A Gift Of The Amazons 12

Breaking The News

by John O'Connor

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asj/john/amazons12.php
Summary: Sam and Janet deal with the fact that Janet's pregnancy will soon be public knowledge

Janet Fraiser spooned up to a marvelously naked Sam Carter, wrapping the blonde in her arms. They had spent several hours making love. Both were still lying nude atop the rumpled sheets.

The smaller woman ran her fingers along the dozing woman's thigh, feeling the gooseflesh her touch created. Janet looked over Sam's shoulder, drinking in the sight of her strong, beautiful profile. She kissed the shoulder before her lightly. Then she gently licked the warm skin, tasting the salt and the flavor that was distinctly her Sam.

As the soft tongue swept over her skin, Sam moaned quietly. She pressed back against her lover and mate. If this was a dream, she was loving it. If she was awake, it was even better.

The hand Janet was using to trace patterns on Sam's leg, slid forward. As she continued to softly lap at Sam's shoulder, Janet tickled the sensitive flesh of her lover's inner thigh. Her hard, extremely sensitive nipples pressed into Sam's back.

"Oh Janet," Sam moaned quietly. Her moans increased when she felt the doctor's fingers trace the outside of the thatch of curls between her legs.

As she tried to turn, Janet held her fast. She liked being in control this way. She especially liked what her fingers were feeling. She slid them further, on into Sam's moist heat.

"Oh God!" Sam moaned. She knew she was awake now!

Janet slowly moved her fingers in and out, her mouth now pressed tightly to Sam's shoulder, sucking and licking the salty-sweet flesh. As her fingers' tempo increased, so did Sam's wetness, easing her welcome invasion.

Finally, using her thumb against Sam's most sensitive nub, Janet was rewarded when Sam's body went rigid and she climaxed on the doctor's nimble fingers.

After Sam relaxed, Janet reluctantly slid her fingers out. Sam rolled on her back and smiled up at Janet as she licked her fingers one by one.

"You like?" Sam teased.

Janet smiled and said, "Mmm, but of course."

"So..." Sam was interrupted by Janet's passionate kiss. She was raised never to talk with her mouth full so she just smiled and accepted the warm, wet kiss.

Later, as they lay quietly, Sam finally got the chance to say what she'd been thinking earlier. "You have been quite the little horn-dog since we got back from Themyscira!"

"I guess my hormones are out of whack."

"I'll say," Sam laughed.

"Hey, would you rather I had morning sickness?"

Sam shook her head, "No way!"

"Good. I want more."

Sam lay back as Janet's mouth moved down her body to occupy the place her fingers had been earlier. As she delved deep into her lover with her lips and tongue, she was rewarded by Sam's ecstatic cries as she climaxed once more.

~~~

The sun was streaming into the bedroom, across the two nude forms twined together in sleep. A tranquil scene that was destined to end all to quickly.

"Huh? Whazzat?!?" Sam mumbled, one eye cracked open. As she looked down at the auburn-crowned head resting on her breast, she smiled and her head dropped back.

A strident ringing caused Janet to move and nudge Sam. "Get the phone," she mumbled into Sam's chest.

"Crap," Sam said as she reached for the jangling instrument on the nightstand. "Hello? Good morning, General." Sam sat up, dislodging Janet. "No sir, you didn't wake me."

Janet looked up and mouthed, "Liar." Sam stuck her tongue out at her lover.

"No sir, I don't think that will be a problem at all. We'll be there. Good-bye General." Hanging up the phone, Sam sat up some more. "We need to go into the base this afternoon."

"But we still almost two weeks of our leave left," Janet protested. "We were going to see Mom and Dad and... Oh! The cover story! Of course."

Looking into the big brown eyes, Sam gently cupped her cheek and said, "I knew there was a reason I loved you..."

"Oh? Only one? And what would that be?"

"You're you."

"What?!?" Janet sat up now.

Sam looked at her bare breasts and said, "You're you. You know: beautiful, sexy, intelligent, sexy, funny, sexy, caring, sexy, wonderful... And did I mention sexy?"

"Now who's the horn-dog?" Janet laughed before lunging at Sam to kiss her.

Sam enjoyed kissing Janet, even when they both had morning breath, or even noon breath as was the case this time. But she also knew they had slept late into the morning and had only a little time until they had to head into the mountain.

Pushing Janet away gently, Sam nodded towards the clock-radio, "We overslept. We need to see the general in a couple of hours, and I don't know about you but I'm starving..."

"I worked up an appetite," Janet said coyly.

"I should hope so!" Sam laughed. Then she squealed as Janet showed what she had an appetite for.

~~~

Sam and Janet sat in chairs in front of General Hammond's desk as they waited for him to get off the phone.

Finally, replacing the receiver, he said, "Now then. How's our little mother?"

"Fine, General. But, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not be called little mother," Janet said with a small grin.

"She's kinda sensitive about her height," Sam said, cupping her mouth as if she could keep her teasing a secret from Janet. Janet merely glared at her and elbowed the taller woman.

"Sorry, comes from having pregnant daughters I guess." Sam and Janet exchanged smiles, Janet was now officially in the unofficial family of the Hammonds and the Carters.

"I wanted to talk to you both about what you had planned to say about the baby. I know I don't have to remind you of the security issues involved here."

"No sir," Sam and Janet responded simultaneously. Sam looked at Janet and mouthed "Jinx" while subtly making a fist to thump her. Janet stuck out her tongue.

None of this was lost on their boss but he chose to ignore it. Instead he said, "So... Any ideas on what to use as a cover story?"

"Well, obviously Dad isn't a problem. My brother, on the other hand..." Sam started to say. Then, seeing the look on Hammond's face, she lightly slapped her forehead, "He doesn't have to know anything."

"No Major, he doesn't. Dr. Fraiser's family, on the other hand, will need to be told something. And, there will be inquiries from various official and not-so official branches of the government. Not to mention friends and neighbors," Hammond said.

"Well, non-service friends aren't really a problem here. None of us have too many outside acquaintances. And my neighbors rarely see me. This shouldn't pose a problem, at least for a few months," Janet said. "That includes Cassandra's friends. My family, on the other hand, will be more than a bit interested in who and when."

"Not how?" Sam teased. Janet sent her lover a look meant to freeze her blood. It just caused Sam's smirk to widen.

"Ladies, there has been some discussion here about this very matter. The fact that an unmarried Air Force officer is pregnant could be grounds for a discharge. Of course, as we already discussed, that will not be a factor here. However, the matter of the father - no offense Major - will."

"Yes sir. I have thought about it and... Well, my social life never involved one-night stands and said social life, over the past few years, has been, shall we say, non-existent," Janet said.

"Doctor, Major, we have had a few volunteers to stand in as the baby's father. It's up to you now." He handed them a list of names.

The women looked it over, smiling at the length of the list of people who had volunteered to take responsibility for 'siring' Sam and Janet's daughter.

"Sir, I think we can immediately dispense with any active duty personnel. The stigma you mentioned could affect their careers badly," Sam said.

"Agreed. That cuts over two-thirds of the names from that list. Now, any preferences in the remainder?"

"Janet? Any of these guys float your boat?" Sam teased.

Glaring at her mate through slitted eyes, Janet said, "I think any of these men would make fine fathers. But..." Janet pointed to one name and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, it seems almost too obvious," Sam said.

A few minutes later, Sam and Janet followed the general into the conference room. Seated or standing around the table were several of the men on the list. Sam and Janet saw several members of various SG teams as well as many of the SGC support personnel including Sergeants Siler and Davis. Teal'c, while not on the list due to his alien ancestry, was present also, standing by the stairs.

Room was quickly made for the mother-to-be which caused Sam to grin widely. She knew how much Janet hated preferential treatment.

"Gentlemen, the ladies have something to say to you all," Hammond announced.

Janet smiled and looked at each of the men in turn before saying, "I want to thank you all. It was a wonderful surprise to see how many of you were willing to take responsibility for our daughter. I really can't thank you enough.

"That said, Sam and I have made a decision. The first factor was that we wouldn't cause any problems for any officers or enlisted personnel by having one of you be the father of a baby out of wedlock. So we decided it would be better to pick one of the civilian volunteers. And, Sam and I decided the obvious choice is Daniel Jackson."

Sam beamed, "Congratulations, Daniel. You're gonna be a father."

"I always knew you had it in ya, ya big lug," Jack O'Neill said, elbowing his buddy.

"Indeed, DanielJackson will make a fine father," Teal'c said.

Daniel just stood there accepting congratulations from all sides, a big goofy grin on his face.

Later, as the male contingent of SG-1 left the conference room, Jack said, "Well, Danny-boy, it's too bad you didn't really... You know..."

"Jack!" Daniel said sharply.

"Well, you take the blame but didn't get any of the fun! That takes a lot of...spunk."

"Did you not also volunteer, O'Neill?"

"Yeah, yeah. But that doesn't matter. The doc's not really my type. She is Daniel's though."

Daniel looked at Teal'c and shared a secret smile before saying, "I don't think I'd really be her type, myself."

Completely missing the silent exchange between his teammates, Jack walked on. Keeping pace, Teal'c asked, "What is your...type, O'Neill?"

Daniel snorted, "Jenna Jameson!"

"Who? I am not familiar with her. Is she a new transfer?"

"Teal'c old buddy, you gotta get out more. Daniel's being a smart-ass. Jenna's a porn star."

"Yeah, one you have quite a collection of," Daniel chimed in.

"Hey, two tapes is not a collection. Anyway, she's a goddess..."

"A Porn Goddess? I am not familiar with..."

"Teal'c, it is definitely time to introduce you to some other facets of our culture..." Jack said, flinging an arm around his friend's shoulder. "Coming Daniel?"

"Not just yet. Got some things to wrap up in my office. Anyway, you've made me watch most of her stuff already."

Bypassing his office, Daniel made for the Med Center, hoping he would be in time. He was.

"Janet! Sam! Hey, I wanted to say, thanks. I appreciate you...well, you know."

"Daniel, who else could be the stand-in father of our baby?" Janet said, hugging the blushing archeologist.

"Thank you, Daniel," Sam said simply, placing a hand on his shoulder.

With a quick smile as he looked up and then at the floor, Daniel simply said, "You're welcome."

Then, as he started to leave, he paused. "If you ever need... Well, I'm here for you two. You know that, right? Teal'c too."

Sam hugged him then, "Of course. And thank you. We love you guys."

"Okay. I gotta go... Gotta save Teal'c from large-breasted porn stars..."

Before either woman could ask, Daniel beat an embarrassed exit.

~~~

Later, sitting on the sofa in the living room of the home they shared, Sam looked at Janet and said, "Well, we have a father. Now, how do you think your father will react? Or your mother?"

"Mom will be happy regardless. She loves being a grandmother. When Scott and his wife had a baby, she was beside herself. Dad too although it wasn't so obvious. And to think I beat Jeff..."

Sam took a deep breath and asked, "Janet, are you sure you want me along? I mean, as far as the rest of the world knows, we're just best friends. Won't your family think..."

"Quiet!" Janet commanded, in her best CMO voice. "You are part of this family. We may have to hide ourselves from the Air Force and the DoD but I will not deny you to my family."

"But, you said your dad was ex-Army..."

"Yes, 'ex' as in retired. I...I spent so much time trying to measure up, to make him respect me and my decision to enter the service. When I chose the Air Force, he was disappointed. A little..."

"But?"

Janet nodded, "Yes. But. There is one. Mom told me that he practically burst out of his clothes when I got my commission. Even moreso when I got my medical degree."

"So, he's accepted you. Will he accept your lifestyle?"

"Hmm...good question."

~~~

Two days later, Sam and Janet were on the final legs of their drive from Colorado to the Fraiser home. Janet's father had retired to St. Peters, Missouri, near his old home town of St. Louis. Coincidentally, Janet had finished her medical degree at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and one of her brothers lived with his wife in suburban Webster Groves, only a few miles south.

"No one knows about us, then?" Sam asked for the twentieth time since they left the motel in Kansas.

"No. God, Sam, I'm so sorry to chicken out. You're going to have to just be my best friend, my housemate and you help me with my daughter. That's it. I'm sor..."

"Janet, it's okay," Sam interrupted. "This isn't going to be a conventional relationship and that has and will take some work and understanding. But, I think you are worth it," Sam said sincerely.

"You too. I love you Sam. And one day, I'll tell everyone."

The next few miles passed in quiet happiness. Janet shook her head and looked at her 'chauffeur' as they neared the St. Louis area. 'Best looking driver in the USA,' she thought. She wasn't aware that Sam had the same thought several times when Janet took over the driving chores.

"Cass was pretty upset she couldn't join us," Sam said.

"Well, her school lets out for spring break this week. And you didn't see her reaction to being able to fly into St. Louis. She's really excited by that."

"Yeah, I guess so. She's never flown solo, has she?"

Janet shook her head, "No. I think that's why she's so excited. Another step on the road to independence."

"Our little girl is growing up," Sam said wistfully.

"She was halfway there when we she came into our lives," Janet said. Taking Sam's hand, she placed it on her still-flat stomach, "Here is a real prize. We get to see her do it all; birth, her steps, her first words, her first day of school, high school, college, dating..."

Sam gently rubbed her lover's stomach, "Yeah, it all sounds wonderful. Except the dating part. Can we lock her in the basement from puberty to, oh say, when she's forty?"

"No."

"Till she's thirty?"

"Nope."

"How 'bout twenty?"

"We'll see."

Sam rubbed her mate's tummy once more before taking the wheel in both hands.

"St. Peters - 10 miles," Janet said.

"Nervous?" Sam asked.

"That's a stupid question."

~~~

"Your father will be here soon. With the warm weather, he thought he could get in a quick nine holes. He swore he'd be home before you got here." Janet's mother shook her head with an amused grin, "That man..."

Sam smiled and looked at her love's mother. There was a striking resemblance. About the only real difference was more grey than auburn, and a few more wrinkles. But still the same serious, humorous eyes, cute nose, firm but happy smile.

They were standing in the kitchen talking. Sam and Janet both felt like standing after two days on the road. Marjorie Fraiser, Kate to her friends, was happy to oblige.

"It's okay, Mom. We made better time than we expected," Janet said. "Sam here has a bit of a lead-foot."

"Hey! That's a lie, Mrs. Fraiser!"

"Now, Samantha, I rode with you last time I visited my girls. But, you aren't as bad as some in this family." The older image of Janet paused and laughed, "Actually, both Scott and Jeffrey were pretty bad about speeding tickets when they were younger. If it hadn't been for us moving so much from post to post in different states, they'd've lost their licenses for sure.

"And, I told you over a year ago to call me Kate."

"Yes ma'am." Sam smiled. She was so much like her daughter. 'Actually, Janet was so much like her mother,' Sam corrected herself.

"So, I have you in the guest room with your own bath. This way you won't be disturbed. And, with it on the other side of the house, you won't disturb us," Kate said, as she led her guests into the family room.

"What?" Janet asked. She assumed she'd have her own room, at least until Cassandra arrived.

"Well, why should we split you two up? When Scott and Jean visit, they sleep together," Kate said.

"But, Mom..."

"You going to deny what's obvious to your own mother?"

Sam felt a sudden dread at the direction this conversation was taking. "Mrs. Fra...Kate, we..."

"You two are in love. I think it's wonderful. It may not be what we were raised to expect but I don't care. My little girl is happy."

"Ho-how l-long have you...kno - believed that?" Janet struggled to get out through a suddenly dry mouth.

"Oh, for a couple of years now."

"But, we didn't get together until last summer," Sam blurted out.

"SAM!" Janet shouted.

"Just last year?" Kate asked, as if her two guests weren't suddenly upset. "I would've sworn you two were partners - that is the right word, isn't it? Anyway, I thought sure you were partners when I first met Sam a couple of years ago."

"Oh man..." Sam moaned, looking anywhere but at her lover and her lover's mother.

"Oh God!" Janet said in a muffled voice, her face buried in her hands.

"Janet, you're just like your father. And Samantha, you are too - even if you aren't our natural daughter. Neither one of you listened to me."

"Yes, we did. You know!"

"Of course I know, Janet. I'm your mother. And, like I said but you didn't hear: I'm happy for you. Both of you." Kate grasped Janet's and Sam's hand, squeezing gently, "I love you Janet. If a life with Samantha is what you want and it makes you happy, then that's what I want for you. Okay?"

Janet smiled, her eyes now brimming with tears - tears of love and gratitude. "Thank you, Mom. I love you."

The Fraiser women hugged and Sam stood to the side, a wide smile on her face. One of their darkest fears had been erased. Then Sam remembered Janet's father, the retired Army colonel, and wondered if the worst was over.

Kate pulled Sam in for a small group hug.

Janet asked, "So it doesn't bother you that I'm in love with another woman?"

"Well, I can't say I completely understand it but who cares?" She smiled, looking again remarkably like Janet, then said, "The only regret I have is that I won't see any grandchildren from you. And that is such a small, small thing, I wish I hadn't said it."

A look of pain crossed the older woman's face, "I'm sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. I have two wonderful little grandsons that Scott and Jean blessed us with. And, better yet, I have Cassandra." Kate looked at the photo of Cassie, Janet, and herself on the mantle and went on, "You have no idea how much fun we have when she visits - shopping, lunches, talking. So please just forget what I said.

"Where the hell is your father?"

Sam and Janet smiled to each other. "Now?" Sam mouthed. Janet shook her head and just as silently said "Wait for father."

As if that was an unspoken cue, the garage door rattled beyond the kitchen and soon a large man in a bright green golf shirt came in saying, "I kicked Fontaine's ass! Again!" Then, he stopped, stared, and shouted, "JANET!"

Suddenly the diminutive doctor was wrapped in a massive bear hug, her feet leaving the floor. "Baby, how are you?" He held her tight for several seconds then lowered her back to the floor.

Finally back on her feet, if not a bit unsteady, Janet grinned and said, "I'm great, Daddy."

Jameson Franklin Fraiser stood erect and said, "Welcome, Major." He started to salute and Sam automatically returned the salute. He relaxed and pointed at her, his hand mimicking a gun, and said, "Gotcha!"

"Damn it, Jim! You always do that to me!" Sam exclaimed. For some reason, she had less trouble calling Janet's father by his first name than she did Kate.

"You guys are early."

"We made good time," Sam said.

"Sam has a..."

"Janet..."

Ignoring the jibes passing between his daughter and her friend, Jameson Fraiser said, "C'mon, let's all cop a squat!"

"Cop a squat? Jim!" Kate said.

"What? It's not like I said anything dirty."

Sam smiled and shook her head. She dearly loved Janet's parents and they were so much fun together - Jim trying to rile Kate and Kate challenging him. Or accepting it easily, which only made Jim try harder. In some ways, it was similar to a certain Air Force colonel and an archeologist she knew.

"I don't know about you three, but I could use a beer," Jim said, looking at his wife.

"That sounds good, Jim. I'd love one," Kate said with a sweet smile. "Samantha? Janet?"

"No, thanks," Janet answered.

Sam stood up, "I'd love one. Let me give you a hand."

Grumbling that his plan to be waited on failed, Jim stood and led Sam into the kitchen. Janet took the opportunity to ask the question that was foremost in both her and Sam's mind.

"Does Dad know? About Sam and I?"

"I think so. Your father is not a stupid man."

"But you're not sure?" Janet looked almost stricken.

"Sorry, dear. It's not something we ever discussed."

"Not discussed?" Janet asked.

"Well, no. Just like we never discussed your brothers and their sex lives," Kate replied.

"It's not the same thing..."

Janet cut herself off when she heard her father returning. "Sure you don't want a beer, kiddo?"

"No Dad. That's kinda why we came to see you."

Janet stopped and looked at her parents then at her lover. Sam could see the plea in her eyes.

"Well, we have some news for you. Actually, Janet does. But I'm here for moral support..."

"Jeez, Sam!" Janet said. "Mom. Dad. I'm pregnant."

"Why that's wonderful, dear!"

"WHAT?!?"

"Easy Jim. Remember your blood pressure..."

"My blood pressure is fine! Ask our doctor! But," he turned to his daughter, "You're pregnant?" Janet nodded. "Who's the father?"

"Jim!"

"Well, we have a right to know! She's our daughter!"

"Mom, it's okay. The father is an old friend of ours, Sam and I. He works with us in Colorado Springs. His name is Daniel Jackson, he's a scientist."

"A scientist? Like Sam here?"

"Well, not exactly Dad." Janet's mind raced to see if she had an explanation for an archeologist at a deep-space telemetry project and failed. Opting for the old adage less is more she merely said, "But they do work together."

"Well, how did it happen?"

Janet resisted the urge to tell him the same way he had three kids. Instead, she said, "We... Well, Daniel and I... It was after a party and..."

"Are you going to get married?"

"No."

"No?"

"Jim, you're being old-fashioned. It's the 21st century."

"Yeah, by three months. And I'm not old-fashioned. I just want to know if this guy, this scientist - who's not here I notice - is going to hold up his end."

"Dad, Daniel, and a lot of other people, are going to be there to help me out. Especially Sam."

"Sam?" Jim asked.

"Yes sir?"

"What kind of guy is... Never mind. I... Jesus H. Christ! What... Are you happy about this, Jan?"

"Yes Dad. I am. I love the little girl inside me already."

"What does Cassandra think?" Kate asked.

"Oh, she's at least as excited, if not more so," Sam said, leaving off "as me". "Sir, your daughter'll be an excellent mother."

"Yeah, I know. She's always excelled at anything she sets her mind to do." In so many words, he accepted his daughter's pregnancy. Kate beamed at her man.

"Oh, thank you, Daddy!" Janet cried. She jumped up and gave her father a hug.

"I guess I don't say that often enough to you or your brothers. I'm so proud of all of you. Even when you hit me with something like this," Jim said, his voice breaking for a moment.

"Man, right outta left field," he said in a stronger voice. "What about your career? An unmarried pregnant woman in the service? I don't know what the current regs are but..."

"General Hammond knows, sir," Sam said. 'As do the Chief of Staff, SecDef, and the president,' Sam added to herself. "It's okay."

"So, you are okay with this?" Jim asked his daughter.

"If you are, Dad," Janet said.

"I love you, Little Turtle," Jim said.

"Oh Dad, you haven't called me that since..." Janet didn't bother to hold back the tears.

Neither did the other women. Or the retired Army man.

~~~

The next day...

"Sam, you got a minute?"

"Yes sir."

"Well, actually maybe several minutes. Let's go for a drive," Jim said. "I'll buy you a drink or two. Those two are going to digging in old boxes for hours and hours. Kate did the same thing when Jean and Scott had their boys."

"Okay," Sam said, wondering what was going on.

The drive through town was fairly quiet. Mainly Jim pointing out places of marginal interest. Finally, he pulled into the parking lot of the St. Peters Country Club.

Once in the clubhouse, he asked, "You play golf, Sam?"

"No sir. My boss, Colonel O'Neill, does."

"It's an interesting game. Takes a lot of grit to stick to it and master the game. You know what I mean Sam?"

Sam nodded. She wondered what exactly the older man was driving at. She was sure she'd find out shortly.

He directed her to the nearly empty bar. "Hey Pete! Couple of Micks here."

"Sure thing, Jim. You play today?"

"Nah, my little girl is in town."

"Oh, pleased to meet you," the bartender said to Sam as he placed two bottles of Michelob in front of the pair.

"No, I'm not his daughter. Janet's back home. I'm Sam Carter, a friend." She shook hands with the other man. "But it is a pleasure."

After Pete returned to the other end of the bar to resume slicing limes, Jim lifted his bottle, "To my granddaughter."

"I'll drink to that," Sam said, clinking her bottle to his.

"Sam, I want to ask you something. It's probably a ridiculous question anyway. If I'm out of line, tell me."

"Okay..."

"Sam, I like you. You're a good person. And, from the contacts I still have at the DoD, you're a hell of an officer."

"Thank you, sir. May I ask..."

"Protocol is good when you're at work but I'm retired," Jim interrupted. "Have been for more than a few years. We're at a bar, no need to be so formal.

"My interest is purely personal. Janet is my only daughter. Would you do me a big favor?"

"If I can, si...Jim."

"I'm not going to ask about you and Janet. None of my business. But, would you do an old man a favor and keep an eye on my Little Turtle?"

"First, you're not an old man. Second, of course, I'll look out for Janet. And your granddaughter. Third, can I ask you a question? Why do you call her Little Turtle?"

Jim laughed and took a big swallow from his bottle then signaled Pete for two more. "Well, when she was little, no more than five or so, she had one of those little painted turtles. You know? The kind they sold in Kresge's or Ben Franklin?" Sam nodded, she vaguely remembered those dime stores from her childhood.

"Well, she was sitting there one day staring at it in the little aquarium we had set up - you know, sand, some water, fake plastic palm tree. She pursed her lips and tried to bug out her eyes imitating the turtle. From then on, I called her Little Turtle. Well, not so much since she went on to med school and the Air Force."

Sam laughed, trying to picture her woman as a child imitating a tiny turtle. "I never knew that. That's marvelous."

"Well, if you have some time, I have a few more stories we can embarrass her with. I saved these to tell her fiance' but..."

"But?"

"She got married to that piece of crap without telling us. She was rebelling I guess. Anyway, we never cared for him. I hated him, to tell you the truth. He was a sleazy con-man as far as I was concerned. Fortunately she wised up and dumped his sorry ass.

"Then she entered the Air Force. I think that was to spite me at first. You know, old Army family and she goes and joins the flyboys. Then I heard that it was because of the sonuvabitch she'd been married to for three long years. But, she's done so well. Between that and her medical degree, well, I couldn't be prouder or happier.

"So, in lieu of any future fiances," Jim looked straight into Sam's eyes, "I'll tell you the stories..."

Several funny stories and even more beers later, Jim said, in a surprisingly clear voice, "Sam, I told you I wasn't going to ask and I won't. But, since you and Cassie came into my Little Turtle's life, she's been happy for the first time in a long time and..."

"I love her, sir. She's my best friend. The best friend I ever had. I'll never let anything happen to her."

"Thanks. I know you won't. And I won't bring it up again.

"One more favor? Make sure she knows that she can talk to me about anything. Anything at all. Understand?" Jim again looked Sam in the eyes. Then he looked at the small digital clock atop the cash register. "Oh Christ! Kate'll kill me. Pete! Call me a cab. And no jokes.

"I don't think either of us are safe to drive," Jim said, finishing the last of the beer in his bottle. "We'll get the car later."

~~~

Cassandra flew in a few days later. She practically strutted off the plane. Then, seeing her mom and Sam, she ran across the terminal to them.

After getting her bags, more than the average person would need for a week but close to the norm for a teenaged girl, they drove from Lambert west to the Fraiser home.

"Can I finally go up in the Arch this time?" Cass pleaded.

"What about your fear of heights? That's why we didn't go up last time we were here," Janet commented.

"I am not afraid of heights," Cassandra declared.

Janet shook her head. Even when she tried to remember being that age, she was astonished at how the young seemed to remember things differently, if at all. Cassandra stood on the grounds of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial looking up at the tall stainless steel structure and refused to go up to the observation platform.

"Well, we'll see. What about the zoo? It's one of the best in the country."

"Been there, done that. Uncle Jack said we should do the brewery tour. You know, the Bud brewery?"

Sam snorted, "Why does that not surprise me?"

~~~

That evening, after Jim went to bed early (he had an early tee time the next day) the Fraiser women were sitting with Sam in the family room. There was a small fire in the hearth to offset the chill of the evening. The days had been, and continued to be, unusually warm but the nights were still cool.

They were discussing what Cassie was studying in school. Having covered history, and science, they had come to literature. A subject dear to Kate Fraiser's heart.

"So, Grandma, have you ever read 'Brave New World'?"

"Oh yes dear, several years ago. Didn't like it as much as Orwell's distopia though."

"Well, the book is freaky. This guy Huxley wrote about things that hardly anyone had thought about back then. Like babies without sex. You know, like Sam and Mom?" Janet and Sam both shot looks at the girl, she caught those and quickly said, "I mean, that Mom is having the baby and, uh, that, uh, Sam is going to, um, help? I..."

"Janet? Samantha? Something doesn't seem quite right here," Kate said.

"What?" Janet asked innocently.

"Janet Elizabeth Fraiser, don't try to con me. I've been doing that to your father since before you were born. It won't work. What's the real story here?"

"I'm having a baby and Daniel is the father."

"Samantha?"

"Uh, well...I don't..."

"Cassandra?"

"I better plead the fourth."

"You mean fifth?"

"Yeah, whatever one is safe for me."

"Alright, here's what I think. Bear with an old woman. You both are in extremely secretive jobs so I understand if you can't talk about things. Now, given the worries about the environment, terrorist attacks, and such, I can imagine you both working on ways to save us from such things."

Sam and Janet glanced at each other. Compared to what the Goa'uld have done to large portions of the galaxy, terrestrial threats seemed almost insignificant.

"Now, suppose something like 'The White Plague' occurred. You remember that book, Janet? By Herbert?"

"Yeah, some scientist, in retaliation for the IRA killing his wife and child, created a genetic plague that wiped out something like 90% of the women in the world."

"Yes. Such things are possible, I believe. And the reverse could happen as well. A world without men." Sam and Janet exchanged looks at this. Pretending not to notice, Kate went on, "How would we survive as a species?

"You know, cable TV is marvelous. I spend hours watching Discovery and TLC. And I have read. A lot. Not those insipid romances that the other officers wives shared but books on science and nature."

Janet nodded. Her mother was one of the smartest women she knew. She could talk about some obscure medical subject and chances are her mother would know something about it.

"Well, I recall somewhere reading about something that, at the time, seemed like it was right out of Huxley. I'm sure you've heard about it, it's called parthenogenesis. You combine two sets of genes artificially and then implant the fertilized egg in the host mother. Seems to be very efficient. But it does take all the romance out of it. Well, the sex, anyway.

"Don't blame Cassandra. She just helped verify what I already suspected. You two are too much in love to allow someone else into your private lives in such a way. And the way you glow, Samantha. It's almost as if you were pregnant yourself.

"Then there's the physical evidence. Not much, just enough to be suspect. More circumstantial than hard evidence.

"Janet, you always told me that you'd never want to know the sex of a child until the baby was born. Even when I was going to tell you about Scott's babies. Now I don't know this for a fact but it also seems a bit early to know for sure what the sex of the baby is. However, if you combine the genetic makeup of two women, the outcome could only be a girl.

"Combine those clues with the fact that the military, never the most open-minded of organizations, is taking no action against a single, pregnant woman... This is no normal pregnancy."

Sam stared at Janet. Kate knew! She'd figured out a lot of what happened!

"Mom, to borrow from so many of Clinton's people, I can neither confirm nor deny the accusations." Kate nodded. Janet then said, "Mom, you have to promise me this won't leave this room. Again Kate nodded.

"Okay, off the record, Sam is the other parent."

Sam hissed, "Janet?"

"Sam, Mom will keep this quiet. Trust me. Trust her."

Kate Fraiser smiled. "I will, Samantha. And, may I say, I hoped this was so. My little granddaughter is blessed with two wonderful people for her parents."

Janet came to her mother's side and hugged her, "How'd you get so smart, Mom?"

"I'm a mother."

The End