The Elements

by John O'Connor

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asj/john/elements.php
Summary: Janet gets domesticated and Sam gets buried

1) EARTH

Janet

Janet Fraiser was the Chief Medical Officer of the most secret operation the United States Government had ever mounted, Stargate Command. In addition to that distinction, she was a major in the U.S. Air Force, one of the foremost virology experts in the world, and the adopted mother of one of the few aliens residing on Earth

All of this was classified of course. As a result, she was rarely seen in uniform outside of Cheyenne Mountain where the SGC was hidden beneath NORAD's headquarters.

Today was no exception. She was wearing an old, faded pair of denim jeans, a red plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a green plaid bandanna covering her auburn hair. Her hands were encased in thick rubber gloves similar to the type used in decon missions. All in all, she looked like the typical suburban housewife ready for garden work

That final description was far more apt. Janet was kneeling on the verge of the flowerbed that went across the front of her house before the porch. She was busy digging small holes with a trowel to drop seeds into. Only a few more and she'd be ready for a lunch break

As if on cue, her daughter Cassandra came onto the porch. "Mom? Your lunch is ready."

"Thanks, Hon. I'll be a minute or two more."

"Sure you don't want me to help?"

"Not until I'm sure you're over that bug." Janet looked up, pushing a stray lock of hair back from her face with the back of her hand. She managed to smear dirt across her cheek and forehead as she inspected her daughter. "Hey! I told you don't come out unless you have shoes on!"

"Okay, okay!" Cass said as she quickly retreated to the interior

Inside, Janet washed her hands then sat at the table on the sun porch. As she joined Cass for lunch, she looked at the small vegetable plot at the far end of the backyard. She'd managed to plant tomatoes, bell peppers, and was trying her hand at potatoes too. Secretly, for now, she had planted some pumpkin seeds While she doubted she'd get anything a nice as what Sam always bought at the store during the Halloween season, Janet thought Cassie would get a kick out of having a 'real' one too

"When's Sam get back?"

Jolted out of her reverie, Janet blinked but managed to answer without any stuttering. "She'll be back tomorrow."

"Cool."

"Miss her?"

"Yeah. So do you."

Janet merely smiled her agreement

Sam

Samantha Carter was also a major in the same Air Force Command as her friend and lover, Janet. While not a medical doctor, she did have a PhD. in applied physics and was the foremost practical expert on wormhole physics (a very small field in the first place)

Her position as second-in-command of SG-1, the primary exploratory unit of the SGC, was equally as secret, if not moreso than Janet's. Today, she was in the uniform of choice for the SGC offworld teams: olive drab pants, and jacket, black t-shirt, black combat boots, and the standard field equipment

Her teammates were likewise dressed. The only differences were minor. Her commanding officer, Colonel Jack O'Neill had an olive-drab baseball cap on and sunglasses on a string around his neck. Teal'c, the outlaw Jaffa that had saved them on their first mission together all those years ago, wore no head gear, his gold 'tattoo' glinting in the sun. Teal'c used a Goa'uld staff weapon which he used to fire energy bolts with frightening success. Jonas Quinn, the newest member of SG-1 and an alien himself, was dressed like the rest and carried a P-90 like herself and the colonel

She was currently using that specific piece of that equipment with precision. Her P-90 fire managed to catch one of the Goa'uld Death Gliders as it passed overhead on another strafing run

"Hit the dirt!" O'Neill yelled needlessly. As soon as they heard the distant roar of the alien attack craft, they had started looking for cover

Sam ran and took refuge under an overhanging shelf of rock as the rest of her team scattered. She lost track of where they were until she saw force beams from Teal'c's staff weapon and tracers from both Jack O'Neill's and Jonas Quinn's P-90s. They all converged on another of the alien Death Gliders as it roared in over them on another strafing run

The Glider was hit and spiraled into the escarpment behind Sam. The explosive impact blew a sizable chunk of the scarp face out and over Sam, effectively burying her under a few tons of rock and dirt

2) AIR

Janet

As she put the last of her gardening utensils away for the day, Janet glanced out of the garage and saw her neighbor crossing the street.

She smiled her greeting before Cheryl even reached the driveway. "He-ey! How are you?"

The young blonde waved and replied, "Good. Getting your garden ready?"

"Yup. It's that time. Mom is already done with hers but they live on the plains..."

"Yeah, I know. Even back in Chicago, I think they're past the planting season."

"Hazards of living in the mountains, I guess. How's Dana?"

Sam and Janet had double-dated with Cheryl and Dana a few times and enjoyed the other couple's company. Of course, being in the Air Force, Sam and Janet were never technically on a date but just out with friends Janet was sometimes jealous of her neighbor and her ability to have a more open relationship with her girlfriend

"She's having a birthday tomorrow. That's kinda why I came over. Well, part of the reason." Janet nodded, waiting. "First, I want you and Sam and Cassie to come over tomorrow night if you'd like. No presents needed but we'll have beer, soda, coffee, cake, and munchies."

"Sounds good. Sam should be home tomorrow too. Did you need any help?"

Cheryl nodded, "You know about my asthma. Normally the albuterol helps but this time of year, it's worse and I have a little more problem

"The thing is, I want to put up some balloons but I can't get enough breath to really blow them up too well."

Janet laughed, "I'll be happy to help."

"Thanks."

"Not a problem. With my allergies, I can understand how it can be with asthma. When would you like me to help out?"

"She's in Denver until tomorrow so maybe tonight?"

Janet nodded again and smiled. Even with leave, she found herself busy helping others

Sam

The darkness was pierced by a ray of light. The beam scattered as it hit the dust still floating in the air. The diffusion lit the whole of the small chamber, enough for Sam to see that she was sealed in

At her back was the base of the escarpment. Above an around her were several large boulders with smaller stones crammed in. The space she had was about the same as Cassie's closet but with less head room.

She took quick inventory of herself and sighed with relief when she discovered there were no major injuries. She had long since gotten over slight cuts and bruises

It was then she realized that the air was limited in her small space. There was no air flow in or out. How long did she have before the air ran out and she was left sucking carbon dioxide?

Deciding to ignore that problem as long as possible, Sam began to probe the fallen rock for a weak spot where she might be able to dig out without dislodging the rock above

She couldn't ignore her lungs for long as they began to strain to filter out the oxygen from the dust and the CO2 she had already exhaled

3) FIRE

Janet

"Damned gas company!" Janet swore. An unannounced bit of work on the neighborhood's gas lines had caused all her pilot lights to go out. And she wasn't waiting for the possibility of the gas man coming by to light her pilots for her.

The ones on the stove top were a piece of cake to light. But the one under the stove and the one for the water heater were hard to reach.

She was currently lying on her stomach straining to reach the stove's pilot light with the small Bic lighter. There was a longer butane lighter that was marvelous for lighting the grill or the fireplace but Janet had no idea where that was

Finally, with another "Goddamit!", she got up and went into the garage to the recycle box. Grabbing a section of yesterday's Rocky Mountain News, she twisted it tightly as she returned to the kitchen. Lighting the end of it, she shoved the flaming brand under the stove. The paper was burning fast and she had to strain to reach the pilot again.

But, this time, success! The small blue jet was going in the recesses of the broiler. Janet stood and tossed the remains of the newspaper in the sink. Turning on the water, she put the remaining embers out.

Looking around the room, she was irritated to see small pieces of black ash still floating in the air. Time for the vacuum again

Just as she got ready to do the same thing with the water heater, the smoke alarm began it's piercing shriek

Sam

Huddling next to the small blaze, Sam shivered in the cold. She had succumbed to the lack of free oxygen before her team could free her. O'Neill, thinking of shock therapy, had thrown her limp body into a nearby stream

The water, glacial melt from higher up in the mountains, was just above freezing. The shock worked as the sudden cold forced her body to breath again

As soon as she was in the water, she was back out. Unfortunately, her clothes were sodden. With only a thermal blanket to help her, they found a hidden grove and built a small fire to help warm Sam up.

"Why don't we just go home?" she asked through rattling teeth

"Jaffa that way," O'Neill said. For some reason he had taken to talking like Kevin Neelon doing Tonto on the old "Saturday Night Live" skits. "We go 'round them in morning." He used his fingers to imitate someone walking across his other palm

Sam just shook her head and moved closer to the fire

4) WATER

Janet

After turning on the hot water faucet, Janet returned to the bedroom to pick out what she would wear that day. Something casual but fit for a birthday party since she figured she'd be busy most of the day

Finally selecting slacks and a shirt, she pulled off the oversized shirt she slept in and returned to find her shower pleasingly warm

As soon as the door closed, she stood and let the water run over her. Eyes closed, she faced into the stream, her hair hugging her shoulders

Sam

'Home again, home again,' Sam thought with a smile. As soon as she entered her woman's house, she called out a greeting to Cassie

"Hey Sam. How was your trip?"

"Good. Your mom up there?" Sam asked pointing up towards the sound of running water

"Just got started," Cassie said with an impish grin

"Good."

Sam started to strip before she even reached the stairs. By the time she was in the bedroom, she was hopping on one foot as she tried to pull the sock off her other

Heedless of where she tossed her clothes, the blonde entered the master bathroom and quietly slipped into the stall

"Sam!" Janet shrieked when she was goosed

"Hi. Miss me?"

Janet pulled the taller woman to her - their bodies fitting together perfectly - and kissed her lover welcome home

The End