Forgive & Forget," "Hide & Seek," "Light & Dark," "Now & Then"

Notes: Thanks to John for weathering the drafts full of spelling errors, plot holes, rewrites and grammatical problems. Wouldn't have started or continued posting these stories without you (is that a good thing or a bad thing?) I'm posting these as per his instructions, so any delay is his fault (I love shifting blame)

Summary: Mark Burdett takes Sam's rejection hard... but will it push him over the edge?

Samantha Carter slipped out of bed a quarter past six, rubbing her eyes and trying to get them to focus. She hated missions that ended early in the morning. Briefings and exams kept her at the base until noon, then she napped until bedtime, then stayed up watching Letterman and Conan while trying to let Janet sleep. As she checked her watch, she realized it was almost time for dinner and proceeded to the bathroom to get washed up. Flipping on the lights, she opened the cabinet to find a towel. The cabinet was bare.

Grumbling, she pulled on a pair of sweats and an old blue t-shirt with the Superman symbol on the chest and headed downstairs. As she passed Cassandra's bedroom, she heard semi-loud rock music playing on the other side of the door. 'Semi-loud,' Sam noted. She must have slept through Janet yelling at the girl to keep it down. Sam snickered and slowly thumped down the stairs, running her hands through her shaggy hair. The laundry room was connected to the kitchen and Sam paused by the stove to look at dinner. Spaghetti sauce simmered in one pan, noodles in another.

Sam licked her lips, picking up the garlic and sneaking a bit more into the mix. As she picked up the wooden spoon, she heard Janet's voice from the laundry room. "Sam, you better not be adding garlic to that!"

Sam smirked. She always knew. Putting the spoon down, she moved to the open doorway and peered in at Janet. The brunette was standing in front of the rumbling dryer, folding a large fluffy towel. Sam let her eyes trail down the beautiful woman before her. The doctor was wearing a thin pink tank top and a pair of boxer shorts with red hearts. Sam slowly ran her tongue over her lips again, this time her hunger having nothing to do with more garlic. The brunette in front of her was already seasoned to perfection. Sam moved behind the petite woman, gently caressing her shoulders. "Out of clothes?"

Janet nodded, leaning into her lover. "I have to do a load of laundry just so I have something to wear to the dry cleaners."

Sam slid her hand down Janet's side, toying with the elastic band of her boxers. "Just wear this. We may get a discount."

Janet smiled. "Always the idea-woman, aren't you?"

Sam's hand slipped under the waistband of the underwear, gliding over the globes of Janet's ass. "Mmhmm. As a matter of fact," she whispered, pressing her lips against Janet's ear as her hand reached the cleft of Janet's rear and followed it down. "I have an idea right now." She pressed Janet forward, pinning the smaller woman against the hot, shaking dryer.

"Sa-aa-am..." Janet whispered. "Cassandra."

With her free hand, Sam reached for the door and pushed it shut. She deftly turned the lock as the fingers from her other hand approached Janet's wet slit from behind. Janet braced herself against the dryer, her hands winding tightly in the towel. "Ooh, Sam... This is the only underwear I have, baby..."

"So?"

"So if you get it wet - mmm - I won't have any to wear."

"I don't see why that's a problem," Sam whispered, pressing a kiss to the pulse throbbing in Janet's neck. "But if you want to wear something..." She backed off slightly, pulling her hand free. Janet whimpered at the loss of contact, then gasped as she felt the material disappear as Sam slipped it down her legs. The blonde placed a kiss to the back of Janet's knees, causing the brunette to lean against the dryer. The machine was bucking loudly now against Janet lower stomach.

Sam stood, spinning Janet and kissing her lips hard. As the brunette curled her lips around Sam's tongue, the blonde gently lifted her onto the top of the vibrating dryer. Sam kissed Janet's erect nipples through the material of her tank top, nipping at the sensitive buds. Janet groaned, her fingers running through Sam's hair. "Ooh, don't stop... please, don't stop."

Sam smiled, half-wondering if Janet was talking to her or the dryer. Gently, Sam began to spread Janet's bare legs, placing kisses along the soft skin of the brunette's thighs. The skin there and between her legs were trembling, partially from pleasure and partially from the machine on which she was planted. Sam watched, fascinated at the soft pink skin shook softly in front of her. She leaned forward, placing her lips against Janet's engorged clitoris.

Janet gasped, leaning back and hitting her head on the detergant cupboard that hung over the dryer. "Ouch!"

Sam smiled, breaking contact long enough to ask, "You okay?"

Rubbing the top of her head, her eyes still closed. "Yeah... don't stop... on my account..."

Sam released the clit, pulling back and pressing her tongue flat against the lower tip of Janet's moist labia. Slowly, she dragged her tongue across the sensitive flesh, gathering as much moisture as she could on her tongue before pulling it back in her mouth and swallowing the heavenly nectar. Janet moaned, "I'm... oh, god, Sam... I'm hearing bells!"

Sam heard the same bells, lowering her head again and gently pentrating the folds of Janet's sex, feeling her lover's warmth against her tongue. The bells rang again and Sam realized what she was hearing. She withdrew her tongue and muttered, "Shit..."

"Wha... Sam?" Janet was lost, hovering on the brink of orgasm. "What is it?"

"Doorbell."

From the front hall, she heard Cassandra call, "Sam! Door!"

Sam straightened, looking longingly at her lover. Janet was sitting on top of the humming dryer, her legs spread and her lips glistening with precum. The material of the tank top over her nipples were wet from Sam's sloppy kisses. Her face was flushed a deep crimson, covered with a thin sheen of sweat. Slowly, she pulled herself off of the dryer and Sam smiled, "Just be glad it's not for you."

Janet pulled Sam's face to her own, kissing her hotly. "We'll finish tonight. Okay?"

"Good thing I took a nap," Sam winked.

She slipped out of the laundry room, closing the door behind her so Janet could compose herself again. She straightened her own clothes, wishing she had on more than the t-shirt and sweats. Sighing, she glanced in the microwave door and straightened her hair before heading into the living room. She looked down, making sure her nipples weren't poking against her shirt. Luckily, Cassie's shouting had been enough of a mood-killer to ensure that her arousal wasn't too evident.

She saw Cass trotting up the stairs and said, "Who is it?"

"Some guy," the girl called, not bothering to stop.

Sam sighed and stepped into the entry hall. Pulling the door open, she was face-to-face with Major Mark Burdett. He was standing under the porchlight, his hands nervously clasped behind his back.

"Mark! Um... hi!" She self-consciously wrapped her arms around herself, now wishing she had some sort of cover-all uniform to wear. Maybe a parka... "What are you doing here?"

"Is this a bad time? Or can we talk?"

Sam half-turned, wondering if Janet would come see who was at the door. Mark had already gotten a look at Sam in her pajamas; no use embarrassing Janet too. "Uh, is outside okay?"

"Sure." He stepped back, letting her out into the cool Colorado air. As she sat on the porch swing, he brought his left hand around in front of him so quickly that she jumped. Years of facing Jaffa would do that to a person. But instead of brandishing a zat or revolver, he held something far more terrifying. A bouqet of calla lillies.

"Oh. Uh... for me?"

He smiled shyly. "Uh. Yeah. I remember once you said you liked 'em. Something about the smell of their nectar?"

Sam smiled, embarrassed. It hadn't been the flowers' nectar she had been referring to... "Sure. I love calla lillies." She took them, inhaling gently so Mark would know she did appreciate the gesture. "Is that why you came by?"

"Not exactly." He sat next to her on the swing, looking down at his hands. "I got reassigned today."

"Out of the SGC?"

"No, nothing that drastic," he smiled. "I guess General Hammond decided SG-5 was a useless endeavor. He disbanded it." He chuckled. "Like there was much to disband. I've been assigned to SG-11. Another command."

Sam smiled. "Well... good for you, Mark. I'm happy for you."

"I ship out tonight at 2300 for a three-week mission on P29-354. I was wondering if you would like to join me for a celebratory cocktail and maybe a quick dinner before I left." The words came in a quick rush, like a nervous teenager asking his crush out on a date. It struck her that that was exactly what this was.

"Mark... you're asking me out?"

"Sort of," he smiled nervously.

Looking down at the flowers, Sam closed her eyes. "Mark... I like you. A lot."

"Oh, damn it," Mark sighed and shook his head, hearing the unspoken 'but' in Sam's voice. He stood and said, "I knew it. God, stupid!" He slapped his forehead.

Sam stood. "No, it's just... I got out of a long relationship. I'm not ready to date anyone right now."

"I understand," he said, suddenly looking like he wanted nothing more than to be off of the porch. "Look, uh, I have that mission to get ready for. Have to pack some extra socks and underwear and... stuff." He nearly tripped down the stairs, shaking his head. "I'll... I'll see you when I get back. Right? Yeah. I'll, uh... bye, Sam. Major Carter. Bye." He turned and walked down the walk, running his hands through his hair.

Sam sighed, sniffing the flowers again. She heard the door open behind her and Janet's soft voice said, "Dinner's ready, Sam. What're you doing out here?"

"Breaking someone's heart," she whispered. She looked up, watching Mark start his car and pull slowly away from the curb. She turned, seeing that Janet was wearing a sweater and a pair of blue jeans fresh from the dryer. Sam smiled and wrapped an arm around Janet, placing a kiss on the brunette's temple. "Let's eat."

---

Two days had passed since Mark's ill-fated move, and the ladies had all but forgotten about it. The Wishing Well was well into their celebration of Beach Bum Weekend, which meant free margaritas, leis when you arrived (the neckware, that is), and hula dancing. Sam led Janet in, both of the women wearing jeans and Hawaiian shirts. Hooked around the waist of each woman was a make-shift grass skirt that hung almost to their knees.

Sam laughed as the ring of pink flowers was lowered over her head and the hula girl smiled, "Aloha." She placed a light kiss on each of Sam's cheeks before moving on to Janet.

Sam turned, looking at Janet's yellow lei. She grabbed ahold of the flowers and pulled the brunette close, bringing their lips within a hair's breadth of each other. Sam grinned, "Wanna dance, doc?"

"It would be my pleasure, Major."

Jimmy Buffett poured through the speakers and over the entire dining area. "Livin' on spongecake... watching the sun bake... all them tourists covered in oil..."

Sam draped her hands across Janet's shoulders and began to attempt a hula.

Janet lowered her gaze, moving her hands to rest on the blonde's gyrating hips. "Every hula tells a story," she smiled. "What does this one say?"

"It says," she thrust her hips forward. "That you better rip this grass skirt off of me when we get home."

Janet raised an eyebrow. "Oh, does it?"

"Yup," she grinned, her hands gliding down to glaze Janet's breasts. "Passed down through hundred of years of Hawaiian culture."

"Ooh," Janet grinned. "I can't deny hundreds of years of Hawaiian culture. It would be... inconceivable..."

Her face was gradually growing closer to Sam's. Sam licked her lips, her eyes unable to leave Janet's mouth. "I... wanted a margarita... but I don't know if I'll be able to pull myself away from you to drink it..."

Janet's lips hungrily devoured those of the taller blonde, her tongue diving in and staking a claim. Sam moaned into the kiss, clutching the brunette's shoulders. When they broke apart, Janet suggested, "Wanna go home now?"

"God, yes." She grabbed Janet's hand and made a bee-line for the exit.

In the parking lot, as Sam fumbled with the car keys, Janet approached from behind and pressed herself against the blonde's back. She found the hem of Sam's shirt and slid her hands under the material. Sneaky fingers slid over the major's stomach, finally landing on her breasts and cupping them gently. Sam pulled the door open and stumbled into the backseat. "Screw the house. Get in here, Fraiser!"

Janet climbed in, pulling the door shut behind her. The dome light of the car went off, delving them into darkness. They found each other's lips in the darkness as Janet straddled Sam's hips. After the ferocity of their first kiss, they both slowed the pace and kissed tenderly, their tongues remaining locked behind closed lips as they simply pressed their mouths together. Janet's hands found Sam's, her fingers intertwining with the blonde's. They both squeezed their fingers and Sam parted her lips.

Janet delved in first, tasting the sweetness that was her lover. Her tongue curled along Sam's, moving through the wet warmth of the major's mouth. Sam found the intruder with her own tongue and fought to press it back. They dueled for a moment until the need for oxygen pushed them apart. Sam gasped, laying her head against the upholstery of the car seat. "I swear, Janet... I could cum from your kisses sometimes."

Janet smiled evilly. "You always say that. Maybe we should test it one of these days."

"A slow, lingering, probing, orgasm-inducing kiss? Count me in, darling."

They moved in for another kiss, when the phone chirped in the front seat. Janet groaned, her mouth missing Sam's by mere inches as she rested her head on the taller woman's shoulder. "Answer it, Sam. You know you have to."

Sam pressed a kiss to Janet's temple, a tear brimming at the corner of her eye. "I don't want to leave you," Sam whispered.

Janet raised her head, brushing the blonde locks away and kissing Sam's closed eyelids. Another ring. "Sam... you have to answer it."

Reluctantly, the blonde snaked an arm out from under Janet's body and reached into the front seat, pulling her cell phone off of the console. "What?"

"Sam?"

"Daniel. Uh, can this wait?" She was silently glad it wasn't the General, but still upset at the interruption in their activities.

"I'm afraid not, Sam. There's a problem. A big one."

He had her full attention now. She put a hand on Janet's shoulders, which indicated to the brunette that she should start putting her clothes back together and into a semblance of order. "What?"

"I... can't really say over the phone. Can you come to the base?"

"I'll be right there." She paused, then asked, "Is Janet needed?"

"Couldn't hurt," Daniel said. "It's really bad."

Sam disconnected and looked up at Janet, the doctor's face illuminated in the dim glow of the street light a few yards away. "I'm sorry, sweetheart... We have to go to the base."

Janet leaned down, kissing Sam again. "We'll cross the back seat off of our list another time," she promised, adding a wink.

---

After a quick trip home to don more appropriate clothing, Sam and Janet finally arrived at the SGC. Sam briefly clutched Janet's hand as they climbed the stairs to the briefing room. The situation was all-too-familiar for the blonde; it seemed like they were reliving the night leading up to their trip to Laszwell's planet.

The mood was somber when Sam and Janet arrived at the room. Jack, Daniel and Teal'c had already joined General Hammond around the table. Sam scanned their faces, getting a feel for the mood. So far, verdict was 'not good.' She sat in her regular seat, glancing at Janet.

General Hammond nodded to them and said, "Thank you for coming in, ladies. We're only waiting for... ah. Here he comes."

The team turned. Dr. MacKenzie had entered the room. Sam felt her heart drop at the sight of the psychiatrist. The man's arrival was never good news. Hammond welcomed the doctor and said, "Perhaps you can explain what's going on, Doctor."

MacKenzie nodded, opening his folder. "Mark Burdett was a patient of mine and had been seeing me since his arrival at the SGC. He had a semi-regular therapist before signing up, and I simply took over the case. There were no major problems, nothing that precluded his working here. However, during the past few months, he seemed to start developing an extremely precarious hold on his self-image."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"He felt like he was bad luck. That bad things happen when he's around. The incident with Laszwell on," he checked his chart, "P24-C3X was the beginning of his problems. He had headaches caused by gate travel that went unchecked."

Sam nodded. "I remember. I gave him aspirin after his first trip."

"He may have hidden this from his superiors, but the headaches were getting steadily worse. After the reception I got when I theorized gate travel may be hazardous during the incident with Ma'chello's Goa'uld killers," he cast a glance in O'Neill's direction before continuing. "I was hesitant to report this. He was taking prescription migraine pills up until last week."

"Prescription... I never filled any prescription for Major Burdett," Janet said.

"I wrote the slip," MacKenzie admitted. "I assume he went to town to fill it. He feared that if he went to you, you would report it to General Hammond."

"I have to."

"I understand that and I now realize I should have reported it sooner," MacKenzie nodded. "I thought things would quiet down after the incident with Laszwell's people. But, soon after came the incident on P42-887, or Marchetta, as the Tok'ra refer to it. Mark felt powerless to prevent Major Carter's abduction by the Chahakae creature. He considered suicide for the brief moments when her position was unclear."

"Suicide?" Sam breathed. She hadn't known that...

"Then P63-8X4. The mission that resulted in the deaths of two of his team members. He didn't keep appointments for three weeks after that. I finally had to hunt him down in his quarters and practically drag him back to his meeting. After that, he came willingly again."

Sam shook her head. "I don't get it, General. If he was this disturbed, why did you appoint him a new team?"

"I didn't have this information until recently. Dr. MacKenzie felt Major Burdett could handle a command."

"And I truly believed it at the time."

"At the time?" Sam questioned. "What's happened between then and now?"

Hammond opened a folder marked confidential and began reading. "P29-354 was the site of a research station which was set up by SG teams 2 and 3. A few days ago at 2300, they came home and SG-11 was sent to keep watch on the station. Make sure everything stayed running smoothly. It should have been a simple, three week assignment for the new team."

He sighed, then got to the reason for their meeting. "We received a message from P29-354 approximately an hour ago." He placed a small tape recorder on the table. "The voice you're about to hear belongs to Captain Joshua Gill, Major Burdett's science officer."

He pressed play.

"General Hammond! Please, respond! This is Captain Gill of SG-11 requesting immediate assistance, sir!" Machine gunfire filled the background. Sam could hear the sound of Gill trying to seek cover from the attack. "He broke the GDO, sir! Destroyed it, said we can't come home... Sir, he's gone completely crazy!" In the background, a harsh voice screamed, "Get away from the gate!" More gunfire. Sam recognized the voice as Mark. But... he couldn't be the one shooting. Could he?

"Sir, Major Burdett has assassinated the other members of our team. They're all dead... Beller, Mathis, Slater... he killed them all, sir!"

Janet gasped, quietly exclaiming, "My God..."

"No!" Gill screamed. There was a struggle and more gunfire, this time sounding like it was inches away from the mic.

Hammond shut off the device. "At that point, we stopped receiving transmission from the MALP. The iris was struck several times, we believe by bullets. We think Major Burdett killed his research team in an attempt to keep them away from the 'gate."

"Why would he do that?" Sam asked.

MacKenzie sighed. "We believe he suffers from a disease known as encephalitis. The disease is caused by an inflammation and swelling of the brain, which results in paranoia and headaches. There was a case not long ago concerning an airline passenger... the heightened altitude, coupled with his disease, caused him to become a threat to his fellow passengers. There was a scuffle and the man was ultimately killed. We believe gate travel has the same effect on Major Burdett's disease as altitude."

Sam frowned. "So... why was I called?"

Hammond sighed. "Not just you, Major. I've issued orders for SG-1 to go to P29-534 and retrieve Major Burdett. He is to be considered armed and dangerous. This isn't the man who you served with; he's extremely disturbed. Bring him back by any means necessary."

Sam looked across the table at Janet. A series of missions gone wrong, a suicide attempt, the loss of his team members... and her rejection? Had his crush been the only thing keeping him going? She closed her eyes and rose with the rest of her team. If her rejection had caused this, then the deaths of SG-11 were on her head.

Sam turned back to General Hammond. "I'll begin preparing immediately, sir." She wished she were telling the truth... how do you prepare to go after someone you considered a true friend?

Part Two

Janet entered her office, carefully trying to sort out the logistics of Mark's disease. As she flipped on the light, she jumped. Someone had been sitting on the couch in the darkness.

"Sam!" Janet whispered. "What... what are you doing here?"

Sam stood slowly. She had gotten to change first, so she was already in her tan uniform. She crossed the distance between them and cupped Janet's face in her hands, kissing her softly. Janet closed her eyes, allowing herself to drown in the sensastion of Sam's tongue on her own.

The brunette came slowly out of her trance and pushed Sam gently away. "You can't be here... you should be getting ready for the mission."

The blonde ran her hands over the doctor's sleeves, feeling the warmth of the skin below. "I just... wanted to tell you I loved you one more time before I left."

"You talk like you aren't coming back."

"I'll be back," Sam smiled. "I could never stay away from you."

They leaned in for another kiss, but were interrupted by Harriman's voice filtering over the intercom. "SG-1 to the Gate room."

Sam brushed a stray lock of hair out of Janet's eyes. "I'll be back soon, honey." She reluctantly released the brunette and slipped out of the office. Janet watched the gorgeous blonde retreat out of the infirmary.

---

P29-354, once an apparently lifeless and abandoned desert, had been transformed over the past few weeks by construction teams supervised by SG teams 2 and 3. A track had been discovered running along the sandy terrain either side of the gate, stretching to the horizon in both directions. As SG-1 stepped onto the alien soil for the first time, they were greeted by a gruesome site. Captain Joshua Gill was sprawled a few feet away, his corpse hanging loosely off the side of the destroyed MALP. The back of his uniform was bloody and torn, the scent of gunpower still heavy in the air. Daniel knelt next to the man, reluctantly turning him over to look at his face. "He's gone, Jack."

"You don't say..."

Daniel leaned forward, examining the soldier's face. "That's odd," he muttered, brushing something away from the corpse's face. Something green and moist had been transfered to his fingers and he sniffed it experimentally. "Sam, what do you suppose this is?"

She bent, looking at the substance that had started to accumulate below the man's nostrils. "Looks like some kind of mold... Mildew, maybe."

Jack turned. "Mildew? In the middle of the desert?"

"Well, maybe not mildew," she corrected. "But it definitely could be mold. SG-11 reported that these tracks led to mines. It's a possibility that the mold was present underground and simply attached itself to the mucus membranes of the team members."

Jack winced. "Okay, ew..."

"Sorry, Sir. But it would account for the presence of the mold on his face now. His body was dropping in temperature and the outside was hotter than the inside. It's simply moving with the heat to survive."

Jack sighed. "Well, speaking of getting colder... I think we should have dressed a little warmer."

They had left Earth in the middle of the night, but the sun of this world was just beginning to lower. A cool breeze blew across the desert sand, blowing dust into the faces of the team. Sam slipped her goggles down over her eyes, turning away from the gust anyway. When the cloud passed, she turned and looked into the distance. A few kilometers straight out from the 'gate, they could make out the vague image of buildings; the SGC's research station. It had been set up to monitor results of hydoponics in an arid alien landscape.

Jack pulled the night vision glasses up and looked through them, peering at the horizon. "Hey, Carter? What do you suppose that thing is?"

She stood, following his gaze. She checked the readings from the operating MALP they had brought with them and reported, "Winds have apparently been increasing since we last received reports. It looks like there's a sandstorm brewing, sir."

"How long until it gets here?"

"Hard to tell. If the wind speeds keep this rate of exponential increase, we're looking at a thirty, thirty-five minute window."

"How long until we get to the research station where Burdett is supposed to be holed up?"

"Twenty minutes, give or take. And then twenty minutes back. We'll be at least five minutes too slow, sir."

Jack adjusted his cap. "Well, then. We'll double-time it to the research station. That gives us fifteen minutes to find Burdett and double-time back. Teal'c, you stay here and man the gate. If the storm breaks before we get back, you have the pup tent and supplies."

Teal'c nodded, then said, "I have managed to survive during far worse situations with far less, O'Neill."

Jack nodded. "Good. We'll give you a head's-up when you should start dialing."

Teal'c nodded slightly, indicating he was fine with this arrangement. Jack motioned in the direction of the research station. "Well? Shall we?"

Sam shrugged and began to move at a brisk jog alongside her CO. Daniel reluctantly followed.

---

The tracks which stretched from the research station, past the Stargate, and into distance had long ago been used by the original inhabitants to carry large metallic trains of materials from the base to a group of mines that had been discovered a few miles in the distance. When someone was ordered to either watch the mines or work in them, they would climb into the train (which was environment-controlled) and a control center back at the research station would operate the magnetic track like the Seattle monorail along the heated floor of the desert. When the miners had disappeared or left this place, they had left the tracks and their controls behind.

As the team approached the research station, they saw lights burning in the windows that faced them. Jack held up a hand and they slowed to a brisk walk. Jack pointed absently at Sam, then motioned at the west side of the building. She headed in that direction as the colonel motioned Daniel to the east. The archaeologist moved to the side while Jack moved into a crouch and carefully approached the north side of the building. They were at a slight disadvantage, coming at the building from behind. Burdett had to know that it was the probable direction that any SG teams would come from, which meant he was probably keeping an eye out for them.

Sam reappeared at the corner of the building, motioning that her side was clear. Daniel still hadn't returned to report. Jack's hand tensed slightly. He motioned to Sam that she should return to the front and wait for further instructions. She nodded and disappeared.

Glancing at the lit window a few feet above his head, Jack moved to the corner that he had assigned Daniel. Peering around the side of the building, he saw the archaeologist was frozen a few feet away. Jack knelt, feeling in the sand until he found a small pebble and tossed it at his team mate. The rock bounced off of Daniel's rear end and shocked the man out of his stupor. He turned, frowning.

Jack shrugged, then pointed to the front of the building. Daniel followed his gaze and moved to the corner, cautiously peering around to the front. He turned back to Jack and whispered, "Clear!"

Jack moved along the side of the building at a crouch, keeping his finger on the trigger guard. When he got to Daniel, he grabbed ahold of the archaeologist's jacket and yanked him to the sand. Jack hissed, "Silent! I said to be 'silent'!" It wasn't like Daniel to be so sloppy. Jack shrugged off his friend's strange behavior.

He stood, then looked around the side himself. He could see Sam peeking at him from the other side. Declaring it safe, he moved around the side and pressed himself tight against the front wall. Sam did the same on her side.

Between them, in the center of the face of the building, were two large, glass doors that led to the interior of the facility. No light poured forward from them, which meant Burdett had turned out the lights while they were on the sides of the building. No doubt about it; he was here. Looking out at the desert ahead of the small building, Jack saw a larger building protected by a chain-link fence. That was the main facility; a sort of lab-away-from-Earth. Jack breathed a sigh of relief that Burdett wasn't hiding there; if he had been, he'd have had about three thousand hiding places to choose from. Glancing at Sam, he gave the order to secure the doors.

She moved, gun first, in front of the double glass panes, quickly searching the doorway for signs of a booby trap. Finding it clear, she turned to Jack. "Clear, sir."

Jack and Daniel moved to her side, looking through the dark glass. No signs of movement whatsoever. Carefully, Jack reached out and pulled one glass door open, holding it with the toe of his boot. He glanced at Sam. "Maybe you should call him. He seems to like you."

She nodded, her mouth pressed into a firm line. "Yes, sir." She stepped into the open doorway, pressing herself against the interior wall. "Mark?" she called. "Mark, it's Sam?"

Seconds ticked by and then, finally, a voice came from inside. "Sa... Sam? Izzit you?"

"Yeah, I'm here. General Hammond sent me back to make sure you were safe."

"Safe?" Mark laughed. "Sure, I'm safe," he said, sarcasm dripping off of every word. Sam could tell his voice was coming from her right, so she stayed to the left of the hallway. The right side of the corridor opened onto three rooms; Mark was in one of them. Now it was just a matter of finding out which. "Mark, why'd you turn out the lights?"

"Didn't. Generator died. The main building still has power, though..."

The tough question now... "What happened here, Mark? What did you do?"

Silence. She had passed the first door, scanning it to see that it was empty. One down, two to go. She pressed herself flat against the left wall again, sliding slowly towards the next door. "Mark?" she repeated. "What happened with the team?"

"Gill, Captain Joshua Robert," Mark said quietly. Sam had now passed the second room. She now knew where Mark was hiding out. "Mathis, Lieutenant Craig James," he continued, obviously memorializing his victims. "Beller, Sergeant Allan Benjamin."

She heard Mark sniff quietly, adjusting something on his uniform. She froze, trying to remember if there had been grenades in SG-11's ordinance. As she approached the final door, she said, "You forgot one."

Mark was silent.

Sam filled it in for him. "Natasha Brownen Slater. She was assigned as a civilian observer. Did you forget her?"

"No," Mark replied so softly that Sam could barely hear him. "I didn't forget Tasha."

Tasha? Sam leaned against the door, not jumping him just yet. "Tell me about Tasha, Mark. Did you like her?"

"No," he said, a little too quickly. "She, ah... had a crush on me. Hero worship, I guess. I told her she should be more careful who she picks as a hero... Looks like I was right, huh, Sam?"

Sighing, she stepped into the doorway and levelled her P90. "Time to go home, Mark."

Major Mark Burdett was sitting on the floor, his back against a small counter that had probably been used to test soil samples. Sam could hardly believe her eyes when she saw him. In the days since his departure, he had apparently decided to forgo shaving and was now sporting a thin beard. His face was scratched and bleeding, and all of his exposed skin was blushing a bright red. Sam bet that if she touched him, he'd be running a hell of a fever.

His legs were sprawled out in front of him, his P90 laying across his knees. He made no move for the weapon when he saw Sam, just laid his head against the counter. His normally well-groomed hair now stood on end. The combination of his wild appearance, plus the circumstances, gave Sam the chills.

Mark smiled. "Come to take Colonel Kurtz out of the jungle, Sam?"

She scanned the room. "Did you rig anything?"

"No... No, Sam, I knew they'd send you. I could never hurt you."

She held her gun on him with one hand while digging into her pocket with the other. Finally, she found the small brown bottle Dr. MacKenzie had given her. She tossed it across to Mark and answered his unspoken question. "Pills. For your encephalitis."

Mark picked it up, eagerly unscrewing the top and pouring two pills into his hand. "Don't suppose you brought a glass of water?"

"Slipped my mind," she said curtly.

As Mark downed the tablets dry, something slammed violently against one of the stronger outer walls, making both soldiers jump. Mark checked his watch, then said, "Storm's brewin'. That was probably just a train car being knocked off the track. Happened once or twice before." His voice was oddly detached, his eyes constantly scanning the corners of the room.

Sam backed out of the room, glancing down the hall. O'Neill had disappeared from the door, replaced by a steady cover of flying sand. "It's early," she looked at her watch. Her calculations had been way off, or perhaps the storm had picked up speed. Either way, it didn't explain where her two team mates had gone. She gripped the mic latched to the collar of her jacket and spoke into it. "Colonel O'Neill? Daniel? Where are you guys?"

Static filled the response, but she heard Jack's voice break through occassionally. "Danny boy... off towards the... ain facility. Lost him... all this damned sand... after him..."

Mark looked up. "Main facility? They can't go to the main facility."

"Why not?"

Mark swallowed, his bloodshot eyes filled with terror. "That's where the monsters are."

---

While Sam was checking the second door, Jack glanced to see what Daniel was doing. The younger man had moved away from the side of the building, watching the approaching sandstorm as night fell around them in the desert. "Jack... the sand is already here."

He looked at the wall of sand and said, "So it is... why don't you come back over here, Daniel? We'll go inside and wait it out."

"No... I think we should go to the main building." At that, he began running across the sand dunes.

"Dan... Damn it, Daniel!" Jack released the door and, in doing so, abandoned his post as Sam's back-up. Unfortunately, he had to make sure his erratically behaving civilian team member didn't get lost in the shuffle. Racing across the dunes, he saw Daniel disappear into the fast-approaching wave of blowing sand. He pulled his goggles into place as he surged forward. Behind him, he could hear the sound of a transport train being ripped off of it's track and hurled against the research station.

His radio crackled to life seconds later. He could barely hear Sam's voice, "Colonel... Daniel? Where... you guys?"

Jack pulled the control to his mouth, trying to speak without swallowing a bucket of sand. "Danny boy just made a mad dash towards the main facility. I lost him when he disappeared in all this damned sand. I'm heading after him. Do you read?"

His answer was an earful of static. Releasing the radio, Jack hit the chain link fence that separated him from the main building of the research station. He felt the links for a hole, trying to get in the same way Daniel apparently had. He found a latch and slid it open, pushing the gate aside hard into the windblown sand piled at it's base, and running across the sand.

He was, in essence, completely blind. His boots sank into the deepening sand, making each step harder and harder as he surged onward. Eventually, he caught sight of a solid mass ahead of him; the wall of the building. He pressed himself against it, sliding across the metal sheeting until he found an access door. He found the handle and pulled it open, ducking into the dark room.

Jack pulled the door closed, cutting off the barrage of sand that threatened to pour into the building. Breathing heavily, he turned and pressed his back against the door. "Looks like we're waiting the storm out here, Daniel. Daniel?"

The younger man had either disappeared or found a different way in. Either way, he could be in one of a hundred places. Jack brushed the sand off of his face and muttered, "Aw, crap."

---

Janet hung her jacket on the hook next to the front door as she glanced at the day's mail. Two notices of a fundraising drive that was coming to the neighborhood, an invitation to join a local gym, and a letter to Cassie without a return address. She threw out the notices and put the letter on the hall table.

"Cass! Letter!"

She entered the living room, surprised the girl wasn't bounding down the stairs yet. The house was always so boring when Sam was off-world. Janet checked her watch. Just barely nine. Cassie would probably be at school by now, so the call would go unanswered. Stretching, Janet pulled her hair free and went up the stairs to take a relaxing bath. As she stripped out of her uniform, she heard the phone ringing in the living room. She poured some bubble bath into the stream, deciding to let the machine answer whoever was trying to call.

Janet lowered herself into the warm bubbles, letting a sigh escape her lips as her body was enveloped in the water. Letting herself sink until all but her head and shoulders were covered, she rested her head on the side of the bath and closed her eyes. Just for a quick nap, she told herself.

---

"What do you mean 'monsters'?" Sam asked, slowly approaching Mark.

"Th-the monsters. The ones who took over Gill and Tasha." Mark slowly got to his feet, running a hand through his wild hair. "If Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson went in there, the monsters will get them, too..."

He picked up his P90, checking the clip. Sam closed the distance between them and pulled the gun out of his hands. "No, Mark. There are no monsters."

"They were crazed, Sam! Screaming, yelling, howling... if you could've seen it, you would've done the same thing." He averted his eyes, apparently still horrified by what he had done.

"You say that Captain Gill was one of these... howling, incoherent creatures?"

Mark nodded slowly.

"We listened to the tape, Mark. Gill was scared for his life because someone was trying to kill him. He wasn't crazed. If he were a monster or had been taken over by an alien entity, we would've heard it in his voice."

"Goa'uld," Mark said. "Goa'uld can disguise their voices... pretend to be human."

"Mark," she sighed. "Come back to the gate with me. I'd like it if you went willingly."

He hung his head. "I didn't just kill my entire team in cold blood, Sam. You've gotta believe me."

"I want to. But if there's a chance for you to clear yourself, you have to go back willingly."

Reluctantly, Mark extended his hands as if preparing to be cuffed. "I'm not going to restrain you," she said, pushing his hands away. "And I have to take your weapons."

"I understand."

They turned to head for the doors to wait out the sandstorm. As they entered the hall, a loud banging resounded from the thin metal wall. Both soldiers turned, facing the origin of the pounding. A large form passed by one of the windows.

Mark gasped, backing up slowly. "The monsters..."

The creature continued to feel it's way along the outside of the wall, it's bulk pressing visibly against the wall, deforming the metal. Sam tightened her grip on her gun, beginning to rethink her decision to disarm Mark.

"Burdett," she said, switching to his last name to let him know she meant business. "Go into one of those other rooms... get some cover."

The creature was at the side of the building now, making it's way towards the double glass doors. In the cloud of blowing sand, grit and dirt, she could see the dark outline of the monster. Her heart pounded as the doors slowly opened and the creature lurched inside.

Chapter 3

"Burdett," Sam hissed. "Go into one of those other rooms... get some cover."

She tensed, ready to fire, when she heard a familiar voice grumble, "Major Carter. Do not shoot."

She sighed. "Teal'c. What are you doing here?" She had been *certain* he was a monster... almost as positive in her belief as Mark had been....

"I became concerned when I did not receive word from you or Colonel O'Neill. Is there a problem in apprehending Major Burdett?"

"No, I've got him. We got separated and I lost contact with the Colonel. He said something about looking for Daniel."

"Where is Major Burdett?"

"Here," the man said, slipping back into the hallway. Teal'c leveled his staff weapon at him. "Don't shoot... I'm going willingly."

"Just as soon as this damn storm lets up and we can find the rest of our team," Sam sighed. Teal'c pulled his goggles over his eyes.

"The only other refuge they would be able to take is the main facility. If they are not there, they could easily become lost in the storm. The winds were fierce; I could barely keep my footing. If we do not find them soon, they may die."

"That's comforting. Mark, do you have the blueprints to the main facility in case we go over there?"

"Why would I have the blueprints?"

Sam glanced at Teal'c. "I would assume SG-2 gave it to you when they left."

"SG-2 didn't build the main facility. It was here, abandoned, when we arrived, connected to the tracks. We just took it over for our own purposes. The structure is pretty complicated; we haven't been able to map all of it yet."

"Great... so Colonel O'Neill and Daniel are inside of a place that's pretty much one big maze to us."

Teal'c bowed his head gently. "There is nothing we can accomplish from this building. We must make the trek to the main facility and rendezvous with the rest of our team."

"Right," Sam nodded, turning to Mark. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to tie you to me during the trip. Just so you don't get lost..."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "We will all be tethered to each other to ensure one does not stray. It is for the safety of all."

Mark nodded. "Great, good, let's get this show on the road."

---

Jack O'Neill moved slowly towards the far end of the room, listening for Daniel as he moved. "Daniel? You gotta come out. C'mon, we gotta get back to the Stargate."

Directly ahead of him was the door leading to the interior of the building. He pulled it open and peered out into the hallway. If the man had remained the same room Jack was leaving, it would have been obvious. The only other course of action was to continue into the main complex. He sighed, leaning against the doorframe of the room he had just left and called once again.

"Daniel? You in here?"

Silence. Jack pushed away from the wall and continued into the corridor.

---

Janet woke to the sound of a ringing phone, finding that at some point she had gotten out of the tub and climbed into bed. She stood and wrapped a robe around her still moist form and headed to the hallway to answer the phone. Checking the clock, she saw that she had gotten three hours of sleep.

She picked up the phone on the fourth ring, just before the answering machine kicked in. "Dr. Janet Fraiser, hello?"

There was a slight pause as the person on the other end apparently expected the answering machine again. "Dr. Fraiser, yes. This is Chad Mayberry; I teach English at Colorado Springs High School. You are, uh, Cassandra Fraiser's legal guardian?"

Her heart jumped. "Y-yes... what is this about?"

"I was just a bit concerned is all. It seems Cassandra has been missing school the past few days and there haven't been calls to the principal's office to explain it. I just wanted to make sure that Cassandra was okay."

"Uh, Cassandra has been fine." Janet rubbed the back of her neck, glancing at the CallerID sitting next to the phone. Pressing the review button, she saw three calls from the school, as well as two others from what appeared to be from the principal's office. "I don't understand, I thought she was going every day."

"According to the school office, she hasn't been issued a parking sticker. Don't you drive her to school yourself?"

"Uh, sometimes. When I'm available. I work at the Air Force Academy Hospital and my work usually forces me to work odd hours."

"I see," he said. "Well, we'd appreciate it if you would talk to Cassandra about these absences. Students are alloted a certain amount of sick days before they lose credit for the year. I love having her in class, but maybe not two years in a row," he chuckled.

"I'll talk to her about it this afternoon," Janet assured him. They said good-bye to each other, then Janet hung up. She drummed her fingers on the receiver, turning to go upstairs and get dressed. As she turned, she noticed something missing off of the hallway table. The letter to Cassandra was missing. Sighing, Janet went upstairs to get dressed before doing anything about the girl.

---

Sam collapsed, getting a face-full of sand. She coughed, trying to signal to Teal'c that she had fallen, but her mouth was filled with the grainy sand. The Jaffa continued moving, unaware she had collapsed. She felt a pair of hands around her waist heave her back onto her feet and felt Mark gently push her forward. She silently thanked him as they continued their slow-moving convoy through the blinding cloud. Finally, she felt the edge of a chain-link fence as they moved past it. They were closing in on the main facility. She moved forward, closing the distance between herself and Teal'c grabbing the big man's shoulders as they approached the building.

"Teal'c!" she screamed over the barrage of wind. "The door will be buried under all of this sand!"

"We are not entering through a door, Major Carter!" he called back, turning his head out of the wind to avoid swallowing the blowing sand. "I believe there is a window to a higher level which we can access."

She nodded, falling back slightly. Almost immediately, she heard the quiet shatter of glass as Teal'c broke through a window and entered the building. Sam and Mark followed close behind. Teal'c had severed his tether with them as he hit the floor, moving across the room to pick up a metal table. Once Mark was inside, Teal'c pressed the table flat against the window. "Barricade the window... it will prevent the room from being flooded with sand."

Sam and Mark moved several heavy items on what appeared to be a fully-functional lab, adding weight to Teal'c's barricade. Eventually, the Jaffa was able to release his hold long enough to roll a heavy counter to the window. He heaved it onto the table and propped it against the wall over the window, using the handle of his knife to knock the wheels off. He secured it against the wall and said, "The sand should not affect us now. Come." He turned and stalked out of the room. Sam pulled the flashlight from her belt, scanning the dark hallway as they entered it.

Teal'c led the way, followed by Mark. Sam brought up the rear, keeping an eye behind them. "Colonel!" she called. "Daniel! Are you guys here?"

No response. She grabbed her mic. "Colonel, Daniel, do you read?"

"Carter?" came Jack's startled reply. "What, did the storm let up?"

"No, Sir. Teal'c and I are in the main facility."

"What?! Where's Burdett?"

"Right here, Sir. We need to know where you are so we can rendezvous, Colonel."

"I think I'm in some sort..." There was a long pause before she heard her CO say,"Whoa... Daniel? Is 'at you?"

Sam frowned. "Colonel? Colonel, what's happening?"

His reply didn't come through the mic, since O'Neill had apparently not bothered to press down the button. Instead, all she got as a response was the loud retort of automatic weapons fire that echoed down the hall. From the sound of it, the shooter was pretty far away. Teal'c broke into a run at the sound of the gunfire and Mark reluctantly followed. He muttered, "O'Neill found the monsters..."

---

The room Jack had entered turned out to be a port to a long catwalk that hugged the wall all around a laboratory below.. He stepped carefully onto the mesh floor, making sure it could support weight before stepping completely out onto it. As he walked along the catwalk, he peered down at the lab he was suspended over. Several long rows of tables were set up, tools laid out as if they had simply been set aside for a lunch break. Sprawled on the floor next to the door was a man Jack couldn't identify from this distance.

"Colonel," came Sam's familiar voice through the mic attached to his collar. "Daniel, do you read?" There was a bit of static, but the reception was remarkably clear.

He grabbed his radio. "Carter? What, did the storm let up?"

"No, Sir. Teal'c and I are in the main facility."

He frowned. "What?! Where's Burdett?" 'Don't tell me that little bug got away,' he silently asked.

"Right here, Sir. We need to know where you are so we can rendezvous, Colonel."

He looked around the catwalk, then down at the lab. "I think I'm in some sort..." He paused. Something was happening. The door to the lab had opened and a small flashlight was shining on a group of rock samples on one of the counters. Other tables held similar collections. As the flashlight beam danced over the rocks' surface, a substance on them shimmered. Daniel Jackson stepped into the room, coldly stepping on the hand of the corpse in the doorway. Looking down on the shimmering rocks, he said, "Whoa..."

The man far below heard the utterance and looked up. Jack frowned. "Daniel? Is 'at you?"

Daniel's response was to raise his P90 and open fire.

Jack ducked, running back for the safety of the access port. Bullets ricocheted off catwalk supports all around him, pinging against the metal of the walls. He fell through the doorway of the access panel and Daniel ceased fire. Unfortunately, he hadn't stopped soon enough. One of his bullets had passed through Jack's thigh and was burning like hell now. Jack winced, holding the wound as he tried to make sense of Daniel's actions. Spacing out while they were investigating the research station, running off and disappearing... something was up with the young man, Jack mused sarcastically.

There was a clanking of metal as Daniel shifted a ladder leading to the catwalk, preparing to climb up. 'He's gonna finish me off,' Jack thought. His First Aid kit was in his pack, but he didn't have time to grab it at the moment. He reached down and pulled one of his supply pouches off, reattaching it above the wound. He tightened the strap tight, hoping he was cutting off the blood flow enough.

Grunting slightly, he pulled himself up. Favoring his left, unwounded leg, he limped out of the access room. He headed down the corridor, not knowing where he was headed. All he knew was he was being chased by his best friend and that friend was trying to kill him.

Jack grumbled, "If I had known this was how my day would end, I woulda stayed in bed a little longer..."

---

All further attempts to reach O'Neill by radio had failed.

Teal'c cautiously entered the lab, unaware that his missing teammates had just left. On the floor ahead of him, sprawled in the doorway, was the corpse of an SG-11 soldier. Sam moved past Teal'c, turning the body over.

She sighed. "It's Craig Mathis," she said.

"He's, ah..."

"Deceased," Mark supplied.

Sam turned to the man, shocked at the cold, detached tone of his voice. "Did you kill him, Mark? Did you kill this man?"

"Yes." He looked down at the corpse of his friend. "I had to. Well... I killed what was left of him."

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow. "To what are you referring?"

"The monsters took over him. There wasn't much left."

Sam stood, grabbing Mark's collar. "Look, there are no monsters. We haven't seen any monsters. The only monster I see here is the one who killed four people because he couldn't handle a little rejection."

Mark frowned, staring at her in disbelief. "You think... I did this because of you?!"

Sam paused, realizing how egotisic that must have sounded. "Not... just because of me." She looked at Teal'c and changed the subject by asking, "Is anyone else in there?"

Teal'c turned, examining the darkness past the doorway. He swung his flashlight in an arch, passing over everything. Finally, he reported. "There is another body. There." He pointed past the row of tables to a sprawled form leaning against the far wall.

Sam entered, approaching the body and kneeling next to it. "Allan Beller."

Mark stood behind her, looking at his friend's body. "He was going to get married in five months. Guess that's off..."

Sam turned and punched Mark, knocking him across the table. Teal'c stepped in, holding her back before she could do any more damage. "You son of a bitch!" she screamed. "You kill your entire team in cold blood and you don't even show the *slightest* bit of remorse?! What kind of cold-blooded monster are you?!"

Mark straightened himself, tenderly touching his split lip. "I didn't kill them! The monsters did that. I just finished the job. They were dead anyway."

Sam shook her head. "Monsters.... There. Are. No. Monsters!"

"Then I suppose your team mate was shooting at thin air?"

Teal'c offered, "He makes a valid point, Major. Neither Colonel O'Neill nor Daniel Jackson would fire their weapon unless faced with an adversary."

Sam eased her assault stance slightly. "He could have been alerting us to his position."

"Would he not have then remained where he was?"

There was logic in that, but Sam wasn't in the mood to be logical. She was in the mood to be mad at the one scapegoat she happened to have at the moment. Four people had been senselessly murdered and she had a prime candidate for her anger standing in front of her.

Teal'c turned, examining the rocks. "You say this structure stood from the time of your arrival on this world?"

Mark nodded, keeping a wary eye on Sam. "Yeah. Why?"

"Then you do not know where these samples were taken from."

"Actually, yeah," Mark said, looking at the rocks. "The tracks lead from here to a bunch of mines a few miles on the other side of the Stargate. When we sent a couple guys to plant hydroponics in the caves, they found a bunch of rocks that looked like these."

Picking up one, Teal'c scraped his fingernail along the rough surface. "Did the samples in the cave contain this mold?"

Mark looked. "Yeah. Mathis and Gill said it was hard to breath there were so many mold spores flyin' around."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow, replacing the rock on the counter.

Sam glanced down at Craig Mathis' body and knelt next to it. A trickle of blood covered his nostrils, but she covered her hand with the sleeve of her jacket and brushed it away. Sure enough, mold was present in and around the man's nostrils. Turning his head, she saw trace elements in his ears as well. She turned and said, "Teal'c, check Beller's body for signs of mold. Probably around the ears and nose."

The Jaffa knelt and checked. "A substance is apparent, Major Carter. It appears to have been seeping from his nasal cavity."

Sam stood and walked to the lab counter, examining the rocks SG-11 had taken from the mines. "I think I have an idea about what killed these people..."

---

"Hi, Cass," Janet said casually as she rinsed out a glass in the sink. "How was school today?"

"Oh, fine," the teen lied, dropping her backpack on the dining room table. "When's dinner?"

"Soon," Janet said.

"Is Sam back yet?"

Janet checked her watch, frowning slightly. "Uh, not that I know of, sweety. Maybe she had to stay for briefings. One of her friends is in a little trouble."

Something you're about to know a lot about, missy, she added silently.

Cassandra pulled an envelope from her back pocket and tossed it in the garbage as she passed. Janet watched the motion and said, "Love letter?"

Cassie smiled. "Not exactly."

"It *must* be important. I mean, you *did* come all the way home at noon just to pick it up. Or *did* you come all the way home? Maybe you were so anxious, you decided not to bother with school today."

"Mom... did someone call you?"

"Of course," Janet continued, "with the post office, who can be sure when a letter will arrive? So, I guess you would have had to take several days waiting patiently for it. What dedication that must take!"

Cassandra dropped into the chair, covering her face with her hands. "Mom... can we talk about this some other time? Any other time?"

Janet slapped the counter. "No, Cassandra! Mr. Mayberry called me today. He told me that if you missed a certain number of days, you have to take the year over again."

"I know that, Mom. I wasn't going to miss that many days."

"Cass... what is it that's more important that school?" She softened her voice, letting Cass know that she was more disappointed than angry. "Arcade? Maybe, uh, a boy's house? Smoking heroin on some street corner?"

Cass rolled her eyes and muttered, "You don't smoke heroin..."

Janet laughed mirthlessly. "I'm so glad my teenage daughter is such an expert on this subject. REALLY, Cassandra." She sat down and stared directly into her daughter's eyes. "I'm going to ask you one time. And you are going to give me one. Straight. Answer. Where have you been going?"

Cass looked down at the table, then sighed. "I've been going to Dr. Weston's Office."

Janet leaned back, as if she had been struck. "Doctor... Weston. The..." She closed her eyes, not wanting to say the next words... "the pediatian doctor?"

The girl frowned. "Yeah, the kind that deals with pregnant girls, right?"

Janet gasped silently. Her sixteen-year-old daughter had been skipping school to see a doctor... about pregnancy. Janet leaned her face into her hands, shaking her head slowly. 'Oh, Sam, of all the times for you to be off-world...'

Part Four

"Mold?" Mark asked, skeptically. "You think they were killed when they inhaled mold?"

"Not exactly," Sam said, picking up a rock and moving to one of the microscopes in the room. "You should want to believe this, Mark. I'm trying to prove you're innocent." As she scraped off a sample, she turned to Teal'c. "Do you remember the creatures that infiltrated the Russian Stargate?"

"Indeed," Teal'c replied. "They appeared to be water when in fact they were millions of microscopic organisms."

Sam placed the sample of the mold under the scop and flipped the light on, peering through the eyepiece. "This mold has a complex cellular structure," she said. "I think the mold is actually a microscopic civilization of these organisms."

"And we invaded the mines where they'd basically set up camp," Mark said, looking at the rocks in disbelief.

Sam nodded. "They must have felt threatened enough to invade the members of SG-11 and try to force them to leave this planet. When that didn't work..."

"They attempted to exterminate them," Teal'c finished.

"Exactly. The monsters that Mark thought had taken over his team were in fact these organisms in the mold."

"So..." Mark frowned. "Why aren't any of us affected? I mean, why didn't I try to kill you when you arrived?"

Sam sighed. "As far as I can tell, and this is *only* hypothesis at this point, the organisms attach to the brain stem and manipulate the brain to control the host. For that, they need access to control the DNA."

Teal'c nodded slightly in understanding. "You and I carry DNA that is alien to them; a result of the larvae I carry..."

"And Jolinar's protein marker," she nodded. "It can't figure out how to control our DNA, so it basically dies in our bodies."

"W-what about me? I mean, no offense, Teal'c... but I'm no Goa'uld."

"No, but you do have a brain disease. Encephalitis. Your brain occassionally swells and becomes inflamed. That probably causes the mold spores to die before they can take too much of a hold." She looked at the sprawled form of Sergeant Allan Beller. "Of course, it CAN affect you in smaller ways."

"Sam... I could have sworn... I am positive that they had transformed." He looked down at the bodies. "I was... just assuming that... they were like movie werewolves, you know? Revert back to their original form when they die..."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "Major Burdett, perhaps the organisms that were dying within you altered your perception of your team. Perhaps it was merely a facade in order to facilitate their murders."

Sam perked slightly. "That could be it... Teal'c, when you were trying to get into the research station, I was positive you were one of the creatures Mark was talking about. If you hadn't said anything, I would have shot you dead." She shook her head. "In retrospect, it had to have been you. The silhouette is hardly mistakeable." She sighed, then looked at Mark. "If that's the case -- and I hope it is -- I'm sorry I was so quick to jump to conclusions."

Mark smiled slightly. "Don't worry about it." The smile faded slowly. "Hey, wait a second. Are Colonel O'Neill and Daniel immune to this... mold thing?"

Sam shrugged. "No protein markers and no history of..." She stopped. "The gunfire earlier." The three turned, running from the room. The need to find their team mates had just gotten a bit more desperate.

---

Jack slipped into an abandoned room, quietly closing the door and dropping down next to the opposite wall. He was holding his leg wound tightly; his thigh was throbbing painfully now. He needed to have someone look at it, but that was impossible with the deranged, homicidal archaeologist stalking him. "Come on, Danny Boy. Throw in the towel. This isn't funny any more."

"Tired, Jack?" came the distant reply. From the sound of it, Daniel was a few doors down. "We can finish this quickly... just come out and let me put a bullet between your eyes."

Jack sighed, pulling his revolver free from the holster. Testing the weight, he shook his head and muttered, "That ain't gonna happen." He tossed the weapon aside and withdrew his knife. He didn't want to shoot Daniel; the bullet would most likely kill him. But with the knife he could disable his attacker without causing too much permanent damage.

"I know I hit you, Jack. Where was it? The chest? Stomach? I heard the stomach is the slowest and most painful way to die. Maybe when I catch you, we can find out for sure."

Jack winced, pulling himself up. He favored his unwounded leg as he limped to the wall, pressing tightly against it. He heard Daniel kick open the door to the room right next to the one Jack now cowered in. He tightened his grip on the knife and prepared to fight his best friend.

---

Janet stared silently across the table at Cassie. The girl, in turn, stared silently back.

Finally, Janet sighed. "I can't force you to tell me, Cass. But it's inevitable. Alien or not, that baby will be a problem one day. Are you, or are you not pregnant?"

Cassie looked down at the table. "If I say yes will you stop asking questions?"

Janet frowned. What could that comment possibly mean?

"I shouldn't even have told you I went to Dr. Weston's. Can I eat dinner in my room tonight?"

"NO," Janet said forcefully. "Now, I want you to know that I'm not... Damn it, I *am* mad... But we can work this out, Cass. It is a mistake. A," she sighed, "big mistake. But we can work through this as a family; you, me and Sam. Just, please. Be honest with me?"

"This doesn't have anything to do with you and Sam. It's my problem."

"Don't talk like that, Cass. Sam and I will always be here for you, regardless of any mistakes you make."

"Mom... I didn't make a mistake. Can I... please just be trusted? I promise nothing bad will happen."

Janet leaned back against her chair, rubbing her face. "I want to help you, Cassandra. But if you won't let me..." Janet paused, she could always trust Cassie before, why not now? "Alright. I'll trust you. For now. But no more missed school days, okay?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes still not meeting her mother's. "Promise. I'll, uh... find another time to go see the doctor."

"And if you get in over your head? If there's something you can't handle?"

"You and Sam are the first to hear about it."

Janet nodded, accepting the compromise...for now. "What do you say we fix some dinner?"

Cassie stood and headed into the kitchen, smiling slightly. It looked like both of them were happy with the compromise...

---

Sam and Mark rounded the corner at the same moment Daniel kicked open a lab door. He swung his flashlight in, examining the corner thoroughly.

"Daniel!"

He turned, spotting them. "Sam! Burdett! Hey, what're you guys doing here?"

---

Jack frowned. Sam and Burdett? Did they know that Daniel had gone off the deep end? Testing his ability to put weight on his injured leg, he reached for the door. He didn't know where Teal'c was... all he knew was this his 2IC was standing on the other side of the door between two men who had recently started showing homicidal tendencies. He reached for the doorknob.

---

Sam raised her gun. "Stay right where you are, Daniel. Put down your gun."

"Sam?" Daniel chuckled quietly, bending slightly to put his gun on the floor. "What's goin' on? Where's Teal'c?"

A drop of sweat trickled down Sam's face. She could feel it starting to build up under her t-shirt and jacket as well. She knew Mark and Daniel were suffering the same heat; it was her plan. "Just forget about Teal'c for a second, Daniel. Where's Jack?"

"That's what I'd like to know," he said, his lips curving into a slow smile. "I have some unfinished business with the Colonel."

---

Teal'c stepped back, brushing the beads of sweat from his upper lip. If the heat was getting to him, he had done his job well. The temperature gauge for the facility now read 120 degrees. He pulled himself up and went to rejoin his team mates.

---

The door flew open and Jack stumbled out, brandishing the hunting knife that was normally secured to his belt. Daniel turned, smiling at his friend. "Jack! There you are!" He knelt slightly, his hand going for his gun.

Sam lurched forward, raising the butt of her gun into the air and bringing it down in the middle of the younger man's back. Daniel fell, uttering a surprised 'oof!' as he fell. Sam rolled him onto his back and climbed on top of him, holding his head still.

Slowly, small spores of mold began to appear around his nostrils. He placed his hands on her hips and chuckled. "Ooh, Sammy... I could get use to this. You finally decide to your little bitch Fraiser and give us boys another chance?"

She punched him, hard, bouncing his skull against the floor and knocking him cold. As she rose off the unconscious man, she caught Mark's surprised gaze locked on her. The secret was out, she thought. One more down. She looked at Colonel O'Neill's leg and said, "We have to get back to the SGC. Now."

"What about the storm?"

She checked her instruments. "The MALP signals show it's moving past us. The worst seems to be over. If we left now, the storm should clear while we're heading to the Stargate." She shrugged. "That, combined with the fact that a signal is actually getting through from the MALP when you and I couldn't talk across a hundred yards earlier... The storm is definitely dying down."

"What about--"

Teal'c appeared, answering Jack's question before it was fully asked. Sam looked down at Daniel. "He'll have to be restrained on the trip back to the 'gate. And we need a makeshift stretcher for Colonel O'Neill." She stripped off her jacket and turned the sleeves inside out. "Teal'c, pull two of the legs off of one of these metal tables for me." After she buttoned and zipped the jacket, she pulled the sleeves out through the bottom. When Teal'c returned with the table legs, she slid one into each sleeve and pulled the jacket taut between them. "It won't be exactly comfortable, Sir, but it'll keep the weight off of that leg."

Jack nodded, looking at the device Sam had just fashioned. "Wow... you're just a regular MacGyver, aren't ya?" he muttered.

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow as he gently placed his CO on Sam's stretched jacket. "What is a MacGyver?"

Jack started to answer, but caught a glimpse of Burdett across the room. He motioned at the man they had been sent to subdue, standing unguarding and unbound. "Is he, ah..."

"He's fine, Sir. I think I found out what's been going on."

Jack smiled weakly. "Way t'go, Carter. Good job."

She smiled and laid him across her gurney. She picked up one side, Mark the other. Teal'c bound Daniel's hands and ankles and draped the archaeologist over his shoulder. Sam sighed and gave the order. "Let's move out. Storm's letting up and we are going home."

---

Janet approached Cassie's door, preparing to knock and tell the girl to prepare for bed. As she poised her hand to knock, she heard a quiet conversation taking place. "Chris... no, I'm not bailing on you."

Biting her lip, knowing she was invading her daughter's territory, Janet pressed her ear against the wooden door.

"Mr. Mayberry called my mom today. No, he just said I'd been missing class. I guess he didn't know about you 'cause you're not in his class. No, don't go alone. I'll... I'll forge a note or something. Don't worry about it. No!" The girl sighed, then said, "Okay. Now? I... I can't now. She's downstairs. Can't I just tell... no, I can tell her! She can keep secrets, trust me. It would be a lot easier if she knew."

Janet backed up, preparing to go downstairs and wait for the girl to show up and spill her guts. Instead, the door swung open and Cass almost collided with her, phone in hand. "Oh! Hi, Mom!"

"Hi, Cass." She couldn't bring herself to say more... "I was just comin' to see you." She brought the phone to her ear. "Hey, she's right here. Wanna tell her yourself? Okay." Holding the phone out to Janet, she said, "It's Chris."

Janet took the phone and pressed it to her ear. Trying to control the tremor in her voice, she said, "This is Janet. Who am I speaking to?"

A young, feminine voice, tinged with fear, said, "I'm Christine Reiner...and I'm in a lot of trouble... Don't be mad at Cassie, she was only trying to help."

Janet replied in her most soothing voice, "It's okay Chris, do you want to talk about it?" As the girl began to speak, Janet looked up and locked eyes with her daughter. Cass smiled slightly and sat down on her bed as her mother listened to the other girl's story.

SGC, early the next day,

The healthier members of SG-1, plus Mark Burdett and Dr. Amy Roth, were gathered around the briefing room table. Jack and Daniel were both in the infirmary being treated, Daniel with a high fever that Doctor Roth had intentionally infected him with. The high temperatures would force the remaining mold spores to release their hold on him and hopefully kill them.

General Hammond entered and took his seat. "This," he sighed, "should be very interesting."

Sam sighed and reported her theory on the mold spores and the possibility that they were trying to protect against invasion. Exams on the bodies of SG-11 had shown high qualities of decaying mold on their brain stems. Burdett had been found to be under the influence of an alien presence and given a reprimand and a suspension. He took the punishment gracefully, simply nodding as it was passed down.

On the way back to the 'gate, Jack had described, in detail, what had happened inside the main building after he and Daniel had gotten separated from the others. As Sam related the story to Hammond, she glanced across the table at Mark. He was staring at her, as if trying to see something he hadn't before. When he met her eyes, he smiled sheepishly and turned away. She sighed and turned back to the General. She hoped knowledge of her sexual orientation didn't lead to any awkward situations with the man.

Outside of the briefing room, he caught up to her. "Sam! Hey, uh... could you wait up a second?"

"Sure, Mark," she turned, smiling thinly. She hadn't had a chance to go see Janet since her return and was aching to be with her lover. "What's up?"

He sighed, turning to make sure they were alone. He shrugged, looking down at his boots. "You coulda told me. I mean, I'm totally cool with... well, I would've understood."

"You would have?"

"Of course. Sam, it's who you are." He shrugged, feigning modesty. "I can't change that no matter how smooth, suave or absolutely irresistable I may be."

Sam chuckled. "Oh, you're something, all right." She grinned. "Thanks for understanding. And, I assume... no further than this hall, right?"

"None of my business. But..." He looked at her for a second, then shook his head. "Never mind." He started down the hall.

Sam caught up with him. "Now, hold on. What?"

"I was... it's stupid and you're goin' to say no. But I was wondering if I could just kiss you? Once. No strings."

Sam sighed. "Mark..."

"I know. I, uh... had to ask." He started to move away when Sam grabbed his jacket and turned him back to face her. She lightly pressed her lips to his, embracing him gently.

Mark stood still, his arms straight at his sides and his eyes wide open. Sam pulled back, smiling at him. "That what you were looking for?"

"Uh, well... yeah..." He grinned. "Thanks." He blinked, turning and heading down the hall.

Sam chuckled and turned to continue in the opposite direction. Janet was standing in the open door of the briefing room, her chocolate eyes wide with surprise.

"Well," the doctor said, a small smile tugging on her lips. "Send you to arrest 'em, you end up kissing 'em." She chuckled, then said, "My office. Five minutes."

Sam was right behind the petite woman. She couldn't wait five minutes.

Chapter Five

Janet whimpered softly, turning her head to press her cheek against the arm of the sofa. Tears streamed silently down her face as she gasped, one hand latched to the back of the couch while the other hand a death grip on the cushion. Her current breathless, emotional, perspiring state was the result of one Samantha Carter, who was planted firmly between the doctor's spread legs. Janet had kicked off her heels and had one leg balanced on the top of the couch and the other draped over her blonde lover's shoulder. The doctor's already forgotten panties dangled off the ankle of one leg.

Sam had pushed the doctor's dress up and her panties down immediately upon entering the private office. Janet had been helpless against the taller woman's sexual assault... not that she had any plans to stop her.

"You weren't here," Sam whispered, the movement of her lips over Janet's mound caused the brunette to shiver. "I had to have Amy do my exam. You know how I miss your *personal* touch to the exam..."

"I know," Janet breathed, brushing her hair out of her face.

Sam used the thumbs of her hands to spread Janet's glistening lips, opening wide the brunette's sex. As Sam dived in with her expert tongue, the doctor released the cushion and ran her hands through the major's short blonde locks.

Janet gasped quietly and began to gently thrust her hips against Sam's exploring mouth. Sam picked up on the signal and moved her hands to cup Janet's ass, drawing the smaller woman inches closer to her mouth. As Sam's lips pressed tightly over the doctor's smooth lips, Janet released a moan. Her climax exploded into Sam's hungry mouth, the blonde trying to swallow as much as she could without choking.

Once the tide finally subsided, Sam sat up and rearranged her lover's clothing. Janet caught her breath, vaguely aware of the blonde moving her on the couch. When she was coherent once more, she realized that both of them were fully dressed and sitting side-by-side on the couch. They looked like two professionals awaiting a meeting. Janet glanced at Sam, meeting the blonde's eyes.

They both began to laugh.

Janet leaned forward and kissed her lover, tasting her own salty juices on the blonde's lips. Pulling back, she smiled. "Just so you know... I wasn't jealous *or* angry about you kissing Major Burdett."

Sam stroked Janet's cheek. "Ooh... so then my sexual persuasion was unnecessary?"

"That," Janet said, scooting closer to Sam, "is *always* necessary." They pressed their lips together, resisting the urge to take it further at the moment.

Sam pulled back, looking at Janet through half-lidded eyes. "So... what happened while I was gone?"

Janet sighed. "Thought Cassie was pregnant."

Sam blinked. "Uh..."

Janet related the whole story; Cassandra's friend, Christine, had been fooling around with a boy from school and, using their infinite teenage wisdom, forgone protection. The result was an EPT that pointed towards positive. Chris was too nervous to go to see the pediatrician alone, so Cass volunteered to hold her hand. Apparently, the boyfriend wasn't the upstanding citizen Chris had thought him to be. The girls had visited Dr. Weston several times after Janet had discovered what was wrong, exploring their options. Chris had finally decided to have the baby, but needed to take several childbirth classes. And with Janet's permission, Cass was given several excused absences for when she was helping her friend; her credit for the year was no longer in danger.

"Wow," Sam said when Janet finished. "I can't imagine going through that so young. I can't imagine going through that *now*!"

Janet smiled. "Well, pregnancy is not exactly number one on our danger list."

Sam chuckled. "When do you get off?" As Janet quirked an eyebrow, Sam closed her eyes and reworded the question. "When is your shift over?"

"Around seven."

"I'll pick you up. I have a little surprise." Sam winked and rose off the couch, blowing the brunette a good-bye kiss before slipping out of the office.

---

By the time seven o'clock finally rolled around, Janet was almost trembling with anticipation. She filed a report on Major Burdett's prognosis, examined SG-4, double-checked the wound on O'Neill's leg for infection and made sure Daniel's fever wasn't progressing too far. When she finally gave in and looked at the wall clock, it was 6:55.

"Close enough," she muttered. It would probably take five minutes to get to the surface. Bidding good-bye to Dr. Roth, realizing how glad she was to have the woman back, and headed for the elevators. Sam wasn't just known for her surprises; she was famed for them. The elevator ride was the most excrutiating few minutes of Janet's life. She paced nervously, wishing there was a faster way. Teleportation would be nice, she mused. The doors slid apart after what seemed like an eternity and she dove out, scrawling her name on the Sign Out sheet as she passed. The parking lot was deserted of people and only a few cars remained. Hers was among them, tucked between two large trucks.

She checked her watch. 6:59 and thirty seconds. Twenty-nine. Twenty-eight. With a sigh, she covered the watch and looked away, nervously tapping her foot.

The gate at the far end of the lot began to slide open. Someone was coming. Janet's heart pounded in her chest. Slowly, a pair of headlights turned into the parking lot, illuminating her for a moment. She blinked, then realized it was a limo. 'Damn,' she thought. 'Some high-fallutin' politico decides to show up and gets me all excited.'

The limo stopped a few yards from her and the driver's side door opened. She gasped as Teal'c unfolded from the front seat, stretching the threads of a rented tux. His tattoo was covered by the small chauffer's cap. He bowed slightly and said, "May I offer the lady a ride?"

Janet's mouth opened and closed slowly for the next few minutes. Sam sent Teal'c in a limo? Where were they going? Janet adjusted the purse strap on her shoulder and moved towards the car. Teal'c preceeded her and opened the door with a flourish that would have made Siegfried and Roy proud. Janet looked inside.

Samantha Carter was sitting on the backseat, resplendent in a long red, silk gown that was cut low on top and slit high up her legs. Her legs were clad in nylon, adding a shimmering light to the already glowing skin. In each hand was a glass of sparkling champagne. Sam smiled, dangling one of the dangerously high heels off of her toe. "Good evening, Janet. May I offer you a ride?"

Janet didn't answer, simply climbed inside. She couldn't tear her eyes off of her lover. "Sam... you're gorgeous..." The blonde reached out, undoing the buttons of Janet's uniform jacket and sliding it off the brunette's shoulders. She tossed it to the empty seat across from them.

Teal'c closed the door, and returned to the front seat. Once he was behind the wheel, he pressed a button and the partitian slid into place. Just before the soundproof glass was in place, he said, "I hope you ladies enjoy the ride."

Sam kicked off the shoe that was already dangling, then reached down and popped off the other. She tossed them to the opposite chair, turning to face Janet on the seat.

Janet reached out, stroking Sam's face. "God, Sam, this is wonderful... but it must have been so expensive!"

"Pennies compared to what you deserve," Sam promised, pressing her lips to Janet's forehead.

After a day of waiting, Janet wasn't going to play coy. She grabbed Sam's face and their lips melded together in a smoldering kiss. Their tongues danced, each searching for some as-yet-undiscovered spot in the other's mouth. When Janet pulled away for air, she looked down at Sam's silk dress. Then, turning her gaze to her own uniform, she said, "I am woefully underdressed compared to you..."

"There's only one cure for that," Sam said. "No one can be underdressed when they're *un*dressed."

Janet grinned and leaned forward, reaching around Sam's neck to find the clasp of the dress. It popped loose and the top drooped slightly. There was an expanse of skin exposed between the top button and the zipper, and Janet skimmed this gently before finding the cloth. Sliding closer to Sam, their faces only inches apart, the brunette slid the zipper down. She stopped just above the blonde's waist, pulling back and lowering the top half of Sam's dress.

She tore her eyes away from Sam's and took the opportunity to become reacquainted with Samantha Carter's beautiful body. Her hand teased the air over the blonde's skin, tracing the lines of her form but not exactly touching. Sam shivered at the hint of pressure from Janet's fingertips, laying back against the cushion. As the doctor's hands moved from her shoulders down to slid flat against her breasts, Sam wondered when exactly the tables had turned. Not that she cared at the moment.

Janet's palms were pressed softly against the flesh of her lover's breasts, slowly being guided downward to the pink caps. She licked her lips and finally covered the pink aureole, which were only a shade lighter than the rest of the major's skin. As the weight of Sam's breasts filled her hands, Janet leaned forward and nipped the blonde's lips. Sam moaned, arching her back and pressing her breasts into Janet's hands.

Slowly, the doctor lowered her head as she slid her hand out of the way. As her lips closed around the erect nipple, her fingers closed around it's twin, pinching it softly. Her mouth savored Sam's nipple like a precious fruit, her lips massaging the flesh as her tongue rolled across the captured nub in an effort to take every last bit of taste from it before she released it.

Once the first nipple was nicely wet, Janet switched. She brought her hand up to the already tasted breast and began to massage and pinch it with her fingers as her mouth began it's assault on the practically neglected twin. One of Sam's hands was running wildly through Janet's hair, the plastic clip holding doctor's brown locks torn asunder by the major's roving fingers. The other was occupied holding her wine glass. Pulling away from Sam's breast, Janet got a devious idea.

She backed away, taking the dress in her hands and sliding it down. Sam lifted her hips, assisting with with removal. Janet tossed the once-beautiful cloth aside. Once the dress was gone, Janet rose and pushed the blonde flat on her back on the seat. She took the opportunity to examine the lower half of Sam's body. The major wore the thinnest of panties, already soaked through from Janet's explorations. The nylons ended just below her hips, allowing Janet only the slightest peek of bare flesh.

Janet straddled Sam's legs, examining the rise and fall of Sam's breasts below her and reached down, plucking the champagne glass from the major's hand. She sipped it, keeping her eyes locked on her lovers. "Mmm," she sighed. "Nice choice." Slowly, she extended her hand and tilted the wine glass.

Champagne poured quickly onto Sam's breasts, running over the nipples and sliding to pool in her cleavage. Sam moaned as the cold liquid splashed on her, but made no move to wipe it free. That was Janet's job. Janet watched as the blonde's nipples grew harder as a result of the cold, small goosebumps appearing all over the major's pink flesh. Janet lowered her head, looking up through her bangs at Sam. Slowly, she extended her tongue and touched it to a drenched nipple, teasing the sensitive flesh as she tried to cleanse it of the alcohol.

Sam was gripping the seat tightly, her head thrown back. She had wanted to keep eye contact with Janet, but that was practically impossible at this point. Janet abandoned the 'tip of the tongue' approach and was pressing her mouth against the soaked flesh, taking as much as she could with each kiss. When she reached the valley of Sam's breasts, she slowed again, tracing the contours she discovered there. Every small bump was scrutinized before the doctor decided to move on, sliding her lips over Sam's throat and feeling the rapidly throbbing pulse there.

When her lips were within reach, Sam pulled Janet into a hungry, searching, probing kiss. She tasted the champagne on Janet's tongue and shivered at the thought that it had come from her breasts. When they broke apart, Sam gasped, "I... was suppose... to seduce you..."

Janet smiled, raising an eyebrow. "How's that working out?"

Sam laughed loudly, pulling Janet to her. "God, I love you." As they kissed again, Sam took the initiative again, rolling with Janet until they were off the edge of the seat and crashed to the floor. The way Sam spun them, she was on the bottom when they landed. "Oof," she grunted. "Ouch."

Janet frowned. "Ooh, baby got a boo-boo?" She raised herself, her legs on either side of Sam's torso. "Let Dr. Fraiser give you a full examination." With that, she reached up and pulled the tie of her uniform free, tossing it in the general direction Sam's shoes and dress had gone. She pulled her top button free, pausing to spread the sides of her blouse before moving to the next one.

Sam watched with bated breath. When five seconds had passed and Janet was only just beginning on the third button, Sam got tired of waiting. She sat up, grabbing the two sides of Janet's blouse and ripping them apart. Buttons popped loudly, flying all over the car, but Sam didn't care. She slid her hands down, grabbing the material of Janet's skirt and lifting it up, exposing Janet's crotch. Sam lowered her head and nuzzled Janet's neck, tasting the pulse before moving down to her collar.

Neither woman noticed that the car had stopped several minutes ago, or that Teal'c had abandoned the vehicle and left them on their own. Both would have been thankful for the privacy... if either had noticed.

Janet sighed, moving her hands to cup the back of Sam's head. "That... was a uniform shirt, Samantha," Janet said, noting how hard it was to sound authoritative when someone was licking your nipple through your bra.

"I'll replace it," Sam gasped in the brief moment her lips were separated from Janet's skin. As the blonde's tongue danced over her lacy bra, Janet pulled the ruined blouse off and tossed it onto the ever-growing pile of clothes. Sam found the catch of the bra in the middle of Janet's back, popping it and sliding the straps off of her shoulders. Gripping the lacy material in her teeth, she pulled the brassiere away and flung it aside with a jerk of her head.

She paused, her gaze running over Janet's generous chest. The nipples were darker than Sam's, ruddy in color. And Sam also knew how sensitive those peaks were. She bent her head again and extended her tongue. The tip barely made contact with Janet's flesh, but the result was visibly stunning.

The nipple strained outward, the flesh around it becoming alive with goosebumps. Sam smiled at the sight, then closed her lips entirely over the nipples. Janet reached around the blonde's shoulders, pulling their two bodies closer. Janet's breath began to come in short, shallow gasps. She gripped Sam's shoulders tightly, squeezing her eyes shut. The situation and the anticipation had built up to the inevitable.

"Sa... Sam... I'm... I'm..."

The point she was attempting to get across was made abundantly clear as Sam's crotch was suddenly wet with the brunette's juices. Both women pulled back, exchanging gentle kisses as they waited for Janet's climax to subside. When the flow finally ceased, Sam pressed a kiss to Janet's nose and asked, "So, was that the slow" -kiss- "lingering" -kiss- "probing" -kiss- "orgasm-inducing kiss you promised me the other day?"

Janet smiled. "Yeah... I just assumed it would be *you* having the orgasm."

"Night's still young," Sam said.

Janet pushed the blonde to the floor, their lips never loosing contact. The doctor stood, stripping off her uniform skirt and sodden panties. They joined the pile as she knelt at Sam's feet, raising one leg and cradling it. As the brunette's hands slid up Sam's calf, she said, "Mmm, I love you in nylons, Sam. Too bad you don't wear them more often."

Her fingers traced over the soft flesh, the soft material dulling the connection between them. Janet paused, letting her fingers trace the bare flesh above the nylon before beginning to roll it down the shapely leg. Sam bent her knee once Janet had passed it, making the removal easier. They copied the procedure on the opposite leg, until all Sam wore were the panties. The thin lace material was wet with juices from both women, the fine hairs of Sam's mound clearly visible. Janet placed Sam's legs on her shoulders and reached down, hooking her thumbs in the elastic band of her lover's panties.

As she pulled the panties up, Sam straightened her legs so they pointed straight into the air. The cloth cleared her foot and Janet tossed them aside, putting a hand on each of Sam's up-turned legs and spreading them as she lowered herself. After she finished the move, the blonde's legs were spread as wide as they could go and Janet was kneeling between them, her face poised over Sam's dripping labia.

The women locked eyes once more. Sam moaned low in her throat before Janet's expert tongue even made contact with flesh. Smiling at the sound, Janet leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Sam's clit, gently massaging the nub with her lips. Sam's moan grew in intensity, causing Janet to extend her tongue and flick it softly a few times before closing her lips around it and sucking gently.

Sam's hand were once again buried in Janet's hair, the blonde's back pressing into the carpeted floor of the limo. She bent her legs, wrapping one around Janet's shoulders.

Janet released Sam's clit and proceeded to flatten her tongue against the blonde's dripping slit, taking her time as she carefully examined every fold for hidden moisture. She probed the same areas several times before moving on. Satisfied that the exterior of Sam's center was thoroughly tongued and examined, she reached up and parted the folds with her thumbs. One stroke of her tongue caused Sam to gasp, her shoulders rolling on the carpet. Janet made a 'tsk' noise, adding to the vibrations in between the blonde's legs.

Janet raised her head. "I just got you all cleaned up, Sam... looks like I have to start over."

Pre-cum had started to return, once again causing Sam's outer lips to glisten invitingly. Janet lowered her head and wrapped her lips around Sam's, her tongue darting out into Sam's pussy. Sam began gasping loudly, her mouth stuck in the form of an 'O.' Her fingers wrapped around a handful of Janet's hair, pulling the brunette ever-closer. Janet didn't mind the slight pain in her scalp; she knew that Sam would release before hurting her. Janet closed her eyes, her tongue fully extended and buried. Sam began to pant, trying to form full words. "Ja... a... aa... nnettt.... I... I... I... Godd..."

With that, Janet curled her tongue and thrust it, curling it back and stroking the upper wall of Sam's channel. Sam howled with pleasure as her climax peaked, her cum spilling out into Janet's eager mouth. As Sam writhed in the throes of her orgasm, her hands releasing Janet's hair and moving to find something, anything, to hold on to. She felt like a firehose had been attached to her and was gushing wildly, more powerful than anything Sam had ever experienced. When the orgasm finally subsided, Janet pulled herself up to Sam and placed a kiss on the blonde's lips. Sam hooked a finger under the brunette's chin, angling the smaller woman's face so that her mouth
opened wider. Sam dove a tongue into her lover's mouth, tasting herself.

When they parted, Janet rested her head on one of Sam's breasts and absently cupped the other. As they lay on the floor in the back of the limo, Janet peered at the destruction they had caused. Two glasses of champagne, one only half-filled, had spilled near the door. Signs of their dual orgasms marked the carpet in several places. The seats had various areas marked with wetness, probably from their sweaty, writhing bodies. With a sigh, Janet said, "Hope you got the insurance on this puppy."

Sam chuckled, smoothing Janet's blonde hair. Checking her watch, she sighed. "Teal'c's not gonna be back for about an hour. Wanna do it again?"

"Where'd Teal'c go?"

"I told him to drive us to a secluded part of the woods and lock the doors. Give us our privacy for an hour or two."

"We're in the middle of nowhere?" Janet asked, smiling up at her lover.

"Smack dab in the middle," Sam chuckled.

Janet raised her head and kissed the blonde. "Can we just... stay like this for a while?"

Sam returned the kiss, lowering Janet's head to her breast. "Sure, hon. I'll stay like this forever." She kissed the top of the brunette's head and laid back on the floor. She reached out, grabbing Janet's jacket and pulling it to them, covering both of their chests. She reached out again, using the doctor's ruined blouse to cover their crotches.

When they were sufficiently covered, she looked down at Janet to see the brunette was already fast asleep. "Sweet dreams, my love." She kissed the doctor's forehead and closed her own eyes, letting herself fall into a deep, dream-filled sleep.

end