Piece Of Cake
by John O'Connor
URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asj/john/cake.php
Summary: Janet has a major problem with her orders
"It'll be okay," Sam assured Janet. "Piece of cake."
"Just fix a crashed Goa'uld cargo chip, then fly a nuclear bomb to an asteroid, set it and come back to Earth. All in less than two weeks. A real walk in the park," Janet snorted.
"Listen, I know it sounds... It will be difficult, but we'll get it done. Then I'll get back and we can take Cassie and getaway somewhere."
"Just come back in one piece?"
"I'll come back, Janet. In one piece."
The women hugged each other tightly. Then Sam left Janet's office with her crooked smile and a wave over her shoulder.
"I love you, Sam," Janet whispered to her blotter.
* * * * * *
Ten days later...
"You wanted to see me, Sir?"
Hammond looked up from his desk, the strain of the past few days showing on his face. "Yes, Doctor. Please close the door and have a seat."
'This can't be good,' Janet mused.
"We've lost touch with SG-1." Janet's heart flipped in her chest.
"No word at all?"
"Not since they sent the engineers to the Alpha Site nine days ago." Hammond paused before going on, "I'm sure it's nothing but it is time to prepare for evacuation to the Alpha Site."
Janet nodded, her attention forced onto the issue at hand, not her lover. "My people can have everything ready to go in a few hours, Sir."
"Good. We have more than that but I want to start sending people through in the next day or so. I don't want to chance any bottlenecks at either end.
"Here are your orders, Doctor."
Janet took a sheet from the general and scanned it. "Sir? What about Cassandra?"
"Uh...the Pentagon... The standard orders call for essential personnel only to be relocated."
"But our families...?"
"Doctor, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss policy."
"Begging your pardon Sir, but I think it is. I can't leave my daughter behind to die."
"It may not come to that, Doctor."
"And there's just as good a chance that that is exactly what will happen. Sir." Janet added the last almost as an afterthought.
"Doctor, resources will be stretched as it is. There won't be much leeway one way or another for anyone extra."
"With all due respect, I cannot obey this order. Doctor Warner is as skilled as I am, maybe more so. Send him."
Hammond shook his head.
"General, I will not leave my daughter behind," Janet said in a voice of steel. 'I may have already lost my partner, but I'm not losing the rest of my family.'
"Major Fraiser!" Hammond barked as he rose from behind his desk. "This is a direct order from the Pentagon and the Joint Chiefs. Thereby it is an order from your President."
"An order I will not obey, Sir."
"You will leave me no choice but to take more direct action, Doctor."
"Court-martial?"
"Or worse."
"Very well. I resign my commission, effective immediately. I'll have the resignation typed and on your desk within the hour."
Hammond sighed, he knew this was going to be difficult but he had hoped it would not come to this. "Doctor, your resignation will be denied. You will be confined to this installation until such time as you will be sent to the Alpha Site. There is no discussion. Dismissed."
"Your men will have to shoot me first, Sir," Janet said as she saluted and left the office.
Hammond collapsed behind his desk. With a tired sigh, he picked up the red receiver. "Get me the President."
* * * * * *
"Thank you sir. I believe this is the right decision. Doctor Fraiser is far more valuable than I am to this.
"No sir. All the other personnel have no immediate family. Yes sir, this situation was completely unforeseen when the adoption was arranged. Thank you sir. Good luck to you as well."
Hammond hung up the phone. With a small grin he picked up the black phone and dialed an internal number. At least one person would be pleased with this decision.
* * * * * *
After seeing Cassandra safely through the Gate with the latest evac crew, Janet went up to Hammond's office. Knocking on the open door, she said, "General?"
Hammond looked up. "Doctor? Shouldn't you be off world by now?"
Janet nodded, "I'm leaving with the next group, Sir. Your name isn't on the list, Sir."
The older man nodded, "That's correct."
"May I ask why?" Janet was pretty sure she knew why but felt she had to ask.
"If that asteroid hits, the only chance for the survival of the human race will rest with the Alpha Site. We limited their number because they'll have limited resources. Everyone will have to contribute," he replied. Was there extra emphasis on the last line?
Janet had a bemused look as she said, "Your experience makes you more than qualified, Sir."
Hammond smiled, "I appreciate what you're trying to do, Doctor, but my decision is final."
"Yes, Sir." Janet saluted, she was sure she knew what her decision had cost.
* * * * * *
Janet stood at the base of the ramp, looking at the shimmering event horizon with unseeing eyes. Half her world was shattered. Word was that the Goa'uld ship had crashed into the asteroid. Even if Sam survived, there was virtually no way to get to her now.
Moments later, almost like an automaton, she followed the rest of the final group through the Gate to the Alpha Site.
Once there, she was wrapped in the arms of her teenaged daughter, "Mom! I'm so glad you made it. I was getting worried."
Managing a smile, she held her daughter for a moment then said, "I have some bad news. It looks like Sam..."
Janet couldn't finish. She couldn't even see through the tears in her eyes.
Major Davis came up, looking out of place wearing his Air Force blues in a see of olive drab BDUs, "Doctor, is everything alright?"
"Yes...no..." Janet shook her head.
Cassie looked at Davis, "Janet started to say something about Sam?"
Davis looked at the teenager and shook his head, "It appears that SG-1 didn't make it. I'm sorry."
The Fraiser women held each other as they cried over their lost family member. At that moment, Davis finally understood why Hammond had made the decision to stay behind.
* * * * * *
Several hours later, Janet stood in the Gateroom with her arm around her daughter's shoulder, anxiously waiting for the arrival of SG-1 through the Stargate.
As Jack O'Neill came through, followed by Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, and Sam, the room exploded as the newly returned SGC cheered.
Fighting her way through the crowd, Sam hugged Janet and Cassie, saying, "See? Piece of cake."
The End.
