Family 1

The Vacation

by John O'Connor

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asj/john/family01.php
Summary: With some extended leave available, Sam and Janet decide to take Cassie to the seaside

Part 1

Dr. Janet Frasier, the CMO of the SGC, was filling out paper work, the bane of any professional career. "How many copies of a requisition does the Air Force really need?' she thought.

There was a knock at her office door, and looking up, she was happy to see Sam. Sam, Major Samantha Carter USAF, walked into the medical office and said, "So, I see you are in line for a Purple Heart for writer's cramp. Don't waste your time, they only give 'em for that in combat zones."

"Yes, well, if your commanding officer wasn't such a macho stud, I wouldn't have to fill all these out," Janet smiled and waved at the array of forms on her desk.

"Jack can go overboard sometimes, but I don't think he meant to fracture his tibia. As far as I know, he's not into pain," Sam replied.

"Anyway, that's part of the reason I'm here," the tall officer added. "Since Jack is laid up for at least two weeks, SG-1 is on standdown. I have several weeks accumulated vacation and thought about taking two weeks away from Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs, and the whole thing."

"Sounds like a good idea. Where're you headed?" Janet asked.

"An old family friend has a condo in Destin, on the Florida Panhandle, that I can use starting Friday."

"Ooo, Florida. I know that area. They call it sugar sand 'cause it's so white. And the water is almost as clear as a swimming pool," Janet sighed.

"Yeah, I love it there and I haven't been in years. What I wanted to do was take Cassie, since she's never been to the ocean. We'd eat fresh seafood and romp in the ocean. There's miniature golf, go-carts, and arcades near the condo," Sam said.

"Oh, I see. I had already gotten some leave time arranged and I was hoping to get away with Cassandra myself. We haven't had a lot of time together the last few weeks and I was going to take her somewhere for a few days." Janet frowned and added, "But, you really see even less of her and I know she'd love to go, so..."

"No, I don't think you understand. I meant for both of us to go with her. It's a roomy condo." The blond woman smiled, her eyes lighting up.

"Oh! I didn't realize... Uh, I'm an idiot. I'd love to go. This'll be fun!" Janet stood and stretched. "I think I need a new swimming suit, though."

"Okay, this afternoon we'll spring the surprise on Cass and tomorrow when can go shopping. My suit is kind of old too." Sam turned toward the door.

"You can stay over tonight and we'll get an early start tomorrow." Janet, sitting down again, added, "God, I hate this paperwork. If I really try, maybe I can get it all done by 3."

Sam looked back, "Okay, I'll be back here then."

******

It was almost 5 o'clock by the time Janet and Sam arrived at Janet's house. Sam found herself bitten by the paperwork virus as well, and Janet had a minor injury to handle when an airman cut a three inch gash in his arm while doing some routine maintenance work in the Gateroom.

As they walked into the house, a loud "Sam!" accompanied by a tall teenager came hurtling out of the family room and into the major's arms.

Sam hugged Cass and said, "So how's it going, short stuff?"

"Hey, I'm not short! Anyway, I have so much to tell you about, okay?" Sam nodded, looked at Janet to see her smile widely, and allowed herself to be towed into the family room, "Well, first Denise..."

The words faded as Janet entered the living room and checked the answering machine. Several messages, all unimportant.

She walked into the kitchen to see what she could nuke for dinner for the three of them. Opening the refrigerator, she realized it had been some time since she'd been grocery shopping. All that was in there were three Diet Cokes, a bottle of white wine, ketchup, mayonnaise, what appeared to be old cheddar cheese, a somewhat wilted head of lettuce, and some dry leftover pizza.

The freezer wasn't much better; a can of orange juice concentrate, three ice trays (one only half full-she'd have to talk to Cass about that), the remainder of some Ben & Jerry's Rocky Road, and a bag of frozen vegetable medley.

"Damn! Order in or go out?" Janet asked herself.

She headed into the family room to find her two girls deeply involved in some Playstation game involving what looked like flying monkeys.

"Hey guys, how 'bout a time out?" she called.

Both contestants set down their controllers as Cassie reached forward and hit the hold button. She looked at Sam and then at her adopted mother.

"Wassup?" she asked.

Janet groaned, "You spend too much time with Jack O'Neil! Don't do those stupid commercial lines, please." Cassie frowned and Janet continued, "Listen, we have three options for dinner. One, frozen vegetable medley with orange juice or Diet Coke. Two, we go out and get a pizza, Chinese, or something. Three, we call and get a pizza, Chinese, or something delivered. So?"

"Pizza!" Cass yelped.

"What a surprise!" Janet smiled. "Sam?"

"Vegetable medley," the tall officer said with a side glance to see Cassie's reaction. Not surprisingly she grimaced as if she were in pain. Sam laughed and said, "Okay, pizza's good for me too."

"You didn't answer all the question. Eat in or eat out?" Janet threw the two of them a mock scowl.

Finally, it was decided to order in and they ate on the deck in back of the house.

While choosing a slice of pizza, Janet said, "Cassandra?"

The young girl hearing her full name looked up guiltily, and said meekly, "Yes?"

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble. Oh, wait, there is the matter of the half empty ice trays." Janet paused, then smiled and said, "We'll worry about that later. First, Sam and I have some good news for you."

Looking expectantly at the two women who meant more to her than anyone else in the world, she said, "What? What is it?"

Janet grimaced, "Don't talk with your mouth full. We are going to take you on a week's vacation along the Gulf Coast of Florida."

Cassie, who did well in geography, asked, "Where exactly?"

Sam said, "Destin. It's a little resort town between Pensacola and Panama City. The beaches are white as sugar and the water is so clear... You'll love it!"

Cassie jumped up from the table and squealed in delight. She had never been to the ocean and had been almost a pest about going to California sometime. "When do we go? Huh? When?"

Sam said, "I already got us airline reservations. We fly out Friday morning and, with a plane change, we get into Pensacola Friday afternoon. We'll stay at a condo owned by a friend of my father's. It'll be a blast."

"Boy, this'll be great! I can't wait!" Cassie was a bundle of energy.

Janet decided it was time to play mom again. "Well, you'll just have to. Sit down and eat your pizza. Tomorrow we'll go shopping for new swimming suits and I want to get some film for my camera."

After dinner, the three ladies tossed a frisbee around the backyard until dusk. Then, Janet joined the other two as they resumed their Playstation competition. She was quite happy to just sit and watch.

"We're quite an unusual little family unit," she said to Sam after Cassie went upstairs to get ready for bed.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

Janet laughed and said, "We're like some Afterschool Special: 'Cassie Has Two Mothers.'"

Sam laughed and said, "Yeah, with none of the titillation the guys want."

Hearing Cassie running down the stairs, Janet whispered "Cheese it! It's the cops!"

"What the hell does that mean?" Sam asked as she cocked an eyebrow a la Teal'c at Janet.

Janet started to laugh at the mixed impersonations of Jack O'Neil and Teal'c just as Cassie entered the room.

She stood with a puzzled look on her face that said she'd never understand adults, no matter how old she got. "What?"

"Noth...Nothin' honey." This provoked even more laughter from Janet and Sam couldn't help but join in. Soon, Cassie, who missed the entire joke but got caught up in the hilarity of the moment, was holding her sides and laughing with her "parents."

Finally, the laughter subsided and all three were wiping away tears on their faces. They all were panting from the exertion but were all smiles.

Finally, Cassie said, "I have no idea what that was all about but it was fun!" Walking over to Sam, she kissed her on the cheek and said, "Good night, Sam." Then she walked to Janet and planted a kiss on her cheek and said, "Good Night, Mom."

To a chorus of "Good Night, Sweetie," and "Pleasant dreams," Cassie went back upstairs.

Janet added, almost as an afterthought, "Don't stay up too late reading!"

Sam looked at Janet and repeated her question, "What the hell does 'Cheezit, it's the cops' mean?"

"I don't know. I heard it on "The Untouchables" or some old gangster movie. We used to say it all the time in college when the RA was on the prowl in the dorm," Janet explained.

"Smoking that wacky weed, were we?" Sam teased.

Doing a poor Bill Clinton, Janet said, "But Ah never inhaled."

To which Sam said, "Yeah, and Monica lost the ability to swallow."

"Ooo, Sam! That's gross!" Janet complained.

Sam looked a little sheepish, "I spend too much time with those foul-minded men. Sorry."

"Apology accepted. Would you like some wine?" Janet offered.

"Sure, that'd be nice. All I drink with those clowns is coffee or beer," Sam said with a smile.

Janet returned from the kitchen with two glasses and the bottle of wine. Sam rose from the floor and sat at one end of the couch and accepted a glass from her host.

"So, that was quite a good combination imitation of the colonel and Teal'c," Janet said.

"Yeah, I remember when they got their minds switched. Except for the danger to Daniel, I thought it was hilarious to watch Jack's body controlled by Teal'c and vice versa. To see Teal'c's face crack a wide grin was priceless!"

"Yeah, it was funny," Janet agreed.

As the evening progressed, the two friends began exchanging more and more personal details of their lives. They grew even closer as a result.

Yawning, Janet said, "This has been great but I'm for bed."

Sam nodded, "Yeah, that sounds like a plan. I'll sleep like a log from this," gesturing with her empty glass.

"Come along, sleepy head. I'll show you to your room," Janet rose and help Sam rise from the couch.

As they reached the upper floor, they both peaked in on Cassie. She was on her stomach with the sheet and blanket down around her ankles.

Janet stepped in whispering, "She's always doing that in her sleep. I'm surprised she doesn't catch cold."

After tucking her "little girl" in, she showed Sam to the room she used whenever she stayed over. "See you in the morning, Blondie," Janet kidded.

"Sleep tight, doc," Sam returned.

******

Sam, Janet, and Cassie walked down the high school corridor. All three were quite pleased with the glowing report Cassie's geography teacher had for the young girl.

Janet was saying what a bright young woman they had and how proud she and Sam were of Cassie. Cassie was blushing and Sam was experiencing a strong feeling of love and belonging.

As they exited the front door of the school, they walked onto the grassy quadrangle of the university toward Cassie's dorm. Sam was mildly saddened that Cassie was going away to school but quite proud of her for getting the scholarship that would allow her to pursue a career in astrophysics. As they neared the dorm, a carillon began to ring out from the bell tower in the administration building. The bells became an insistent buzzing like a very large insect.

Sam opened her eyes to daylight beyond the sheer drapes of the guest room. She reached over and shut off the alarm clock and lay back to try to retain some of the warmth and togetherness she had experienced in the dream. Finally, hearing someone in the hallway, she decided to get out of bed and get ready for the day.

She really enjoyed waking up to a sunny day. All those days and nights deep in the SGC with no sunlight could be taxing to the spirit. Even when they went to other worlds, it seemed that they were often cloudy, rainy, or just plain dark; even the sunny ones just weren't enough like Earth.

"Good Morning, Janet," she said as she came out into the hallway and saw her host exiting the bathroom.

"Good Morning. How did you sleep?" Janet asked.

"Great! I feel so much better than when I wake up several hundred feet below NORAD. You?" Sam stretched, turnin the "you" into a pleasurable groan.

"I feel great. Go ahead and take a shower while I get Sleeping Beauty up. Then we can grab some breakfast at Polly's before our mall expedition," Janet said.

Sam smiled and walked into the slightly steamy bathroom. Pulling off her pajamas, she muttered "I hope she left me some hot water."

Turning on the taps, she was reassured that she wouldn't have to take a icy shower. The young officer pulled open the glass door and stepped into the warm stream and sighed.

Finishing several minutes later, she walked out into the hallway, towelling her short, damp hair. Cassandra was walking blindly along the hall toward her and Sam had to move out of the way of the zombie-like girl.

"Hey, short stuff, try opening your eyes. You'll get farther in life," Sam laughed at the incoherent mumble from the young girl.

As she began to dress in a Rockies shirt and jeans, Sam reflected on how cozy this all felt. This was the closest she'd had to a family in a long time. Much as she loved and respected her father, they were not as close as some fathers and daughters; definitely not as close as Janet and Cassie were. She didn't realize until that moment how much she longed for a life like this.

"That damn dream," Sam said as she shook her head. "After Janet with her family crack last night and going on vacation together...no wonder I had such a dream."

Janet was already drinking a cup of coffee (from a mug saying "World's Greatest Mother," a Mother's Day gift from Cassie) when Sam entered the kitchen. Gesturing with the mug toward the cabinet with the glassware, Janet said, "Help yourself."

"Thanks, I'll just have to take you up on that." Taking an Air Force Academy mug, she filled it from the pot and stepped onto the sun porch.

Looking out at the backyard, Sam was aware that Janet had quietly joined her. They stood and enjoyed the cool morning air until a cyclone charged down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Come on, I'm starving!" Cass declared.

Janet and Sam exchanged 'she gets this from you' looks before sharing a laugh.

"Okay, Missy, don't be so demanding," Janet chided her daughter. "Polly's will still be there if we left now or ten minutes from now."

Sam decided to tease the young teenager a little, "I have to call the base. It should only take a few minutes, no more than a half hour."

"A half hour?" Cassie moaned and Sam gave up the joke and laughed.

Janet said, "Okay, come on. Let's go."

All three piled into the doctor's Taurus and went to a little family diner nearby. As Sam and Janet both had light breakfasts of egg-white omelets and fresh fruit, Cassie put away a Denver omelet, a side of bacon, toast, milk, as well as half a honeydew melon.

As the two women sat there watching the young eating machine, Sam lamented, "Why can't we eat like that?"

"We can but neither of us would fit through the Stargate," Janet replied.

"No, I mean, eat like that but never gain any weight," Sam said.

"Metabolism," Janet answered.

"Hey, can I get some buttermilk cakes?" Cassie asked.

Again both women laughed and Janet said, "No, save room for lunch, Bottomless Pit."

Sam insisted on paying for breakfast and the trio was soon on their way to the mall. Cassie wanted to go check out the record and book stores but Janet was firm that she needed to get a bathing suit first.

Going to J.C. Penney, they went through all the girls' suits they had, but, being a typical teenager, none met with Cass' approval. They tried two other stores with similar results. Janet was beginning to get frustrated and Cassie was anxious to go off on her own.

Sam remembered a new Old Navy that just opened down a side concourse and the three went there. Cassie saw a purple one-piece that made her squeal, "That's it!"

Janet said, "That is exactly like the one at Penney's that you wouldn't even look at!"

"No, that was all frilly like a little girl's suit. This is what a young adult would wear," Cassie declared.

Janet looked pleadingly at Sam, rolled her eyes, and said, "Alright, if it fits, we'll get it. If not, we go back to Penney's and get that one and cut all the frilly sh...er, stuff off. Deal?"

"Deal," Cassie agreed as she headed for a fitting room.

"What was that Rodney Dangerfield said? 'Kids: can't live with 'em, can't kill 'em!'" Janet said.

Sam laughed, "You and I were just like her at that age, don't forget."

"Yeah, remind me to call my mom tonight to apologize," Janet countered.

Cass walked out in the suit and got the needed approval from Janet for it. After changing back into her t-shirt and jeans, she handed the suit to Janet and asked, "Can I please go to the cd store now?"

"Yes, but meet us at TGIFridays at 1 for lunch, okay?" Janet asked.

"Okay!" Cassie replied as she almost ran out of the store.

Sam smiled as the girl left, then turned to her friend and said, "As long as we're here, let's check out the selection."

"Sure, why not. Prices aren't too high here," Janet agreed.

The two friends took turns modeling swimsuits for each other.

First Janet tried a bikini but refused to come out of the dressing room and made Sam come in. Sam gave her a wolf whistle and told her it looked great. Janet,however, felt a little more prudish about it. She didn't try any more bikinis.

Sam passed on any two piece because of some faint scars on her abdomen but tried several one piece suits. Sam realized that, due to the cut of the suits, she needed to do a little trimming. 'Janet must've figured that out before,' she thought.

The young doctor, if she noticed any stray blond curls, said nothing as she critiqued the various suits Sam tried out.

Janet, who had, of course, seen Sam naked during exams, was surprised to look at her friend and seeing a shapely, attractive woman.

Sam was having the same reaction. She realized it sooner than Janet when she saw the dark-haired woman in the bikini.

Sam ended up with a white one-piece and Janet with a navy blue suit. Both agreed that they should still be able to turn some heads on the beach.

Paying for the suits, a couple of beach robes, and sandals, the two women headed out toward the TGIF to meet their young charge.

Cassie, as is typical with most teenagers, was late. Fortunately, for her, not too late by Janet's standards.

Again, the women ordered light, Sam got a chef's salad and Janet a chicken caesar while Cassie got a double cheeseburger and fries. she followed that with a sundae.

Again, Sam bemoaned the metabolism of the young while Janet commiserated with the blonde woman.

They headed home with a stop by Jack O'Neil's apartment to check in on him.

"Hi Jack!" Cassie called as they were let in by Daniel.

"Hi Sweetie. Don't yell that at the airport the day after tomorrow," Jack warned.

Both women groaned in unison at the tired old joke.

"Colonel, please spare us those old jokes," Sam pleaded.

"Yeah, Jack. Get some new material," Daniel added.

"Hey, give me a break. I'm on the DL. Where's the hearts and flowers?" Jack asked.

Daniel looked thoughtful. "Jack, first you hate flowers and any kind of sympathy. Second, there is no DL in the military. And lastly, do you really want another break?" he asked eyeing the cast on O'Neil's right leg.

Jack pretended to look hurt while everyone laughed around him before he yelled, "Okay, everyone who won't get me beer from the kitchen, OUT!"

As the group headed for the door en masse, he relented, "Hey, I was just kidding. Come on back." As he saw them nearing the door he added, "Please?"

As everyone sat back down smiling, Cassie volunteered to play waitress and got beers from the kitchen. As she pretended to open one for herself, Janet said sternly, "Don't even think about it!"

The rest of the afternoon passed by rapidly until the girls decided it was time to head home. Janet drove back to her house and Sam left for her apartment.

"I'm going to the base tomorrow to make sure I didn't leave anything hanging," Sam said.

"I'll probably see you there. I want to update a couple of files before we get outta here. You're staying here tomorrow night, right?" Janet asked.

"Oh yeah, it'll be much easier in the morning," Sam said as she got in her car and pulled away.

Janet stood there for a few moments, surprised that the image of Sam in the swimsuit wouldn't leave her.

Sam, on returning home, got a beer from the fridge and, after starting a load of laundry, began to pack. She made a light salad for dinner while the dryer ran then, after watching some romantic comedy on Showtime, got ready for bed.

As she tried to drift off, the sight of Janet in the bikini flashed on like a lightbulb in her memory. Rolling over and closing her eyes wouldn't make the image go away.

Muttering under her breath, "First that dream and now I can't forget about Janet in that bikini. What's with me?"

That night Sam dreamed of Janet in a variety of swimsuits prancing up and down a runway in a fashion show. Sam couldn't make out any of the other models, her dream-self only had eyes for Janet.

Several miles away, Janet was dreaming of being with Sam on a deserted stretch of beach. She didn't notice any extra blond curls now.

The next morning, they both were tongue-tied when they first ran into each other at the SGC. By the end of the day, things seemed to be back to normal as they headed for Janet's house.

Part 2

The rental car cruised along the shoreline. Cassie was too excited to sit still in the backseat as she craned her neck trying to catch sight of the blue Gulf water between the condos and hotels lining the side of Old Highway 98.

"How much longer until we get there?" the young girl whined.

"Cassie, please just calm down. Sam just told you we're almost there," Janet said from the front passenger seat. "Look out, Sam! Jeezus!"

Sam swerved around a suddenly stopped SUV and looked at her friend, "Janet, I think you need to take your own advice. I'm doing fine. And Cass, it's only another mile or so east."

"Sam, for my sake and the sake of my daughter, please keep your eyes on the road," Janet said.

'Why do all Air Force people think they are in a jet when they get behind the wheel?' Janet thought, conveniently ignoring her own Air Force rank.

Sam pointed ahead, "Cass, see that tall white building on the right? That's the place."

Cassie leaned over between the two older women and looked with wide, excited eyes. "Wow! What floor are we on? Are we on the top floor?"

"No, short stuff. We're on the 7th floor. But, it's got a great view of the beach and the Gulf," Sam said.

Quickly pulling off the road and cutting off a slow-moving truck (to the accompanying blare of the truck's airhorn and Janet's sharp intake of breath), Sam turned into the condo's parking lot and quickly found the assigned parking space for the condo.

Cassie reached for the door handle and said, "I'm going right down to the beach! This is great!"

"Not so fast, young lady," Janet said as she turned around to look at her daughter. "We are all going to unload our luggage and the put it all away in the room. Then we can go down to the beach. That was the deal. Remember?"

"Yeah, but it's not fair. Deals in Colorado shouldn't work in Florida!" Cassie replied, haplessly trying to circumvent the plan she and her mother had worked out the night before. Then they had agreed no playing until clothes were put away, beds were made, and the kitchen cleaned.

The three of them began to unload the trunk onto a luggage cart that Sam found near the elevator. Once that had been accomplished, they wheeled the cart to the outdoor elevator and went to the 7th floor, while Cassie admired the western view through the glass sides of elevator car.

"What's that?" she asked.

"The bridge? That's the Mid-Bay Bridge, it connects us with the mainland. It's also a hurricane evacuation route," Sam explained. "Don't worry, it's not anywhere near hurricane season," she added to calm the apprehension in Cassie's eyes.

She kept lagging behind to look over the rail at the view when they reached the balcony that led to all the apartments on the floor. Janet finally had to put her foot down.

"Cassandra! Get over here and give us a hand or you are not, I repeat not, going to the beach today. At all! Do you understand?"

Reluctantly leaving the railing, the young teenager moped over to the cart and said, "Yeah, I understand."

"Cheer up kid," Sam said as she unlocked to front door. "As soon as we get unpacked, I'll race you to the water. Okay?"

"Okay," Cassie replied listlessly.

The condo's door led into the living room. It was separated from the kitchen by a breakfast bar. There was a washer/dryer combo unit in a closet in the sizable kitchen. The living room opened onto a balcony overlooking the beach. The balcony could also be accessed from the master bedroom. There were two full baths in the short hall separating the two bedrooms, the one next to the master bedroom also connecting directly to the bedroom.. This was on the left as the women entered, opposite the kitchen.

As they went into the bedrooms, Sam was surprised to see only two beds. There was a queen-sized in the smaller room and a king-sized bed in the larger, master bedroom.

"Uh, I guess the general redecorated when his kids grew up," Sam said. "I'll sleep on the couch so you can both get a bed." As she turned to eye the couch near the patio doors, she muttered, "There used to be twin beds in that room!"

"Sam," Janet said as she pulled her friend back around. "That's not necessary. Cassie and I can share a room."

"No, Janet, I told Cassie she could have her own room. And you can take the other. I don't turn in early or sleep very late anyway," Sam said.

"Sam, you can sleep with me," Cassie offered, her pouting spell forgotten.

"Thanks kiddo, but that bed'll be a little cramped for two of us," Sam chuckled.

"Sam, you can sleep with me. That bed is more than big enough and that couch doesn't look to comfortable for more that a quick nap." Janet smiled at her friend and continued, "You don't snore, do you?"

"I don't think so. I stayed up all night once and didn't snore at all," Sam said, quoting an old comedy bit from before her father's time.

"Alright then. Let's get unpacked and get down to the beach. C'mon people!" Janet grabbed her bag, mimicking General Hammond.

As the two adults were putting things away, Sam said, "Thanks Janet. I really wasn't looking forward to sleeping on that couch."

"Hey, what are friends for? Anyway, I'm off duty and I am not going to treat you for spinal injuries not incurred in the line of duty," Janet joked. "I'll look in on our little hellraiser," she finished as she put her empty bag in the closet.

Sam, still unpacking, said, "Doc, you're too damned organized!"

Janet smiled and walked down the short hall.

A few minutes later, she returned and said, "She'll be ready in a minute. I'm going to change into my suit."

Sam, still trying to sort shirts, shorts, and underwear, said, "Oh, I'll leave in a second."

"Don't bother," Janet said pushing the door closed before she pulled off the blouse she wore on the trip. "This'll only take a minute." Pulling off her slacks, she continued, "It'd be kinda silly to be embarrassed if we're going to be sharing a room for this long."

Sam watched as Janet stripped off her bra and panties. 'The doctor does keep in shape,' Sam thought as she pulled her eyes away from Janet's naked back and began to remove her own clothes. 'I'm surprised she doesn't have a boyfriend.'

"You know," Sam said over her shoulder, "this is the first time I've seen you in the all-together. Usually it's the other way around."

"Yeah, and I'm patching a wound or checking for an infection," Janet said as she turned and glimpsed a small series of scars that stood out whitely against the skin of Sam's stomach. She remembered stitching that particular wound closed shortly after they had met at the SGC.

She felt a tremendous urge to reach out and run her fingers along the scars. She even felt her arm begin to lift from her side. A loud teenager outside the door saved the doctor from a potentially embarrassing moment.

"I don't want to have to tell you again," a young voice called on the other side of the door. "Let's go!"

"Keep your shirt on, short stuff! We're almost ready," Sam yelled back at the closed door.

Sam pulled the thin straps over her shoulders an eyed herself in the mirror above the dresser. "Well, what do you think?"

Janet looked at her friend in the white swimsuit. It was cut high on the hips, low in the back and showed some cleavage. All in all, quite an eyeful.

Janet realized she was staring and, clearing her throat, said, "You'll be turning heads."

Sam looked at Janet in her similarly cut blue suit and remarked, "If the front was any lower, we'd only be allowed on a beach in the south of France."

Janet turned red and tried to adjust the tight material over her breasts. "Hey, I was kidding. You look great too," Sam tried to reassure her friend.

Both women smiled and grabbed robes and towels. "Let's go, Doctor," Sam said as she held the bedroom door for her friend.

"Why thank you. What do you usually tip doorwomen? Well, it doesn't matter, I seemed to have left my pockets in my other suit," Janet said laughing. The laugh turned into a yelp of surprise when Sam snapped her towel at Janet's butt.

"Hey!" Janet yelled as her hand moved over the injured area looking for damage. "You could put an eye out," she joked.

"Wow, an eye there? That'd be something to see," Sam laughed.

Cassie stood by the door with her arms folded and looking very stern. "Are you two going to clown around all day or are we going to the beach?" the girl asked.

"Alrighty then, let's go!" Sam replied. As Cassie made a beeline for the elevator, she added, "That girl is spending way too much time with Jack."

Janet only smiled.

After laying their towels down on the pure white sand, Cassie ran into the surf screaming with delight. Sam and Janet both laughed along with their little girl and followed her into the warm clear water. After several minutes of horsing around in the water, the adults walked back to the towels.

Janet looked at Sam and commented, "You are awfully pale for someone who's outdoors as much as you are."

"Yeah, well, we don't exactly have the time to sunbathe while on a mission," Sam replied.

"Well, I don't want you getting burned, or worse yet, sunstroke. Let me put some block on you," Janet said as she rummaged in her new beach bag.

Finding the sunblock, she told Sam to roll onto her stomach. Then, Janet began to spread the lotion over her friends exposed flesh. Sam purred as she felt Janet's strong yet gentle hands on her skin, "That feels wonderful."

Janet applied a protective layer on Sam's back and her legs before making the woman roll over. "Do you want me to do your front?" Janet asked.

Sam raised an eyebrow and said, "I think I can handle that myself."

Janet, still not catching on to her gaffe, said, "Okay, now you do me."

"Why Doctor, I didn't know you were that kind of woman!" Sam said with an amused look on her face.

"I, uh, no, I meant, oh damnit! You know what I meant!" Janet scolded her laughing friend, embarrassed.

"You're beautiful when you're angry," Sam quipped. "Now roll over."

As Sam began to apply the sunblock to Janet's back, she marvelled at how comfortable she had come to feel around Janet and Cassie. With family and friends who have children, she always felt like she was an intruder. With Janet and Cass, she felt like she belonged. It was a wonderful feeling.

As she began to work on Janet's legs, she remembered when she had been Jolinar's involuntary host and the threat she(he) had made against Cassie. Sam paused and looked at the young girl romping in the surf and felt a wave of guilt wash over her, just as the Gulf waves were washing over the laughing teenager.

Janet looked over her shoulder when she felt Sam's hands tremble on her thigh. The look of pain on Sam's face created a tightness in Janet and she asked, "What's wrong? Can I help?"

Sam shook her head, looked at Janet, and said, "No, just some painful memories of Jolinar and how I treated Cassie and everyone else. I guess I shouldn't feel guilty since I had no control but that doesn't make me feel any better."

Janet sat up and put her hand on Sam's shoulder, "No, you shouldn't feel guilty, but you do anyway. That's what makes you special to Cassie and me. She doesn't hold any grudge against you, she knows first hand what the Go'auld are, even the Tok'ra, and how they use and manipulate people. She loves you. That will never change."

Sam smiled as she blinked back tears, "Thanks Janet. I'll be better in a minute." She placed her hand on Janet's and gave it a slight squeeze of reassurance.

Janet smiled back and thought of all her friend had been through since joining the SGC. She knew Sam wouldn't trade that for anything in the world, but Janet still could see the effects on the other woman. She was so happy that Sam was part of Cassie's and her life. It was good for her. 'And us,' Janet thought.

Cassie came charging up to the two and had to show them some shells she had found in the sand. As she bent over, water dripped off her long hair onto Sam and Janet.

"Hey!" both women yelled in unison as cold water dribbled on their bare skin.

Cassie, undeterred, said, "Hey, look at these! Aren't they cool?"

As Sam and Janet oohed and aahed appropriately, Janet was relieved to see Sam was back to her usual cheerful self.

After another couple of hours of laying in the sun and playing in the water, the three of them returned to the condo to clean up for dinner.

Cassie went into her bathroom and soon the sound of running water could be heard as she began to shower. Sam looked at Janet and said, "Flip you for it."

Janet graciously said, "Go ahead, Star Jockey! I'll just sit on the balcony and enjoy the view."

"Star jockey! Right, I'm a regular James T. Kirk," Sam said as she peeled off the wet swimsuit.

Janet stood there for a moment looking at Sam before she walked out to the deck. Sitting down in one of the plastic chairs, she found her thoughts returning to the major in the bathroom.

'What's with me lately?' Janet thought. 'I've been alone too long, I guess.'

Sam stood under the warm spray, washing off salt and the remains of the sun block, her thoughts turned to the image of Janet standing naked in the bedroom earlier. She could also still feel the strong sure touch of the doctor as she applied the sunblock.

As she dried off, Sam thoughts ran along similar lines to Janet's. 'Why am I obsessing over Janet? Think of some of the young studs on the beach.' That didn't seem to work, whenever she tried to think of the lifeguards or any other men on the beach her thoughts drifted back to Janet.

"I need a drink," she said to her reflection in the foggy mirror as she wrapped a towel around her.

Opening the door and striding into the bedroom, she yelled, "It's all yours, Janet!"

She tossed the towel on the bed and stood in front of the closet as Janet walked into the bedroom from the balcony. On seeing Janet's reflection in the mirror on the closet door, she made a grab for the towel to cover herself. Just as her fingers touched the damp cloth, she realized that it was stupid to be ashamed of being naked in front of Janet.

Janet stood mesmerized again by the sight in front of her. When Sam made the grab for the towel, Janet wrenched her eyes away from Sam's admittedly sexy back.

By the time Janet was in the shower, her thoughts were again centered on Sam. 'I've seen her naked dozens of times,' Janet chided herself. 'Why is she getting to me?'

Janet suddenly felt the urge to quench the unexpected heat she felt building within her. That would be like admitting she felt more than friendship for another woman. 'This just can't be. I've been married before. I have sex with men, not women. This is just a momentary aberration,' she thought.

Instead, she turned the hot water down and stood under the cold stream as long as she could stand it. Finally, she got out of the shower and, after drying off, went into the bedroom.

'Sam's neat and tidy, I have to admit,' Janet thought as she looked over the room. The towels and the swimsuit were both on chairs on the balcony.

She heard voices out there and realized that Cassie and Sam were sitting outside the living room door. Janet pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt and walked out on the balcony. The breeze was coming off the water and felt wonderful. Sam handed her a glass of wine which she quietly accepted.

Sam asked, "So, anywhere in particular for dinner? There are plenty of good seafood places along the highway here."

"Huh? What?" Janet dazed response caught Sam's attention but before she could ask about it, Janet said, "Anywhere , I guess. You've been here before. What's good?"

"There are a lot of new places but Bud's Oyster Bar across the highway is good. We can walk over there. There's also a Winn-Dixie next to it and we can pick up some groceries for breakfasts and lunches at least," Sam said noticing that Janet wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Sounds good to me," Janet said as she sipped her wine. "How 'bout you, honey?"

Cassie was staring at the Gulf intently but managed to say, "Whatever."

Sam groaned and then chuckled. Janet finally looked at Sam and smiled with her but said, "Young lady, I was hoping for a more definitive answer."

Cassie turned to the adult women and said, "I don't really care, I'm starved!"

Sam stood and grabbed the empty glass off the glass-topped table and led the way back into the living room. Janet drank the rest of her wine and went in. Cassie was the last to leave the balcony, setting the tone for the rest of the trip.

As the three walked across the highway, Janet warned Cassie, "Remember to be careful if you ever cross this road by yourself, okay?"

Cassie rolled her eyes and said, "Aw Mom, I'm not a little kid! I'll be okay."

Janet wrapped an arm around Cassie's shoulder and gave her a half-hug, saying, "It's just that I love you and want you to be safe."

Cassie couldn't stay in her seat in the restaurant, there was too much to look at. Fishing nets, ship warning lights, mounted fish, and other assorted nicknacks found in seafood restaurants. When she finally sat down with Sam and Janet, she was confused with all the choices, never having been in a restaurant of this type in her near-three years on Earth.

Finally, she settled on the seafood platter after Sam recommended it. "It has a little bit of almost everything, Cass," she explained. Janet ordered the shrimp platter and Sam had the cajun yellow fin.

When the food came, Cassie held up a fried ball of dough and asked, "What is this?"

"Oh that's a hushpuppy. They're great!" Sam explained.

Cassie didn't look too sure but, following Sam's example, she ate one. After a moment she exclaimed, "These ARE great! Can we get extra? I only got two."

After paying the check, the three of them walked next door in the little plaza to the grocery store. They loaded a shopping cart with milk, soda, cold cuts, bread, and anything else they could think of for the condo.

While heading back, Cassie asked about going for a swim. "Can I, mom? Please?"

Janet shook her head and said, "I'm sorry sweetie, but I don't want you in the surf after dark. It's dangerous."

"Aaaww! I'll be really careful!" the teenager declared.

Sam intervened, "Why not use the pool? It's open until at least 10."

By that time they were in the elevator and Cassie was amazed by the lights along the Mid-Bay Bridge to the west.

Janet tapped her on the shoulder, "A-HEM! How does that sound?"

"Wha..? Oh, the pool, well I guess it's alright," Cassie said.

Once inside the condo, Janet said, "Go change while we put these things away."

Before they were finished putting up the food, Cassie was back and ready to go. "Can I go now?" she pleaded.

"Yes, but be careful. Do you want one of us to go with you?" Janet asked.

Sam looked at her as Cassie said, "Weelll, I guess so, if you really want to."

Sam touched Janet's arm and, catching the doctor's eye, said, "Go ahead, sweetheart. We'll probably just stay up here."

"Okay! See you in a little while!"

The whirlwind spun out the door with a whoop and dashed for the elevator.

"Sam, was that wise?" Janet asked.

In lieu of an answer, Sam led Janet to the balcony and pointed to the pool. They could easily see lots of young people and only a few adults down there.

"She'll be fine and this will give her a chance to be with people her own age," Sam explained. "Now how about some more wine?"

Janet nodded and went back to the kitchen saying "First things first, let me get the rest of the groceries put away."

Soon enough, the two friends were sitting on chair and leaning forward on the railing. Sniffing the salty air, Sam said, "This brings back memories of family trips down here. I always loved this place."

"It's beautiful," Janet admitted, "for a built-up tourist area. I always liked the rocky coasts of northern California. It's so peaceful there."

They talked until Cassie came up from the pool. She sat with them for a while before yawning widely. "Someone is tired," Sam teased.

Janet added, "No wonder, someone was too excited and hardly slept at all last night and only took a short nap on the plane."

Cassie didn't respond to their jibes but did give in and kissed them both good night.

Soon after Janet stretched, and covered her mouth as she yawned. "I guess I was a little excited last night too. I'm going to bed. Which side do you want?"

"Dealer's choice," Sam responded. "I'm going in anyway, myself."

After turning out the lights in the kitchen and living room, Janet entered the bedroom to see Sam pulling off her jeans. Again she stopped and just looked at the long, supple legs.

Shaking her head, she asked, "Do you want air conditioning or the balcony door open for fresh air?"

"Fresh air," Sam said unhesitatingly.

Soon, they were both in their nightwear and lying under the covers. Janet listened to the distant sound of the surf, "I can understand why the New Agers record these sounds, it's so soothing."

"Yeah, I will sleep great tonight," Sam responded.

After some more idle chitchat, Sam drifted off and Janet lay awake recalling glimpses of Sam's bare flesh. 'Damn! I can't get her out of my head,' she thought. She also realized she was feeling aroused again.

After tossing and turning several times, she gave in and rolled on her side away from Sam. She slipped her hand under her pajama bottoms and began to stroke herself.

After a few minutes, she quietly came to images of Sam. Laying there listening to the surf, Janet felt confusion and a trace of fear. 'Am I becoming a lesbian? How could that be? I like men.'

These thoughts and others chased each other through her mind until sleep claimed her.

Behind her, Sam lay awake wondering. Janet wasn't quiet enough and her low moans woke up her bedmate. Sam knew exactly what had happened but she had no idea who the target of Janet's desires was.

'I may have to see about hooking her up,' the blonde thought before falling into a dream world where she and Janet chased each other's naked bodies on the beach, laughing.

Part 3

The next morning, Sam and Cassie were both sitting at the breakfast counter talking and laughing. As Janet entered the room and headed toward the coffee pot, Cassie let out a low shriek, "Eeee! It's the morning monster!"

Sam followed her pointed finger and saw Janet's hair bunched up from sleep and began to laugh. "Jan...huh-uh, Janet, your hair is a me-huh-ess!"

"Shut up," came the groggy response. "I'm still asleep."

As she drank some of the coffee, Janet felt herself begin to wake up. As she did, she suddenly felt uncomfortable. Looking at Sam as the blonde laughed at her, Janet remembered her actions the previous night before she finally fell asleep. Worse yet, she had dreamed of she and Sam naked on a beach somewhere. Fortunately, she didn't remember any details.

'God, what is wrong with me?' Janet thought.

Sam, while amused by her friend's bedhead, was also feeling somewhat uncomfortable as she too had a similar dream of the two women on a beach, frolicking in the nude. She shook her head to dispel the memory while Cassie began to ask what they were going to do for the day.

"Well, I'm not asking you again!" the teenager said in exasperation. "What are we doing today?"

Janet reached over and tousled her hair and asked, "What do you want to do? I thought we'd spend the entire day on the beach."

"Great! I was afraid we'd be shopping after the way she was yesterday," Cassie shot a glance at Sam.

Sam, feeling Cassie's eyes on her, said, "What? What did I do?"

"She saw how you kept noticing the shops and the outlet mall while we were driving in from the airport," Janet explained. "She's afraid of an adult shopping spree."

Sam looked at Cassie. "Kiddo, one of these days, you will really appreciate a good shopping binge."

"I already do, but we can do that back home. There aren't any beaches in Colorado!"

Sam felt like being difficult, "That's not entirely true. Millions of years ago there were beaches and oceans, or at least shallow, tropical seas, where we live." Seeing Janet's raised eyebrow, she added, "I took some crash courses in geology before I came to the SGC."

Cassie sighed heavily, "That really doesn't do me any good, does it? No, so let's get going to the real beach."

Sam couldn't resist one last poke, "Life's a beach!"

Rolling her eyes, Cassie said, "I'm going with or without you."

She slid off her stool and headed toward her room for her towel.

"Not so fast, young lady. We're not ready," Janet said. "Give me a few minutes, please."

"Anyway, you just had a large bowl of cereal. You need at least another twenty minutes to let the food settle," Sam added helpfully.

"That's just on old wives' tale," Cassie protested as she sat on the couch and turned on the TV. "Hey look, 'Pinkie and the Brain' is on."

Sam and Janet carried their coffee into the bedroom. As Sam removed her pajamas, she asked "So, did you sleep well?"

Janet, also stripping her sleepwear off, responded, "Yes. I slept like a baby. So, did I snore?"

Sam shook her head, "No, no snoring." She omitted any mention of the other slight noise Janet made before falling asleep. She tossed her pajamas onto the chair. "I hate wearing those, they always bunch up in the legs and some of my more sensitive areas." She was looking at Janet's bare back as she said this.

Janet made it a point not to turn around to see her friend unclothed, agreed, "I hate them too. If we had our own rooms, I wouldn't bother."

Sam was adjusting the cups on her suit as she offered a solution. "Why don't we just forget them and sleep like we would at home?"

Janet risked a glance at her friend, happy to see she was in her swimsuit already. "I don't know. I only wear an old extra large t-shirt to bed at home."

"So? We don't have anything to be ashamed of and I'm not worried about you taking advantage of me in my sleep." 'Unfortunately. What am I thinking?' Sam worried.

Janet started to jerk around at that statement before quickly returning her attention to adjusted her suit. She wasn't quick enough for Sam to miss it. 'Hmm, what's that all about? Her masturbating last night? Could she have a guilty conscience about that? Or maybe...'

Outwardly Sam gave no sign she had seen Janet's reaction. She slipped her beach robe over her suit saying, "I'm ready. I'll wait for you in the living room."

Sam left and Janet breathed a deep sigh. 'Get hold of yourself, woman! She was just making a little joke.'

Grabbing her short white beach robe, Janet walked into the living room. Cassie and Sam were giggling at the antics of the lab mice on TV. "Ready!"

"Great! I'll get the elevator," Cassie yelled as she raced out the front door.

The two women looked at each other, for the millionth time it seemed, as if to say "Were we ever that young?"

As they joined Cassie on the elevator, Sam, in dimwitted voice, asked, "What are we going to do tonight, Brain?"

Cassie, doing a passable Orson Welles, replied, "Same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world!"

Just as the car stopped at the fourth floor to admit a young couple, Cassie and Sam, in unison, yelled, "Narf!"

Janet looked at the new occupants, rolled her eyes and twirled her finger at her temple. Understanding the universal symbol for crazy, the man and woman both nodded and smiled indulgently.

Arriving at the bottom, the couple made a beeline out of the elevator as Sam and Cassie fell against each other laughing.

Janet gently shook her head, and asked, "Can we pretend not to know each other the rest of the day?"

"No way!" Cassie said defiantly and Sam just shook her head with a smirk.

"Oh God!" Janet moaned.

By the time they walked past the pool heading toward the beach, Janet was laughing as loudly as her companions at their toon jokes.

Sam stepped onto the short boardwalk leading to the beach and surveyed the sandy expanse. "Looks a little more crowded today. Let's go over there." Sam pointed to the right to a clear stretch of sand.

Cassie raced across the sand, her feet throwing up little fountains of sand. Sam and Janet took a more leisurely pace to the spot.

As they walked, Janet looked at Sam, squinting in the bright sunlight. "Okay, Major, How do you know so much about cartoons?"

Sam laughed. "Jack and Daniel have been 'educating' Teal'c to American culture with old Bugs Bunny cartoons. And I always loved those when I was kid. I can even do a passable Marvin the Martian."

"Okay, let's hear it," challenged Janet.

"Greetings Earthling! I will have to annihilate you with my alludium-pu38 explosive space modulator!" Sam offered, raising her voice' pitch.

Janet looked at her friend again and said, "Wow, you're a regular Mel Blanc! Any others?"

"Yeah, but some of them I can't do in front of the kid," Sam grinned evilly.

"Hey, I am not a kid!" Cassie protested as she finished dumping her beach gear in a lump on the sand. "I'm going into the water."

Janet stopped her. "Not so fast, young lady. This is not your room. At least try to pretend to lay the towel out properly, okay?"

Grumbling, Cassie bent down and began to spread her beach towel.

Sam looked back by the boardwalk. "Hey, the stand is open. We can rent beach chairs and an umbrella from those kids. How 'bout it?"

Janet looked back and shrugged, "Sure. Why not? Okay Cass, that's good enough. Go play. But don't go too far out!" The last turned into a yell as the teen raced into the foamy surf.

The two women walked back up the beach and Sam shared a few of her more ribald Warner Brothers impersonations. Janet was shaking her head and laughing.

"You are one sick chick!" Janet laughed.

"Hey, I just do the voices. Blame Jack for the content," Sam protested lamely.

"Don't buy it. Not one bit," Janet shook her head again.

As Sam dealt with the two older teens running the chair and umbrella concession, Janet saw how the two were giving both she and Sam the eye. She felt a bit of pride to think that two "old" ladies could catch the attention of two beach punks. 'Not bad, lady. We are definitely an eyeful,' Janet thought as she glanced at Sam's slim figure.

Janet's attention was brought back to the matter at hand when Sam began to ask about a two week rate.

"Sam, we're only here for a week," Janet whispered.

Sam looked at Janet and said, "I thought we could stay for the full two weeks of our leave? Is there a problem?"

"Lady, how long you want these?" one of the teenagers asked.

"Just for a week," Janet said firmly. Sam shrugged and agreed with her friend.

They led to two with two beach chairs towards their spot as Sam carried the umbrella. Janet could almost feel their eyes burning through her suit.

After the boys set up the chairs and the umbrella and confirming they would do that every morning in the same general spot, they headed back to their stand. Sam thought she heard one of them say something about "What a waste." Sensing Janet's need to talk about the vacation itinerary, she opted not to follow the two punks and asked what they meant by the comment.

Sam sat in one of the short-legged chairs as Janet took the other. Looking out to sea, Sam asked, "Is there a problem, Janet?"

"Yes, I think there is. What's this about two weeks? I can't afford to spend two weeks down here! And for you to just arbitrarily decide we would without discussing it with me," Janet saw the hurt look in Sam's eyes caused by the her tone and shifted tracks. "Look, Sam, I love it down here and so does Cassie. This week will be a blast. I know that. But I can't afford the cost of another week eating out everyday and all that kind of thing."

"Janet, I'm sorry I didn't ask you first. But neither of us has had any decent amount of time off in quite a while. Getting away from the SGC for two weeks will be great. And about the money, majors make more than captains and I have accumulated a lot of hazardous duty pay too. I don't mind treating."

Janet looked at her friend, "I don't want to be a charity case."

"You're not," Sam assured her. "I would be spending this anyway if just Cassie and I came down, if you couldn't have gotten away. So I treat my very dear friend as well. I want you to have a good time and I don't want you worrying about money matters. We'll be fine."

"Sam, I..."

Sam held up her hand, "Wait, before you say anything. How about this, we buy groceries and cook dinner in the condo. It's a full kitchen and all the dishes and utensils we need are on hand. We go out maybe a couple of times but the rest of the time we fend for ourselves. How 'bout that? Or do you have a hot date back in Colorado Springs waiting?"

Ignoring Sam's jibe, Janet said, "Okay, how about this? Let me think about it for a little while. I guess it is good to get away to a new place once in awhile. And it is beautiful here. For a overly commercialized area, that is."

Nodding, Sam scanned the beach. "Looks like we got here just in time. The hordes are descending!"

Sure enough, the beach population was rapidly growing. There were a few sailboats on the water and some larger cruisers further out. Jet skis buzzed back and forth around the sailboats.

Cassie came out of the water and applied sunscreen before laying on her towel and playing with the white sand. She looked at her fingertips and complained, "I'm getting pruny!"

Sam replied, "That's for being in the water so long. Good thing you have a tan already or you'd be as red as your mom & I will be soon."

With that said, Sam stood, grabbed Janet's arm and pulled her toward the water.

"Hey! Heey! What are you doing?" Janet yelled.

"Having fun!" Sam declared.

As they reached the water, Sam wrapped her arms around Janet's waist from behind and heaved her into the waves.

Janet stood up, water dripping from her short reddish-brown hair, with a vengeful look on her face. "YOU are so dead!"

Janet lunged at Sam. The taller woman almost evaded her friend until her feet got mired in the wet, flowing sand and she was tackled by the sodden doctor.

They both lay entangled in each other's arms in the wet sand as the waves rolled over them and laughed. Cassie looked up from the little sand sculpture she was creating and shook her head, as if to say "Grownups!"

Janet pulled loose from her friend and stood in the surf, the water frothing around her shins. "This water is so warm. How far out can I walk?"

"About three inches less than I can," Sam commented.

"Hey, I'm not that short!" Janet protested.

Sam began to wade out into the water, "Let's just see about that."

"Okay."

They began to walk out as the water crept up their bodies. Janet was surprised at how clear the water was seeing the sandy bottom. "This water is almost as clear as a swimming pool." After several hundred feet, Janet said, "I can't touch the bottom."

Sam stuck her tongue out and said, "I can, short stuff!" Actually, Sam was standing on her toes to keep her head above water, forgetting how clear the water was.

Janet didn't and saw a slightly distorted image of Sam's feet and legs and could tell, even through the shifting water, that she was on her toes. Her eyes narrowing dangerously, Janet said, "You are really in for it now, blondie!"

Sam turned and started to swim away from the doctor. Janet, who was a fair swimmer in high school and college, easily caught up to the less experienced woman and grabbed her.

"Now I've got you," Janet said triumphantly.

Sam wriggled in her grasp until they were face to face. Time seemed to stand still. Looking into Janet's eyes, Sam thought 'I never realized how brown her eyes were.'

Janet was equally stunned and couldn't tear her eyes away from Sam. She realized, on a subconscious level, that the woman felt good in her arms. She began to lean toward Sam and Sam tilted her head a little, as if to accommodate Janet.

The high-pitched whine of a nearby jet ski brought them out of their temporary rapture. Letting Sam go, Janet ducked her head quickly under the water and came up, flinging droplets from her hair. Sam, looking as surprised as Janet felt, yelped as the spray hit her face.

They both looked around and saw that they had drifted down the beach and out of sight of most of the people on the beach. Sam, still somewhat confused by what had almost happened, was grateful that no one saw them embracing, especially Cassie. 'That would've been very awkward,' she thought.

Janet was thinking much the same thing and wondering what was going on with her. 'Last night I masturbate to images of Sam and now I almost kiss her! I don't know what's going on with me!'

They both swam back to shore and silently trudged the almost half mile back to Cassie. She was standing looking at them as they walked back toward her.

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you!" Cassie said in her best adult voice. In reality, she liked the minutes of solitude their swim had afforded her. She was getting to that age where young people want and need their own space.

Without looking at her friend, Janet replied, "We just went for a swim, Mother. Is that okay with you?"

The sarcasm wasn't lost on Cassie and she tried to look sternly at her mom before dissolving into giggles. Sam and Janet joined in and all three were laughing together.

Sam spread her towel on the sand and laid on her stomach to get some sun on her back. Cassie grabbed a book out of the bag Janet had brought down and took over Sam's chair.

Janet sat and let her mind drift. When it kept coming back to Sam, she changed her mind and grabbed the LeCarre book she had been reading on the plane. Soon she was wrapped up in a world of spies, covert actions, doublecrosses, and defections.

After a while, Sam rolled onto her back. This afforded Janet a glimpse down the top of Sam's low-cut blue suit. Distracted, Janet tried to get back to George Smiley and his quest for Karla but failed. She closed the book and shut her eyes. She learned long ago in residency how to catch catnaps when she could.

Janet was roused several minutes later when Sam got up and said, "I gotta go. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Janet looked at Cass, "How 'bout you? Bathroom break?"

"Yeah, I'll go with you, Sam." Cassie got up and threw her book into the bag.

Grabbing her robe, Sam asked, "Janet?"

"Nah, I'm fine. I'll stay here and keep an eye on things.," Janet responded.

"We'll be back in a few minutes." Sam and Cassie raced each other to the boardwalk.

Janet sat back and relaxed, enjoying the feel of the breeze on her bare skin and the sound of the surf.

"Wow, the water sure is beautiful!"

Janet sat up and looked at a tall redheaded girl standing near her chair. "Yes, it is."

The girl was in her early twenties and was wearing a very skimpy, red string bikini. Her hair was a soft, crimson wave hanging down below her shoulder blades. She obviously kept herself in shape. Unlike most redheads Janet knew, she had a solid overall tan with no obvious tan lines. She squatted down next to Janet's chair.

"You and your friend seem to have staked out a great spot," the girl said with, it seemed to Janet, a slight emphasis on "friend."

"Yeah, it's pretty nice here." Janet was puzzled by this girl and her friendliness. Was she some kind of Welcome Wagon for the beach?

"I love your suit! The white contrasts well with your hair and eyes," the girl said.

"Uh, thanks. I just bought it."

"Where are you from?"

"Colorado. My friend and I live in Colorado," Janet said.

"I love Colorado! Ever go skiing in Aspen? It's too much fun!" the girl laughed. Her voice had a slightly husky quality to it.

"By the way, my name is Janet Fraiser," Janet said as she held out her hand.

The girl grasped it firmly and said, "I'm Regina with a long 'I.' It rhymes with a part of the female anatomy?" Regina winked and laughed. "See you around, I hope."

"Uh, yeah. See you," Janet watched as the girl walked away. The bikini bottom barely concealed anything. Regina's hair trailed after her and Janet realized she had dry mouth.

Swallowing hard, she tore her eyes away from the red clothe-covered derriere and started when she heard Sam clear her throat.

"Sam! That didn't take long," Janet said trying not to appear flustered.

"Well, well, well. It seems our good doctor has an admirer!" Sam said haughtily.

"What? What are you talking about?" Janet demanded.

"C'mon, Janet. That girl was flirting with you big time! 'Rhymes with a part of the female anatomy.' What else could it be?"

Janet sat there speechless. "Close your mouth, you'll let out all the hot air!" Sam teased.

Finally, Janet looked around and asked, "Where's Cassie?"

"She wanted to go down the beach to where they rent some jet skis. I told her not to be too long," Sam said.

Twenty minutes later, Cassie came racing back along the beach. "Sam! Sam! We gotta rent one of those! You have got to take me out there!"

"Whoa, shortstuff. What are you babbling about?" Sam said.

Rolling her eyes, Cassie said, "D'uh. The jet skis? I'm too young to get one by myself but I can ride with an adult."

"What about your mom?" Sam asked.

Before Cass could even frame an answer, Janet said, "No way are you getting me on one of those things! Uh-uh! Forget it."

Cassie was almost jumping up and down in her excitement so Sam said, "Well, we'll see. But not 'til later. Got it? And don't be a pest about it."

"Oka-ay. I guess," Cassie replied as she slumped onto her towel.

They spent the next hour sitting and relaxing on the beach. Janet forced her mind away from the string-bikini-clad body she had seen and tried to ignore the other girls she kept noticing in their suits.

Eventually, Janet turned in her chair and pulled her watch out of her bag. "Hey, anyone hungry?"

Cassie yelled, "Yeah, me!"

Sam smiled and said, "That's a real surprise."

"Well, it's lunchtime. Let's go back and grab a sandwich in the room," Janet said.

As they headed back to the room, Janet said, "I really have to go bad."

Sam said, "You could've gone with us. Or even after."

"I didn't feel like coming all the way back up here then" Janet said as the elevator opened on the seventh floor balcony.

"There are bathrooms at the pool, you goof!" Sam nudged her friend.

"Now you tell me," Janet said as she fumbled with the door key.

After the minor emergency was taken care of, they grabbed lunch meat, cheese, bread, and snacks and went to the table on the deck to have lunch.

They sat and talked on the deck as they relaxed in the warm Gulf breeze. After sufficient time had passed, Janet decided they could chance going into the water again.

As they came out of the building's shadow, they noticed a difference in the Sun's intensity from the morning.

Cassie broached the subject, "Sam, why is the Sun stronger in the afternoon?"

Sam smiled. "Because he wasn't wide awake in the morning."

"Mo-om!" Cass whined. "Make her tell me!" Then the teenager smiled at the two women.

"Alright Cass, it's simple. The Sun passes through a thicker layer of atmosphere in the morning and the evening and the rays are more diffused. That answer your question?" Sam asked.

Leaving their bags and robes on their chairs, Sam and Janet joined Cassie in the warm water.

By this time, the number of boats and jet skis had increased significantly. Fortunately they were far enough out that no swimmers were in any danger. The sky was getting crowded with light planes towing banners that read "Eat at Bud's Oyster Bar" or "We got crabs at Joe's." There was also the occasional military jet from Eglin Air Force Base or the Naval Air Station at Pensacola.

After a few more hours of fun in the sun, Janet and Sam both felt the effects of exposure to the Sun and decided to head in.

"Can I stay here for a while, Mom?" Cassie asked.

Janet, about to refuse, relented and said, "Yeah sure. But not too long. You need to get cleaned up for dinner. We're going to that seafood place near the country club that Sam was raving about on the plane yesterday."

Arriving at the condo, Janet grimaced when she saw Sam's white flesh as she slid the straps off her shoulders.

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

Sam shook her head, "Not to bad. Mainly a little tight. I figure some baby oil and I'll be good as new. Can you put it on my back when I finish with the parts I can reach? I'll do the same for you. You look pretty burned."

"I don't burn really bad for some reason. I get really red then it mellows into a fair base for a tan," Janet said. Hesitating, she finally said, "I'll help you when you're ready."

A few minutes later, as Janet was getting a drink of water in the kitchen, Sam called from the bedroom. Walking in, Janet froze for a moment. Her friend was completely nude on the bed and had tried, unsuccessfully, to toss a towel over her round ass.

Swallowing through a suddenly dry throat, Janet stepped forward, adjusted the towel to cover both cheeks, and reached for the oil. She applied a light layer over Sam's shoulders and down the middle of her back to the outline of the suit below her ribs. Sam moaned lightly as Janet began to gently rub the lotion into her skin.

"That feels great," Sam said.

As Janet applied the oil, she tried to convince herself this was no different than treating a patient in the med center. She was only partially successful.

When she was finished, Sam got up and slipped on her robe. Then she took the bottle of oil and told Janet to get on the bed after taking off her suit.

Janet loved the feel of Sam's strong, calloused hands on her skin. It was such a soothing sensation, she felt almost hypnotized. All too soon, in Janet's opinion, Sam was finished. She got up and donned her robe as they both walked out onto the deck through the bedroom door.

"Thanks, Sam. That felt great," Janet said.

"My pleasure. I finally got to help you for a change," Sam smiled at Janet.

"You know, we should get another suit each. People will start to talk when we wear the same thing everyday," Sam said.

"What if we switched suits?" asked Janet.

"Stand up," Sam commanded. She looked over Janet. "Hmm, might work. You're a little shorter than me but otherwise you're about the same size. We can try after the suits run through the wash with Cassie's, if you want."

Later, after Cassie finally came up, Janet threw the three salty, sandy swimsuits into the condo's washing machine. Waiting until after Cass was finished in the shower, Janet joined Sam on the couch to watch the news. Just before leaving for dinner, Janet threw the suits in the dryer.

"You're friend has everything here except a wet bar and a killer stereo," Janet commented.

At the restaurant, they all decided on the all-you-can-eat, peal & eat shrimp. Janet and Sam each had a couple of beers and Cassie had a Coke.

Sam pulled into a Dairy Queen on the way back to the condo. "My treat!" she pronounced.

Janet protested, "I don't need this. Anyway, I'll never fit into my suit. I don't want to be a damned blimp on the beach."

"We'll swim them off tomorrow," Sam promised.

"I don't care. I want a big hot fudge sundae with everything," Cassie declared.

Getting back to the condo, Cassie opted to sit and watch the cable TV. Sam and Janet decided to take a short walk on the beach.

"This was a great idea, Sam. Thanks," Janet said.

"You're welcome. I'm having a wonderful time, myself."

"I've been thinking." Janet started.

"That could be dangerous," Sam chided her friend.

"Watch it Major!" Janet warned. "Anyway, how about a week and a half? We leave a week from Wednesday?"

"I like that idea. We'll still have some time off back in Colorado to maybe go to the mountains for a day," Sam agreed. "But what about your girlfriend, Regina?"

"I will get you when you least expect it," Janet replied.

They continued down the beach talking and laughing for another mile before heading back to the condo.

As they got ready for bed later, Sam, standing only in a bra and panties, said, "Pajamas are not for me. I'm sleeping like I normally do." She removed the bra, and pulled on a baggy Air Force t-shirt before climbing under the covers.

Janet decided that was the way to go, even though she never wore panties to bed back home.

As they lay in the dark, Sam said, "Janet, about this morning in the water..?"

"I don't know what your talking about."

"But..." Sam persisted.

"No. There's nothing to talk about," and Janet rolled on her side away from Sam.

It was quite a while before sleep claimed Janet.

******

Janet was walking along the beach in her t-shirt and looked at her companion. Regina smiled at her and took her hand.

They walked hand in hand along the beach before Regina stopped and pulled Janet to her. Holding Janet gently, the redhead leaned in and kissed her. Janet melted into the kiss and sighed when she felt the tongue slip past her lips. It had been so long since she was kissed like this.

As she pulled back, she looked at her companion and saw Sam smiling back at her before kissing her again.

******

The following morning dawned bright and found Janet sleeping with a contented smile on her face.

Part 4

Samantha Carter woke up next to her friend Janet Fraiser. She stretched in the cool morning air as she prepared to get out of bed.

Looking at Janet sleeping peacefully, Sam was struck by the contented smile on Janet's face. 'What's she dreaming about?' she wondered. Then remembering her own dream, she frowned and got up.

Sam walked out of the bedroom to the kitchen of the Gulfcoast condo they were staying in and started the coffee. Hearing some stirring in the other bedroom, she smiled knowing Cassandra, Janet's adopted daughter, would be up and ready for the beach soon.

Sam walked into the bathroom she shared with Janet and stripped off the large t-shirt she wore to bed. As she splashed water on her face, she thought about a shower but decided to wait until after they had spent the day on the beach.

Sam stood back and regarded her reflection. She was in near-perfect physical shape as a result of the demands her role in SG-1 made on her. There was some light scarring on her stomach and other places that stood out like lines on a roadmap to her. She was pleased to see that the slight burn she got yesterday was already becoming a nice base tan. 'Keep up with the sunscreen,' she thought, 'and you'll be the envy of all those molepeople back inside Cheyenne Mountain.'

Sam pealed off the cotton panties she had slept in and began to pull on the blue swimsuit Janet had bought. They had decided the day before to trade suits for a little variety on the beach.

After adjusting the spaghetti straps, Sam turned this way and that inspecting herself in the mirror. 'Not bad, girl. Blue suits you and it fits nicely too.'

Sam grabbed her sleepwear and walked back into the large living/dining room of the condo. Cassie was already planted on the sofa watching cartoons in her pajamas.

"Hi Sam," she said without looking away from the animated action.

"Hey Cass, ready for another day of fun in the sun?" Sam asked as she poured coffee.

"Oh yeah! Can we get a jet ski today?" the young teenager responded enthusiastically.

"Well, I have to get your mom's okay. No promises, alright?" Sam was all to aware of promises she had made to her young friend only to have to break them because of her job. She was determined that she would not promise anything unless she could follow through.

"Okay. What's for breakfast?"

"We have Cap'n Crunch, Cap'n Crunch with Crunchberries, peanut butter Cap'n Crunch...Jeez, does General Curtis eat anything else? Must be the military sound of it. Here's some Grape Nuts, and," Sam paused as she moved a couple of cereal boxes around, "more Cap'n Crunch."

"I guess I'll have Cap'n Crunch," Cassie said.

"Coming right up. Good morning, sleepyhead," Sam directed this last to Janet as she walked out of the bedroom.

"Morning," Janet mumbled as she accepted a cup of coffee from Sam. Sam then poured a bowl of cereal for Cassie.

'How come I'm the maid this morning?' she mused.

After slowly drinking half of the steaming cup, Janet finally said, "Must be this sea air. I feel so relaxed that I have a hard time getting up."

She finally looked at Sam for the first time that morning. "You look great in my suit. Blue definitely looks good on you."

"Thank you. It fits very well too," Sam said.

Cassie drained the rest of the milk from the cereal bowl and announced, "I'm changing for the beach!" then she promptly strode into her room to change.

"Guess that's my cue," Janet said as she set the empty cup down and walked into the bedroom.

Sam poured herself a second cup and walked onto the deck to look down at the beach. The boys they rented the chairs and umbrellas from were down there setting them up and a few people were already playing in the surf.

The gentle offshore breeze ruffled her short curly blond hair, feeling almost like fingers gently combing through it. Sam frowned slightly as she recalled her dream.

In it, she was sitting on the beach alone when someone walked up from behind and sat down next to her. She looked over to see a naked Janet Fraiser smiling at her. Janet reached over and ran her fingers through the blond hair above Sams left ear and then gently slid the tips of her fingers along the outer edge of her ear. Janet leaned over and gently kissed her and Sam suddenly wanted this more than anything in the world. Janet pushed her down on the blanket and lay on top of Sam. Sam realized she was naked too but didn't care as they resumed kissing...

"Hey Sam, I'm ready!" Cassie announced, breaking Sam's train of thought. 'Just in time, too,' Sam thought as she rubbed at the goosebumps on her arms. 'I'm not sure I like where this train of thought was going. Not after yesterday...'

"So am I," Janet said as she walked out.

"Wow, Mom, you look great!" Cassie said.

And she did. The white suit clung to her and accentuated the curves of her body. The contrast to her dark eyes and hair added to the effect.

Sam, trying hard to forget the dream, gave Janet a wolf whistle. "Not bad, Doc. Maybe we should switch these permanently?"

Cassie looked at the two people who meant the most to her in the entire world and said, with the wisdom of youth, "Why not just share them?"

Sam and Janet both seemed to consider this as Cassie grabbed the beach bag and headed for the door. The women grabbed their beach robes and followed her.

'It's funny how awkward I feel when I first see Janet after the dreams I've had the last few nights but then everything is okay again after a while. I guess it just proves a strong friendship can overcome some weird dreams,' Sam thought as they waited for the elevator.

On the way down, Janet looked quizzically at Sam and said, "Penny for your thoughts?"

Sam smiled and said, "Oh, nothing worth paying for."

Cassie chimed in, "A penny? I need at least a dollar before I spill anything."

"Greedy little thing, isn't she?" Sam said, smiling.

"Mom, is it okay if I hang out with some of the kids I met yesterday?" Cassie asked. "They're okay, so you don't have to worry."

Janet smiled and said, "Sure, I suppose so, for a while. And, by the way, I do trust your judgment." She didn't add that she trusted Cass' judgment more than she did most adults. "Just don't ignore us, okay?"

Cassie nodded and stayed with them, not seeing her friends on the beach yet.

The two women shrugged off their robes and tossed them on the rented chairs before following Cassie into the water.

When she hit the cold water, Janet let out a little "whoop!" Sam did the same when she entered and Cassie innocently asked "Shrinkage?"

Both women glared at the girl and she realized she'd overstepped her bounds. Some things just aren't said by a young teenager to adults.

As Cassie turned away redfaced, Sam did whisper to Janet, "Well, it does look like the turkeys are done!"

Janet looked at her friend's smiling face in mock horror before seeing Sam's nipples pushing the blue material of her suit out. Then she looked down and saw her own nipples standing out creating small shadows on the white material.

Janet quickly moved out further into the water until it covered her chest before turning to Sam. She opened her mouth to berate Sam, when the blond woman began to laugh.

Sam's infectious laugh caused Janet to begin to giggle. This soon lead to outright laughter as the two women floated in the clear water. Cassie looked over her shoulder at the pair, shook her head and moved further down the beach.

Janet left the water after trying to swim against the surf. Sam came out shortly after. They both sat in the beach chairs after Janet closed the umbrella and soaked up some warm Florida sunshine.

Soon, Sam drifted off into a light doze and Janet tried to read. She kept being distracted by the young people on the beach. 'It could almost be Spring Break with all these kids romping,' the doctor thought. Then glancing at Sam, she couldn't help but admire how sexy she looked in the blue swimsuit. Then she thought, 'Sam sexy? What is it with me? It's like I was attracted to her.'

"Not that there's anything wrong with that," she murmured aloud, causing Sam to look at her out of one eye.

"Talking to ourselves, are we?" she chided Janet.

"Just finishing a stray thought out loud. It was an inside joke. Go back to sleep."

Sam stuck out her tongue and closed her eyes again.

Cassie came running up the beach a few minutes later and yelled, "Where's my hat?"

"What hat?" Janet asked.

Without more than a glance to acknowledge her mom's question, Cassie began to dig in the beach bag. Pulling out an olive-drab piece of cloth, she triumphantly said, "Here it is!"

It was a crushable fisherman's hat but instead of fishing hooks and lures pinned around the brim, it sported a Colorado Rockies logo. It was one of her favorite hats because Sam gave it to her when the three of them went to Denver last year to see the Rockies play. It also was grungy enough to be cool with her classmates. Of course, Janet hated it.

Pulling the hat down on her head, she raced back down the beach. Sam squinted open one eye again and said, "Was that a whirlwind?"

"Cyclone Cassie just passed through," Janet laughed. "She came back for that ratty old hat you gave her last year at the Rockies game."

"Oh yeah, I never used that VISA card I signed up for to get it, either." Sam lay back down and continued, "Remember who the Rockies played?"

Janet shook her head then, seeing Sam's eyes were closed, said, "No, I don't."

"The Florida Marlins. Isn't that a coincidence?"

Janet furrowed her brow and said, "I didn't even know Florida had a team."

Sam sat up and looked at her, "What? You were at the game! How could you not know who they were playing?"

"I don't know that much about baseball. I've only been to a few games in my life, and that includes an Academy softball game. How am I supposed to know who plays and who doesn't?" Janet asked, her eyes twinkling.

"You are hopeless! Thank God Cassie has me around to show her the joys of American life."

Sam dropped back on her towel with a sigh of desperation missing the big grin that appeared on Janet's face. There were times it was just plain fun to irritate her fair-haired friend.

Soon after that exchange, Sam rolled onto her stomach to get some sun on her back. Janet opened the large beach umbrella to provide some shade and keep the chairs from heating up. She applied more sunscreen to her legs before laying on her towel..

Sam and Janet were walking along a deserted stretch of beach enjoying the silence when Sam smiled and took Janet's hand. Janet felt giddy like a schoolgirl at the touch of her soft hand.

Sam moved her hand up until she was grasping Janet's forearm and shaking it.

"Hey, wake up or you'll burn!" Sam said.

Janet opened her eyes and wondered where everybody had come from before consciousness returned. "Oh, uh, thanks."

She got up and sat on a chair in the umbrella's shade. Sam sat in the chair next to her and glanced at her.

"So, Janet, you have been having some pleasant dreams lately. Want to tell me about them?" Sam asked.

"Uh, well, they're, I don't really remember them to well," Janet said lamely.

Sam didn't buy into that excuse but let it go when she saw Cassie come running down the beach.

"Incoming!" Sam yelled as Cassie skidded to a halt in front of them.

"Hey! Where's the fire?" Janet asked.

"Mom, Sam, you gotta see this!" Cassie said excitedly. "There's a seaturtle mound down the beach and the guy watching it says they're going to hatch any day now! This is so cool!"

"Well, lead on MacDuff," Sam said as she and Janet rose from their chairs.

Cassie was almost pulling them down the beach in her excitement. "C'mon. C'mon." she urged.

About one half mile from their spot on the beach, there was a small crowd gathered around a low mound of sand. The mound was only a couple of feet high and about three or four feet across. It was situated above the high tide mark and was roped off. A well-tanned man sat on an aluminum chair just inside the "fence" and answered questions people in the crowd asked.

As they stood there, they learned he was a grad student in marine biology studying sea turtles. The area was roped off to protect the eggs inside the mound and he and his friends took turns watching the mound to keep people and predators out of the nest. It was part of an attempt to increase the turtles' population and hopefully remove them from the endangered list.

After a while, Sam turned to Janet and said, "You know, I haven't eaten all day. How's 'bout we go get lunch?"

Janet nodded and placed her hand on top of the "ratty old" cap on Cassie's head. "How 'bout it? Hungry?"

Cassie, who had been talking to a boy and girl next to her, turned and said, "Yeah! I'm starving." Then turning back to her friends she said, "Oh guys, this is my mom and this is Sam. Mom, Sam, this is Jimmy and Susie."

Everyone exchanged hellos and Cassie, after promising she'd be back later, followed the adults back to the condo and lunch.

After sandwiches and soda, Cassie asked, "Mom, can Sam take me out on a jet ski?"

Janet looked knowingly at Sam who innocently returned her look. "You want to go on a jet ski with Sam? Well, I don't know..."

"Aw, please? We'll be alright! C'mon, Mom. Please?" Cassie looked at Janet with big puppy dog eyes.

"Sam, what do you think? You want to take her out on one of those?" Janet asked.

"If it's okay with you, yes," Sam responded.

Cassie was almost bouncing in her seat when Janet said, "Slow down, hot shot. I haven't said okay yet."

Cassie suddenly sat very quietly but with pleading eyes.

Janet looked at her daughter and then at Sam before saying, "I suppose it'll be alright."

Cassie jumped up and hugged Janet, kissing her on the cheek. "Thanks, Mom! This'll be great!"

After cleaning up the lunch mess, they returned to the beach and set off down towards the jet ski rental area. It was another half mile from the turtle's nest.

When they got there, Cassie stared at the jet skis sitting on the sand in all their colors. "Wow!" she said softly.

As Sam talked to the agent, Janet said, "These look like something Dr. Quest would've invented."

"Who?" Cassie asked.

"Dr. Quest. You know, Jonny's dad?" At Cassie's blank stare, she continued, "On 'Johnny Quest,' the cartoon. Johnny, Hadji, Race? Bandit?"

Sam walked up at that moment and Janet turned to her in desperation, "She doesn't know who Johnny Quest is! Help me!"

Sam looked at Cassie and asked, "You don't know about 'Johnny Quest?'"

"No," Cassie said.

"God, I suddenly feel old," Janet moaned.

"Well, my friend," Sam said, "we're just going to have to find some way to introduce you to him. That cartoon was part of the reason I wanted to be a scientist. But we can take care of that part of your education later. We got us a jet ski to ride."

"Sam," Janet said slowly. "Please be careful."

Sam rolled her eyes toward Cassie, who grinned widely, and said, "Okay, Doc. But we gotta run. The jet skis await."

As they sped off across the water, Janet slowly walked back toward their little spot on the beach. Occasionally she looked out and spied the little emerald green craft racing through the waves and she could faintly hear Cassie's happy squeals across the water.

As she neared their chairs, she heard a pleasant "Hello. How are you?"

Turning toward the voice, Janet saw Regina, the redhead she'd met the day before, standing behind the beach chairs. "Hello. How are you today?" Janet asked while thinking, 'Who IS this girl? What does she want?'

"May I sit down?" Regina asked.

Janet nodded her assent as she lowered herself into one of the chairs. She noticed Regina was again wearing a very skimpy bikini.

Before sitting, Regina turned around and said, "Do you like it? I just picked it up and wasn't sure if white was the right color to go with."

"It looks fine, um, I mean it's lovely. Uh, I," Janet stammered.

Regina sat down and gently touched Janet on the shoulder, "It's okay, I understand. I guess you've never been with a woman before?"

"Wha-what? I, uh, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Janet protested.

"Oh, hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I thought you were interested the way you were looking and acting yesterday and just now. I must have been mistaken. I'm sorry," Regina repeated as she began to rise.

"No, I'm sorry. I overreacted, I guess. Please stay." Janet looked out toward the water, searching for the jet ski. She swallowed and said, "I'm not offended. I guess I should be flattered that such a pretty girl would be interested in me. It's just that I'm not, well, that way."

"Thank you for the compliment," Regina responded. "I am interested but I would never force anyone to do anything they didn't want to do. I appreciate you letting me sit here too, after my misunderstanding. I do like your company."

Janet smiled then asked, "I hope I'm not being to forward but may I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything you want to know," Regina offered.

"Why do you prefer women? I mean, have you always been a les...well, you know?" Janet blushed.

"Lesbian? Well, I guess I've been gay all my life. I ignored it and pretended I was straight all through high school. When I got to college, I found other girls like me and realized I'd been fooling myself too long. Is that what you wanted to know?" The redhead looked at Janet with a raised eyebrow.

Janet gave her a slight nod and then asked, "Have you ever been with a man?"

"Yes, my high school boyfriend. We took each other's virginity on our prom night. It was interesting and I didn't hate it but it's not what I like to do or have done to me. You know?" There was that eyebrow again.

Janet sat there for a few minutes, mulling over Regina's words and considering her own thoughts and actions the past few days.

"Can someone turn gay?"

Regina looked thoughtful for a moment then said, "I guess so. You know, I think it's more that the person comes to terms with who he or she is. Maybe the person has been lying to his or herself all that time and has just begun to discover the truth." Regina looked directly into Janet's eyes. "And, though I have friends who say no, I believe that most people are at least bisexual.

"Or I could have no idea what I'm talking about!" Regina laughed. "After all, a marine biologist doesn't really study too much human behavior."

"A marine biologist? Like the guy guarding the turtle's nest?" Janet looked surprised.

"Yeah, that's Steve. He was my boyfriend in high school. Yes, that one," she said in response to Janet's raised eyebrow. "We're just very good friends now. We both volunteered to watch the nest along with two other grad students from Florida State. It's fun and we get to hang on the beach all day."

Regina smiled and Janet thought, 'She must have to beat the girls off, she's so pretty and friendly. The boys too, I guess, since she doesn't look gay. Oh God, I'm stereotyping.'

They sat quietly for a few moments when Regina asked, "May I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Janet nodded, and Regina continued, "Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like with a woman?"

"No, I haven't," Janet responded curtly.

"Be honest now."

Janet sighed. "Yes, I suppose I had considered it a time or two when I was a kid, but then I was married. I don't have any interest in women." She stopped there, realizing how lame it sounded. Especially the part about her failed marriage.

Regina sensed that Janet was holding back but decided not to press the issue.

They talked some more, mainly about Regina's studies and sea turtles before Janet heard a distant "Mom!"

"Well," Regina rose from the chair, "I enjoyed our little talk. See you around."

Janet was sorry to see her go, she was enjoying the younger woman's company but Cassie quickly pushed those thoughts from Janet's mind.

"Mom! It was the greatest! You have got to go!" Cassie was gasping in air between sentences. "I want to go again!"

Sam came up at a slightly less frantic pace but was no less excited. "It was great, Janet! You have got to try it!"

"And I would've thought the Gate was a big enough ride for you," Janet said, kiddingly.

Later, when Cass had run off to her new friends with a "We're on turtle watch!" Sam looked over toward Janet and said, "I saw your girlfriend, Regina who rhymes with a female body part, over here. You two have a good time?"

Janet stared at Sam before saying, "She's a nice person. So what if she's gay?"

"Oh? She's gay? Well, I guess my little joke isn't so much a joke then." Seeing the look in Janet's eyes, she added, "I'm sorry. You know I don't mean anything by any of this. Too much time with Jack O'Neill."

"Can we just drop it?" Janet said testily.

"Yeah, sure" Sam agreed. 'What's eating her?'

Sam and Janet sat quietly for a long time. Finally, Janet got up and adjusted the umbrella so they were still shaded and said, "I'm sorry. I guess I was a little too quick to jump down your throat."

"That's alright."

"No, you are one of the nicest people I know," Janet said. "And I shouldn't have treated you like that."

"Thanks. Friends?"

"Always."

Back in the condo, several hours later, Janet was in the shower washing off the remains of the day. She thought about Regina and what they had talked about. Was it possible she was gay and never knew it? She knew she had become preoccupied by Sam. Why Sam? Why not the colonel or Daniel? Or one of the beach studs?

Sam sat on a folded towel on the bed with similar thoughts running through her head. She had known for years that she found women attractive but she never acted on those feelings. Now she was having dreams about her best friend. Janet would be mortified. She had to figure out how to deal with these feelings.

Janet came into the bedroom towelling her damp hair and asked, "What's for dinner tonight?"

"I haven't thought about it much. Wanna get something at Winn-Dixie and cook here?" Sam responded.

"You know, I've been thinking, this IS a vacation. I really don't feel like slaving in a kitchen. The HDTV I was saving for can wait a few more months. Let's go out again," Janet said.

"Okay, just let me get cleaned up," Sam left the bedroom, pulling the straps of the damp swimsuit off her shoulders.

Janet grabbed the wet towel and took it with her suit (Sam's suit) and towel to the closet with the washer/dryer. She loaded the machine but waited until she could get Sam's laundry too.

They went to a restaurant near the marina that stood above the beach. The view of the Gulf and the setting sun was a great addition to the desert they all indulged in. They sat in the lounge after dinner, enjoying the fall of night over the water and had a couple of drinks. Cassie was antsy to get back in case the baby turtles hatched but was still well-behaved over all.

On the way back to the condo, Sam pointed out a miniature golf course. "We may have to try that some day soon. As I recall they have a great arcade too."

Cassie looked at the brightly lit layout. "An arcade? Cool. I'll kick your butt, Sam."

"Cassandra!" Janet said sternly.

"Sorry," Cassie offered lamely. "I'll beat the stuffing outta ya!"

"Maybe, but I bet I take you at miniature golf," Sam countered.

Cassie said, "I've never played it." She paused for a moment and added, "But I learn quickly."

"Ooo, I hear a challenge, Janet," Sam laughed.

"Sure sounds like it," Janet agreed.

Arriving back at the condo, Cassie looked around the door. "No note, so the turtles haven't hatched yet."

"Wow, you are really into this, aren't you?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I am. It's just so cool, you know?"

"I know how cool life science can be," Janet said.

Cassie looked at her as if to say "Well, d'uh! You're a doctor."

Instead, she asked, "Is it okay if I run down there and check the nest? It's still early, not even 10 o'clock."

"Go ahead," Janet said, smiling.

"Thanks, Mom. I won't be out too long," the mini whirlwind promised as she blew through the door.

"Kids, can't live with them..." Janet began.

"Can't kill 'em," Sam finished.

"How about some wine and we can sit on the balcony and enjoy the night air?" Janet suggested.

"Great idea," Sam agreed.

Out on the balcony, Janet took a sip of wine and said, "Sam, this idea was the best I've heard in a long time. I'm enjoying this trip and I know Cassie is having a blast. Cheers!"

"Thank you," Sam replied. "There's no one else I'd rather be here with."

They looked at each other for a long moment then out towards the beach. The distant sound of the surf was restful and soothing.

"Ow! Damn bugs!" Janet slapped her arm.

"Doctor Fraiser! Such language! I'm appalled!" Sam joked as she got up. "Actually, in the pantry, the general keeps some of those bug candles. You know what I mean. I'll be right back."

Returning with a small bucket and matches, Sam set it on the table. The bucket was full of a peach-colored waxy material with a wick in the center. Lighting it, Sam said, "This should help."

It did help, the insects left them alone while they sat out there and talked about plans for the rest of their stay and then letting the conversation steer itself.

Finally, Janet held up the nearly empty bottle and said, "Samantha Carter, you are turning me into a wino!"

Sam shook her head and said, "Yeah, I'm really twisting your arm." Lightly grabbing Janet's forearm, she said in a deep, piraty voice, "Drink, wench. I said drink, damn you! Aarrggh."

Janet started to laugh at Sam's antics just as Cassie came in. "Hey, what's with the lights?"

"Sorry, honey," Janet called over her shoulder. "We're out here on the balcony. You can see much better with no lights behind you."

"No turtles yet," the teenager reported with a yawn. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed. G'night."

Kissing both women on the cheek, Cassie walked back into the condo and her room.

Later, both women were asleep in bed. Sam was dreaming she was slow dancing. As she lightly stepped across the dance floor, she twirled her partner going into a movie-perfect dip. Looking down, she saw the smiling face of Janet. Sam pulled her up and they danced together, cheek to cheek in a tight embrace.

Janet woke up and sighed contentedly. She loved the feel of strong arms enclosing her from behind. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Sam asleep against her in a classic spoon position.

Janet debated getting up and rousing Sam, but she didn't want to embarrass her friend. And besides, she decided she rather liked this she thought as she drifted off to sleep again. 'And since Sam's asleep it really doesn't mean anything. Does it?'

Part 5

"Damn! I hate windmills!" Sam yelled as the striped golf ball bounced off one of the miniature windmill blades and back towards her.

Janet and Cassie both laughed, Cassie saying, "I thought you were going to kick my butt?"

"Cassie!" Janet snarled warningly. "Watch your language."

Sam lined up her fourth shot and got between the slowly rotating blades toward the cup. "Finally!" Sam said.

"C'mon Sam, the sun sets in another five hours," Janet teased.

Sam turned her body to block Cassie and casually flipped Janet the proverbial bird. Janet laughed and said, "You have spent too much time with Jack O'Neill and company."

Cassie, inquisitive as usual, asked, "What?"

Both women said, "Nothing."

Sam finally sank her ball and all three cheered, drawing side glances from other players.

"Okay, Sam, that's six for you, and three for mom and three for me. Let's see..." Cassie scanned the score card as Sam teed up on the nest hole. "You are losing by ten points! Wow!"

"Don't give up your day job. The LPGA isn't ready for you yet," Janet chimed in.

Sam stuck her tongue out and studied the hole. It was a straight shot to the cup with three humps in the middle. She hit her ball. It went up the first slope and rolled back to the tee.

"Damnit!" the blonde woman yelled.

Now heads were definitely turned towards the threesome and Sam started to turn red in embarrasment. "How many more holes are there?" she asked.

"Why Sam? Getting frustrated?" Janet asked.

Before Sam could respond, Cassie interrupted to tell Sam, "There are only two holes left. Then I kin whup ya at th' arcayade!"

Sam was having a wonderful time even though she wasn't letting it show. She was admittedly a little embarrassed that Cassie, who had never played before, was beating her at miniature golf. Sam hoped she could hold her own in the arcade.

Janet could only smile at the interplay between her companions. They all got along so well it was a joy to be with them. She purposely shied away from the the situation she found herself in the previous night as she was drifting off.

Unfortunately, the harder she tried to ignore it, the more it intruded on her thoughts. She finally managed to dismiss the memory of being in Sam's arms and the fact that it felt so good, so right. She even managed to forget the dream of the two of them laying in bed in each other's arms, believing it was caused by the situation.

Sam was also trying to ignore the situation she found herself in as she woke up. She was on her side and a sleeping Janet was pressed up against her spoon-fashion. That alone was sufficient to bring Sam wide awake but then she realized that Janet was gently grasping one of her breasts.

While Sam would've been quite happy to lay there in Janet's embrace normally, she was worried about the reaction of her friend if Janet woke up holding another woman's breast.

Being careful not to wake Janet, Sam lifted Janet's arm and slid out from under her embrace. As Janet mumbled something in her sleep, Sam looked at her worriedly, fearing she'd awakened her friend. Janet rolled on her other side and was quiet again.

The day, as Sam discovered when she awoke, was cloudy and cool. She knew from watching the Weather Channel the night before that a cool front had moved through, dropping temperatures into the 70s. While not cold to people from the mountainous area of southern Colorado, it was still too cool to swim.

As Sam made coffee, Janet and Cassie both woke up and came into the living room at the same time. "Oh damn! It's rainy!" Cass complained.

Sam nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm afraid so, short stuff."

"I'm not short!" Cassie replied. "So, what can we do today?"

"How 'bout miniature golf?" Sam offered. "And then maybe the arcade or the go-carts."

Cassie looked at her mom as Janet poured herself coffee. Janet nodded and said, "That sounds fine but I want to go to the store first and get some provisions for breakfast and lunch."

Sam noticed that, as on previous mornings, Janet wouldn't make eye contact right away. She was unaware that she avoided Janet's eyes as well.

After a quick breakfast of Cap'n Crunch for Sam and Cassie and Grape Nuts for Janet, Janet went to shower and dress. Sam was going to follow. Cassie decided she had plenty of time since she wasn't going to the store.

Later, as Sam stepped into her sandals, Janet asked, "Are you sure you don't want to come with us, sweetie?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay," Cassie said as she flipped channels. "Hey! 'Ferris Bueller' is on!"

Janet rolled her eyes, saying, "Great. An instruction video on how to skip school." To Cassie, she added, "Don't get any ideas for next semester, young lady."

"Yes ma'am," Cassie acknowledged.

When the women returned with several bags of groceries, Cassie jumped up and came into the kitchen. "Hey, Sam, we gotta go to Chicago! It's really cool! They have parades and stuff. We can go to baseball games."

Sam smiled and said, "That movie is pretty old now. Remember 'Godzilla?' The scientist Nick Tata-whatever? That's the star of this movie."

"No way! Really? Well, why can't we go anyway?"

Sam looked at Janet questioningly. Janet gave her a small grin and addressed Cassie, "Well, we'll have to see. This vacation is going to have to hold us for this year, though. Maybe next year."

Cassie looked disappointed and Sam added, "Hey, you'll see. The time will go by like that." Sam snapped her fingers. "And this way I can pump Jack about the best spots in town."

"Alright," Cassie said in a way to show that it wasn't alright but that she knew she couldn't win against two grownups.

"Cassie, I have something that'll make you a little happier. I can make pancakes for breakfast tomorrow," Janet said.

Cassie brightened up and said, "That's awesome!" Then she looked out at the nearly empty beach and asked, "Before we go play golf, can I run down to the turtle nest and see how they're doing?"

Janet told her it was fine but to be back soon, as they were going to have lunch before they left.

After lunch, during which Cassie gave them a rundown on activity at the nest (none), they drove to the amusement center to try to have fun during the gloomy afternoon.

Cassie jumping up and down yelling, "I won! I won!" brought Sam back to the present. The tall woman tried to look petulant but couldn't help smiling at the obvious joy on Cassie's face.

"Gee, Sam," the teenager teasingly said, "I think I won by, let's see...12 strokes!"

"Cassie, don't pick on a person just because they're not as good as you at sports," Janet added with a smirk.

"Hey! No fair ganging up on me!" Sam protested. "Anyway, I'll smoke you guys on the go-carts."

They turned in their putters and went over to the small oval track. There were eight carts racing around the course as they got to the gate. They had to wait for four people ahead of them before they got a chance at racing each other, and anyone else on the track.

Near the gate, a few spectators stood watching the racers. Most were friends or family to people on the track, some were deciding whether to try the carts, and some were just biding their time watching the action.

Sam noticed three young males standing by the gate watching. They were in their late teens and all had extremely short, bleached hair. They were wearing torn, faded jeans, dirty t-shirts, and denim jackets with the sleeves ripped off. She was getting a bad vibe from them but tried to ignore them. As they passed by at each lap, the three yelled out catcalls at them. Cassie was too involved with driving to pay any attention. Janet made eye contact with Sam to indicate that she saw them as well.

At the end of ten laps, Sam managed to pass Cassie on the inside and beat her and her mom in their impromtu race. Cassie, of course, had to protest.

"You passed on the inside! You can't pass on the right!" the young girl argued.

"Maybe not on a two lane road, but in racing..." Sam countered. "Look at any Nascar or Indy race."

Cassie thought about it for a minute, realizing there was a lot more to this new world for her to learn. She had only heard about auto racing but now the "interest bug" had been planted and she wanted to know more.

"Sam, can you tell me about racing?" Cassie asked.

Sam, happy now that she had been left little choice but to watch the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the year while they were on-duty in the Hole, agreed, "Sure, later. Let's go check out the games."

As they entered the Arcade, one of the watchers said, "You're fast, little lady. Are you loose too?"

Sam glared at the three as they laughed. The apparent leader just stared back with a leering expression. "C'mon, let's go inside," Sam said, gently pushing Cassie ahead of her.

The three women began to play various video games. Janet was happy to see "regular" pinball machines and immediately headed for them.

Sam's mind wasn't on the game she was playing with Cass as she kept an eye on the three punks as they wandered into the arcade.

They stood together, making no move to play any game. They just stared at Sam and Cassie.

"Hey, kiddo, I gotta get some more tokens. Just stay here and I'll be right back, okay?" Sam firmly placed her hand on Cassie's shoulder as the girl nodded, engrossed in the game.

Sam walked over to the token machine and turned her back on Cassie for a moment. When she turned back, the punks were right behind Cass! Sam walked back over just as the lead punk grabbed Cassie's arm.

"Hey, sweet stuff! How 'bout we ditch the two old bitches and go party?" the creep was leaning very close to Cass as she squirmed and leaned away from him.

"Let me go, you creep! Just leave me alone!" Cassie protested.

Sam walked up and casually said, "Let her go."

The lead punk turned and, without releasing Cassie, challenged Sam, "Who's going to make me? You?"

He turned to his friends laughing when Sam grabbed his free arm at the wrist. Twisting it back and applying pressure to his wrist bones, she hissed, "Let her go or I will grind these bones to powder!"

Janet had seen the confrontation and crossed the crowded room quickly, concerned for her daughter and her friend. As she neared them, she heard Sam's warning and also could hear the sound of bones being ground together. As she got near the group, she saw the punk on her right reach inside his torn jacket. "Sam! Look out!"

As Janet yelled, the punk was pulled back when a baseball bat was thrust across his throat and jerked back. The punk pulled his hand out holding a small revolver aimed towards Sam. The bat was pulled back again and the punk choked, lowering the gun.

The wielder of the bat, a tall, muscular Hispanic, snarled in the punk's ear, punctuating each phrase with a jerk of the bat. "You come inta my place" "You carry a piece in my place" "You threaten and harrass my customers" "Well, I'm fuckin' sick of it" "No more!" The gun dropped to the floor. "Nobody touch that!"

"You! Don't ya fuckin' move!" he said to the third punk standing there stunned by the turn of events. The owner yelled over his shoulder, "Julius, call the cops. I want these fucks arrested!"

The teen Sam was gripping snarled, "My daddy's the sheriff! He won't stand for this!"

"Julius, call the sheriff's office too," the owner yelled. "Then call the newspaper." To the first punk, "Junior, yer daddy is a fuckin' Klan pig! You're a fuckin' Klan piglet! We ain't puttin' up with this shit no more!"

As he finished, people in the arcade began to clap. The third punk used the distraction to move towards the door and freedom. Janet quickly kicked him in the crotch. As the punk doubled over she said, "He told you not to move. What part of that don't you understand?"

Junior started to twist his body, trying to ease the painful grip on his wrist. Sam whispered, "Don't," and applied more pressure. His knees began to buckle as sirens were heard.

The local Destin police took the three away and got statements from the witnesses. As the three were cuffed and led to a squad car, a sheriff's car pulled up and a man in a khaki uniform got out. Although in his 40s, it was obvious he was Junior's daddy.

"What th' hell are you doin' to my boy?" he bellowed.

The officer in charge calmly replied, "He's being arrested for assault and sexual harrassment among other things, Sheriff."

"What kinda bullshit is that?" the sheriff yelled.

The owner of the arcade, Ramon Guiterrez, walked up to him and said, "No bullshit! Not anymore! We're fed up with you and your white trash doin' whatever you want to in this town just 'cause you were elected sheriff. It's time fer justice and that's all we want."

The squad car pulled away with the three teenage punks cuffed in the back seat as the sheriff, John Wayne Carlson Sr., ranted and raved about all the bullshit he was hearing.

Cassie was watching everything with great interest and little apparent fear. Sam and Janet watched the sheriff with worried eyes. They flanked Cassie and each had an arm around her shoulders protectively.

Ramon, after thanking the city cops, turned back to his arcade and walked up to the women. "I'm sorry you were bothered by that white trash. But I have ta admit I'm impressed by how you handled yourselves."

"Well, when you're in the Air Force, you get some special training," Sam replied. She didn't bother to add that she had more practical experience than most Air Force personel. "Are these guys really a big problem?"

Ramon nodded, "Yeah, they've been a real pain to all the businesses around, 'specially the ones what cater to younger people. Those three have been gettin' away with eveything they do 'cause Junior's dad is sheriff." Ramon paused before adding, "The only reason that cracker is sheriff is 'cause nobody really bothered ta vote and his Klan buddies got him elected. I'm hopin' this'll lead to his gettin' booted out."

Janet nodded sympathetically, "We have some real extreme types in Colorado too. Regular survivalist mountain man types. Fortunately they almost never run for office." She looked up and saw the sheriff walking towards them slowly and whispered, "Get ready. I think we're about to get the riot act read to us."

"Afternoon Ramon, ladies. I wanted to apologize for my boy. He sometimes gets a little too rambunctious, you know. He's just a teenager and you know how boys are." Carlson stood and tried to look meek. It didn't look believable.

Sam responded first, "Look, Sheriff, my friends and I didn't come here looking for trouble, just to enjoy ourselves. Well, we were until trouble came to us. I did not like, and will not stand for, the way your son talked to Cassandra here. She's not an object for their amusement, she's a person."

Janet went Sam one better and got right in the sheriff's face, "Yes, my daughter has the right to enjoy herself without being ridiculed or harrassed. If she gets out of line, she knows she's going to be punished. What about your son? Have you ever bothered to punish him? Or do you condone his behavior?" When Carlson didn't answer right away, Janet leaned into him and said, "Well? Do you have anything to say or yourself?"

Sam and Cassie stared in admiration as Janet got right into the sheriff's face, even though he towered almost eight inches over her and outweighed the young doctor by nearly 100 pounds.

Ramon stepped in quickly and said, "Now, ma'am, just relax. Junior's not getting away with anything." This was said more to Carlson than to Janet.

Carlson blinked and said, "Don't go asking for trouble, Guiterrez. You won't like it when you find it."

"The only trouble is from you and your red-neck cronies. The merchants and business men here rely on tourists for a livin' and we don't want anythin' to ruin that includin' some cracker sheriff and his idiot son. There's a resolution with the County Board callin' for you to be kicked out and with this little todo, that should slide through real well." Ramon smiled and added, "I don't think there's anythin' more to be said, Carlson." He led the women back into the arcade and away from the baleful glare of the county sheriff.

"Wow!" Cassie laughed. "You guys are real hard-asses!"

"Cassie..." Janet warned, but she couldn't help but smile. It was kind of nice to know her daughter thought she could be a hard ass.

"Ladies, again I'm sorry this happened to you. The only way ta make it up ta ya'll is free passes, I guess. They're good any time." Ramon snapped his fingers towards the boy behind the counter and was handed a stack of coupons. He handed these to Janet with a smile. Janet thanked him as did Cassie.

Sam asked, "Are you going to be okay? The sheriff looks like a mean SOB."

"Nah, he won't try anythin'. If he did, he'd be outta here on a rail, County Board or no County Board. And he won't make trouble for you, either is my guess," Ramon said. "But if you see Junior, Caleb, or Marsh around, call the cops, the Destin cops. They ain't too fond of our sheriff either." Ramon snickered. "You are one tough little mama," Ramon added admiringly to Janet.

"Who's little?" Janet chuckled, trying not to swell too much with pride. Sam, Janet, and Cassie said goodbye and Cassie promised to come back to use the passes.

On the drive back to the condo, Sam said, "After Larry, Daryl and Daryl, I can use a drink!"

Janet agreed, "Yeah, that actually sounds like a very good idea. I can still feel the adrenaline."

Cassie had a huge grin and said, "You guys were awesome! Mom, you really nailed that one creep right where he lives."

"Cassie!" Janet said.

"She's right. He won't be walking right for a week," Sam concurred.

Janet just smiled and said, "The benefit of a medical education; I know the most sensitive areas."

They made a quick stop at an overpriced liquor store before getting to the condo and Sam bought a 12-pack as well as a bottle of white wine.

When they got upstairs, Janet said, "I'll get the drinks after I use the powder room. Shall we sit on the balcony?"

Sam and Cassie sat down outside and Sam said, "You know, when Hathor was being such a bitch, you're mom was pretty hard-ass then too."

Cassie replied, "Yeah? Cool. Sam, I just want to tell you thanks for that back there. I wasn't scared, at least not yet, but I wasn't sure what to do. You saved my bacon."

"Too many war movies," Sam said.

Sam sat silently for a moment, then added, "Cass, I never want anything to happen to you. I'll never forget when I threatened you when I had Jolinar inside me. I'm still so sorry for that."

Cassie put her hand on Sam's and said, "You didn't do anything. I know you will never hurt me."

"Thank you, sweetie. Anyway, back when Jolinar was killed, you helped me out more than you know. I don't think I ever really thanked you for that." Sam looked at Cassie to see her blush.

"That's alright. Sam, can I ask you something?" Sam nodded and Cassie continued "Do you love me?"

"How can you ask that? Of course I love you! You're the most important person in my life!" Sam leaned over and hugged Cass.

Cassie smiled and asked, "Do you love mom?"

Sam looked at her and said, "Of course, she's one of my best friends."

"No, Sam, do you love her? Really love her?"

Sam was at a loss for words when a shout came from down below.

"Cassie! Cassie!"

Cass jumped up and looked down over the railing, "What?" She listened and yelled down, "Really? I'll be right down!

"Sam, I gotta go. The turtles are hatching!" And Cassie was into the condo and on the way out the door with a quick "Hi, Mom!"

Janet walked onto the balcony with two beers and a Coke to find Sam completely lost in thought. "Hey. What's got you so entranced?"

Sam blinked and looked at Janet, finally saying, "Oh, uh, it's nothing." But her mind was racing. Did she love Janet? She had admitted to herself that she was attracted to her but did she love the doctor?

Sam wasn't aware of it, but Janet had heard the conversation between Sam and Cassie and had waited inside the sliding doors so as not to interrupt the two. When Cassie asked Sam if she loved Janet, Janet felt her heart race and she was suddenly nervous, more than she had been at the arcade. Cassie charging through the condo broke the spell and Janet knew she had to walk onto the balcony.

Her seemingly innocuous question was actually a veiled attempt to learn the answer to Cassie's question. What Janet didn't know was what answer she wanted to hear.

Part 6

Samantha Carter and Janet Fraiser decided to join Janet's daughter, Cassie, down on the beach to watch the sea turtle babies hatch. There was an unusual lull in any conversation between the two friends as they took the elevator down and headed for the beach. Both women were lost in thought, each unaware that her companion was equally distracted.

Sam kept thinking about the question Cassie had put to her before racing down to the beach to watch the birth of the sea turtles. "Do you love mom?" Cassie had asked. When Sam said that she did since Janet was one of her best friends, Cassie persisted, "No, Sam, do you love her? Really love her?"

Before Sam could even begin to think of an answer, Cassie was gone. Since then, her brain was stuck in a mental loop. She had admitted that she was attracted to her friend but she didn't want to do anything to jeopardize their friendship or their careers in the Air Force. She also was certain that Janet had no interest in her beyond friendship, regardless of the position they were in when Sam woke up this morning.

Janet's mind was running in a similar vein. She had heard the question her daughter had asked and had waited just inside the sliding doors to hear Sam's answer.

Janet just didn't know which answer she wanted to hear. A "No" would save all kinds of trouble for both of them, personally and professionally. A "Yes" could lead to major complications in her life, not the least of which would be being in love with a woman.

In love with another woman? She did love Sam, but as a friend and that was it. Janet knew this for a fact. Janet had always been straight. She had never thought of women in any other way but now her beliefs had been shaken by several things.

Over the last several days she had been having erotic dreams involving herself and Sam. She also had felt warm and loved when she was in bed last night enfolded in an embrace by a sleeping Sam. She found herself becoming preoccupied with Sam's body. Lastly, there had been the girl on the beach who had come on to her and she had not been repulsed by this.

Janet felt a little shiver and the gooseflesh rose on her arms. When Sam asked if she was alright, she lied and told her friend it was because of the coolness of the day.

In fact, the lie was entirely plausible. The beach was normally quite crowded at this time of day, but a cool front had moved in overnight causing the temperature to drop to a not uncomfortable 70 degrees and leaving the skies a cloudy gray. While not uncomfortable to the women after living in the Colorado Rockies, it was a dramatic departure from the normal warm, sultry conditions of the Florida panhandle.

They continued in relative silence until they neared a small crowd near the roped off area that contained the sea turtle nest. Cassie was near the front and yelled to them, "Mom! Sam! You gotta see this!"

They gently worked their way forward and could get a clear view of the mound of sand that formed the nest. There were small trails coming out of little divots in the mound that led towards the water but no sign of activity.

"Mom, Sam, this is so cool! A whole bunch, well three anyway, came out and ran down the beach into the water." Cassie was talking fast and loud from the excitement she always felt at something new on her adopted planet.

"Whoa. Slow down, young lady." Janet placed a hand gently on her daughter's shoulder. "I know this is a big thing but just take it easy. Okay?"

Cassie nodded and tried to act calm. Sam and Janet shared hopeful glances until some activity at the mound broke the spell.

"Hey, look! More are coming out!" Cassie was pointing eagerly towards the mound.

Sam and Janet could both clearly see little cascades of sand in several places followed closely by little dark objects poking out. The baby turtles paused at the open air then, working their legs, pulled themselves out and slid down the face of the mound. One or two actually tumbled down and worked to flip themselves upright on the sand.

"Sam, this really is pretty cool," Janet whispered, not wanting to encourage Cassie. "I mean, I've seen a lot over the last couple of years, but this..."

Sam just nodded as Janet trailed off, "Yeah, I have to admit, you're right."

Seven baby turtles, little bigger than the kind bought in petshops, scurried down the beach with the onlookers rooting them on. As they reached the water, the waves picked them up and helped them as they began to swim out into the Gulf.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sam saw a familiar redhead walk towards them. "Here comes your girlfriend," she whispered to Janet. Janet just scowled at her friend and smiled at the other girl.

"Hi Regina. This is your big day, isn't it?" Janet asked. Then, looking at Regina's attire (a short windbreaker over her swimsuit leaving her long legs bare), "Aren't you chilly?"

Regina shook her head then said, "Yeah, this is pretty exciting. There seem to be a lot of babies from this nest, which is a very encouraging sign." Looking at Sam, she extended her hand, "Hi, you must be Sam. I'm Regina."

Sam took her hand and nodded, mumbling under her breath, "Yeah, it rhymes with a part of the female anatomy."

"I'm sorry?" Regina asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing. I was just clearing my throat. Sorry," Sam sputtered. "Uh, nice to meet you."

Janet gave Sam a puzzled look then turned to Regina, "So, I guess this means you're done here?"

"No," Regina replied, "We'll wait another twenty-four hours after the last turtles dig themselves out and then open the nest. We'll collect the shell fragments and any unhatched eggs to take back to school for study in the lab for any environmental anamolies."

"Lab work. That's one of the things Sam does best, don't you Sam?" Janet turned towards her friend.

Sam pretended to ignore them and watch the baby turtles but she was preoccupied by an unusual sensation of jealousy stirring in her. 'Jealous of a young girl? Of Janet? This is definitely nuts,' she thought.

"Sam? Hello? Anyone home?" Janet nudged her.

"Oh, sorry. I was thinking...uh, I was thinking about the incident earlier today," Sam lied.

Regina looked at her, "Oh? What incident?"

"Nothing," Janet assured her, throwing another look of annoyance at her friend. "It's nothing."

Cassie came up then and chimed in, "Nothing? My mom is so cool. She and Sam took out some punks at the arcade that were giving us a hard time. Didn't you?" Cassie looked at the two friends with a mixture of love and awe.

"Really? One of them the sheriff's kid?" Regina asked.

"Yeah," Cassie replied and then told her all about the afternoon's adventure. By the time she was done, several people around them were listening avidly and both Sam and Janet looked like they had severe sunburn on their faces.

"Wow, you ladies rock!" Regina said. "That's too cool! And those redneck punks, I had some trouble with them too. They deserved every bit of it."

Sam stood there with her hands behind her back, looking down as she moved the sand around with her toe. Janet looked at her and the embarrasment disappeared as she laughed out loud.

Sam looked up questioningly and Janet said, "You look like 'Aw shucks, ma'am. Twertn't nuthin'.'"

Sam turned even redder and stuck her tongue out at Janet, causing even more laughter from her "victim" and Cassie.

Regina smiled and cocked an eyebrow, "Janet, sorry. I'd love to stay and enjoy this but I've got to go play scientist. See ya." With a wave, the pretty redhead turned and returned to the mounded nest.

After watching a couple more baby turtles crawl out of the sand, Janet glanced at Sam from the corner of her eye. The taller blonde looked like she was a million miles away.

Janet looked at Sam quizzically, "What's up with you? I haven't seen you this preoccupied outside of a lab in a long time."

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." Sam turned and walked back across the beach towards the condo.

"What's with Sam?" Cassie asked, the concern evident in her voice.

Janet put her arm around the girl's shoulder, "I don't know, sweetie. Maybe she's just embarassed. I'll go talk to her. You can stay here if you want, but not too long. It's getting late and we haven't bothered with dinner yet."

"Okay, mom. I am getting hungry," Cassie replied.

"I'm sure you are. See you soon," Janet said as she started back towards the condo after her friend.

Sam had gotten a good headstart on Janet and was already waiting for the elevator when Janet walked up the short boardwalk between the pool area and the beach. As she rounded the corner of the building, she saw Sam step into the elevator. "Hey, hold that elevator!" she called.

Sam looked annoyed but held the door. When Janet stepped in, Sam slammed the button for their floor. She turned and stood there looking out at the bay as the car rose.

Janet kept her peace until they were back in the condo, then she asked, "Alright, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," Sam said angrily. "Not a damn thing!"

Janet walked up to Sam and said, "Bullshit! Something's been eating at you all afternoon. What is it?" The doctor was worried at the possible answer, considering what she had overheard earlier, but more concerned for her friend.

"Alright. You want to know what's bothering me? I don't like being singled out like that."

"You're embarrassed!" Janet realized. "You're embarrassed at being called a hero. That's it, isn't it?"

Sam stood there looking over and past Janet's head before looking down. Ready for ridicule or amusement, she was surprised to see concern in Janet's brown eyes. "Yeah, I get this uncomfortable feeling whenever I get singled out like that. I felt like that when Jack and I had to go to Washington to get those medals from Clinton. Thankfully, the ceremony was cancelled and General Hammond did it quietly at the SGC."

"Sam, I'm sorry," Janet placed her hand on Sam's arm. "I didn't know or I would have changed the subject. I'm also sorry I made fun of you. You did take it well, though. Why did you bring it up, anyway?"

"I, uh, I don't know," Sam stopped. How could she tell Janet she was jealous of the attention she was getting from the young redhead?

"Sam..." Janet said slowly. "I know you. What's the problem? You know you can tell me anything."

"I know I can trust you with anything." 'Except maybe this', she thought. "Maybe later, alright?" Sam's voice held a pleading note that Janet had rarely heard before. "Please, Janet, I need some time to think. Okay?"

"Sure," Janet gave Sam a reassuring hug and added, "Anytime you need me, I'm here for you. Now, let's put smiles on our faces and figure out where we're going for dinner."

Cassie returned a few minutes later and they decided to go to a Chinese place that was highly recommended by Sam's friends.

While waiting for Sam to use the bathroom, Cassie asked about her and was reassured by her mom. "She's just bothered by what happened today but she doesn't want to talk about it. Got it?"

"Sure, I won't say anything else about it," Cassie agreed. "But you were both really cool!"

They went to the restaurant which was the opposite direction of the miniature golf course and arcade, Janet noted thankfully, and had a great time.

As they usually did at Chinese restaurants, they each ordered a different dish. and egg rolls so they all could share and taste different foods.

By the time they were on the fortune and almond cookies, the place was ready to close and they were all feeling tired.

Back at the condo, Sam and Janet sat on the balcony for a short while. Cassie went straight to bed, after falling asleep in the car on the short ride back.

Janet tried to stifle a yawn and failed. "I'm more tired than I thought. I'm going to bed."

As she rose from the chair, Sam said, "Good night, Janet. Thanks."

"For what?" Janet asked.

"For being such a good friend," Sam replied. She stood up and hugged Janet. Janet returned the hug and felt her pulse increase in Sam's embrace. She was experiencing conflicting emotions in the embrace.

Pulling loose, Janet brushed her lips against Sam's cheek and said, "See you later. Don't stay up too late."

Sam sat on the chair and listened to the distant surf, her cheek hot where Janet had kissed her, as her thoughts and emotions ran rings through her mind.

Sam sat there long into the night.

Part 7

"Come on, Sam. Wake up!" the soft voice presisted. "Wake up, Sam. We have company!"

Groaning, Sam rolled onto her back and looked up at the smiling face of her friend Janet. She hated it. "Go 'way. 'm 'sleep." Sam rolled onto her side again.

Janet yanked the covers off and roughly shook the woman again. "Get up. You can sleep later. There's a detective here right now."

Sam rolled back and cracked one eye open, "Detective? I didn't do anything...Oh, about that. Give me a minute, okay?" Sam's voice was strained and her head was aching.

"Yeah, sure. And brush your teeth. You smell like a vat of sour wine," Janet stood up and headed out of the room.

"Sam will be out in a minute," Janet said as she stepped onto the balcony to join their visitor.

Sam painfully pulled herself up and sat at the edge of the bed. As hangovers go this wasn't much, just a small headache and a very tired feeling.

"Get up, Sam. You can do it!" she tried to convince herself before finally standing and shuffling to the bathroom.

Janet, meanwhile was entertaining their guest from the police department. After getting coffee and offering some coffe cake on the balcony, Janet sat at the glass-topped table and regarded their visitor.

The cop was a young woman with long sunbleached hair. She had the kind of blue-eyed looks that belong more in a modeling agency than a precinct house. She had an open, sunny disposition that made Janet immediately feel at ease with her.

Her name was Cassandra St. John. She and Janet made small talk while they waited for Sam to come out of her hole. Cassie, intrigued by a woman with the same name, had sat with them for a short time then went back to the beach to check on the turtle nest.

"I really appreciate you taking the time to help out. These kids have been a pain for the town for too long," Cassandra said.

"Well, to be honest, if it hadn't been my daughter, I don't know if we would have gotten as involved," Janet admitted.

Cassandra nodded, "I understand, and I'm sorry it had to happen but it's a chance for us to try to clean up this trash." The flash in her eyes told Janet that this wasn't strictly professional. As if reading Janet's mind, she nodded and said, "They have been giving me a hard time off and on for the past year, ever since I relocated from Palm Beach. Unfortunately it wasn't anything I could charge them with. The DA will actually be handling the case, I'm just doing the footwork."

Janet nodded as Sam slowly walked out onto the balcony. "God! Does it have to be so bright?" she complained, shading her tender eyes with her hand.

"Fraid so, hon," Janet smiled. "Sam, this is Cassandra St. John from the local PD. Cassandra, this is Samantha Carter, US Air Force."

They shook hands and Sam's eyes suddenly found themselves locked onto Cassandra's as she felt something animalistic in nature pass between them. From the look in Cassandra's eyes, she felt it too.

After several moments, Cassandra quietly cleared her throat and released Sam's hand. Finally, they broke eye contact and sat down across the table from each other.

Janet caught the looks and felt a wash of envy in her heart. 'What is with me?' she lamented to herself. 'I gotta get a grip.'

The detective smiled and said, "Sam, hmm. I expected a man, to be honest. I should know better than to assume a couple is always het."

"We're not...that is, Sam and I are just friends," Janet hurriedly said. "We are just sharing the room."

Cassandra smiled at Janet and then gave Sam a wider smile, "Oh, I see." Then, looking at the notepad on the table top, she added, "Well, let's get this started, shall we?"

The friends agreed and first Sam and then Janet gave their account of what happened the day before in the arcade. Cassandra took careful notes, not offering any comments but occasionally asking questions to clear up a point.

Finally, closing her notebook, the cop stood up and said, "Sounds pretty much the way the other witnesses described it. I don't believe there's anything else I need right now. Here's my card. Call me if you think of something. Anything." She looked directly at Sam as she said this.

As Janet and Sam walked her to the door, she said, "The State's Attorney's office would like you to come in tomorrow morning to give a statement. That should take care of the whole thing. Here's Abbie's card."

Taking the proferred card, Janet agreed they'd call and set up a time to meet with the attorney. Then Cassandra stepped out and said, "This is a beautiful day. I'd definitely be on the beach in a second if I wasn't on duty. Well, have a nice day."

Janet closed the door and smiled before turning to her friend. Sam felt a trace of unease at the smile she saw on the brunette's face. "What are you smiling about?"

"Oh, nothing. I see you're still holding her card. Going to call her later?" Janet teased.

"Oh shut up! I have a headache."

"I'm not surprised. How much wine did you drink last night?"

Sam shook her head, "I don't know. Not that much. I knew I wouldn't sleep so I thought a glass or two of wine would help. I guess I overdid it."

"I'll say. You're eyes look like road maps. At least your breath isn't as bad as it was." Janet switched from kidding to concerned, "Would you like some coffee?"

"No thanks, I'll grab a shower. I don't really feel bad, just slight headache now and I could use a nap," Sam said as she headed for the bedroom.

Later Sam stepped out of the bathroom in her swimsuit and said, "You know, even though I tower over you, this suit still fits me pretty well."

"Alright, Ms Amazon, that's your suit," Janet laughed. "This," gesturing at the blue outfit she was wearing, "is mine."

"Are you sure?"

Janet wrinkled her brow for a moment, then said, "No, not really." Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she said, "God, we've only been here a few days and I am losing it."

Sam placed her hand on Janet's shoulder, "Don't worry. You lost it. But I'll try to help you find it." Then she burst out laughing.

"Schmuck!" was all Janet could say.

Cassie came back up shortly after for lunch. They all sat on the balcony and had sandwiches and chips. Janet offered Sam a glass of wine and Sam stuck her tongue out at her friend.

They were laughing together as they walked to the elevator to head down to the beach.

Once there, Sam threw herself into the beach chair and was soon asleep. Janet went into the surf with her daughter and the horseplay that ensued soon wore them out.

Sam, at the sound of squeals from the water, popped open an eye and smiled before dozing again. Soon she was in a light REM state and saw the detective, Cassandra St. John, strolling naked across the sand towards her.

Her long blond hair was blowing back from her face and she smiled in such a way that Sam felt her pulse race in her veins. Sam realized that she was also naked and stood holding out her arms as Cassandra stepped in. They held each other tightly, their bodies pressed together as their lips met in a fiery kiss of passion.

Sam felt the warmth of the other woman along her entire body and parried Cassandra's tongue with her own. She felt like she was going to explode in passion and quickly pulled away.

She opened her eyes and smiled when she saw that Janet had replaced Cassandra in her embrace. Sam bent down to kiss the doctor again when it started to rain...

Jerking up from the chair, Sam saw a large Golden Retriever shaking water off itself next to her. A young man was reaching for the dog, saying, "Goldie! Goldie, damn it! Don't do that next to people, you idiot. I'm sorry, miss. You know how dogs are?"

"That's alright," Sam lied as he led the dog away. She looked over at Janet, noticing, not for the first time, how lovely she was. Sam sighed, wishing she could recapture the dream, for that was all she knew it could ever be. She lay back down and tried to remember all the details of her dream.

Cassie came running up shortly after and plopped down on the towel they had spread in front of the chairs. She was obviuosly having the time of her life and had either completely forgotten the events of the day before or chose to ignore them. Either way, Sam envied her the ability to close off uncomfortable aspects of her life.

'Ah, to be young again,' she thought.

Later, they left the beach as the afternoon began to wane. As they were getting cleaned up, Sam tried to think of where to go for dinner. Remembering another sea food restaurant near the small harbor, they set out for there.

After dinner, they took a stroll along the beach and checked out some of the tourist shops in the area. Cassie bought a large white canvas panama hat. "It's for Jack," she explained.

Sam bought a Destin tshirt for Daniel and got a small shark's jaws for Teal'c while Janet picked up some other nicknacks for some of her staff.

As they hauled it all upstairs, the phone was ringing. Cassie dropped the bag she was carrying and yelled, "I'll get it! Hello? Hey, it's Jack! How're you doing Jack?"

Jack had been one of her adopted uncles since she had come to Earth, along with Daniel and Teal'c. She loved those three almost as much as Sam and her mom.

Sam smiled and picked up the discarded bag, carrying it into Cassie's room. Janet scowled at her when she came back into the living room, "Sam, she should pick that up!"

Sam waved dismissively at Janet, knowing she would only get more upset but at her and not at Cassie.

Cassie chattered away, telling Jack all about what they had been doing and how much fun she was having. She mentioned the problem the day before but without too much detail, for which Sam was deeply grateful.

"He wants to talk to you," Cassie said holding the receiver towards Sam.

"Thanks, kiddo," Sam said as she took the phone. "How are you, sir?"

"My leg itches like hell! And I can't even drink too much beer without having to haul this goddamned cast to the john every five minutes. Otherwise, it's just hunky-dory around here," the gruff voice came over the phone. "So, Major, are you aware that the Rockies are in Chicago tomorrow to play the Cubs?"

"Well, yessir, I did know. I think the Rockies will take the series," Sam smiled at Cassie who nodded vigorously. "So does another young lady here."

"Well, dream on. The Cubbies will prevail. Sammy's hitting the long ball again, Grace is on a roll, and my boy Kerry is pitching tomorrow," Jack said.

"Well, with all due respect, sir, I think you're wrong," Sam said, winking at Janet and Cassie.

"Oh yeah? How 'bout putting your money where your mouth is, Carter?" Jack asked.

"Well, I don't know..." Sam hesitated, smiling.

"Not so confident in your boys now, are ya?" Jack taunted her.

"Yessir, I am. Alright, how much?" Sam winked at her friends. Cassie had her hand over her mouth as she giggled.

"How about twenty?" Jack said.

"Twenty it is, sir. Do you want points?" Sam was grinning widely now.

"No, I don't want any damn points! The Cubs will whip Colorado's asses outright and I'll collect a Jackson from you when you get back here!" Jack responded.

"Okay, sir. I'll accept cash or a personal check," Sam said.

"Carter, I don't know what you're smokin' but it ain't going to be that way." Then he said in a friendlier vein, "Enjoy the rest of your vacation, Sam. Give Cass a kiss goodnight for me."

"Sure thing. I'll see you in a week." Sam hung up and said to Cassie, "He fell for it, hook line and sinker."

"Cool. What's a hook line and sinker?" Cassie asked.

"It's a fishing term. It's for when someone goes for the bait," Janet explained. To Sam's surprised look, she added, "The ex loved to fish."

Sam yawned then and said, "I'm beat. I'm going to bed." She kissed Cass' cheek as she headed for the bedroom. "See you guys in the morning."

Sam squeezed Janet's shoulder, she was afraid to do anything else. She was still worked up from her dream of the afternoon.

As she lay in bed, she knew that tired as she was, she was too keyed up to sleep. Imitating her friend's actions of the other night, Sam slid her hand down into her panties and began to rub herself. She tried to picture the detective but her mind kept returning to Janet and how she looked naked. Finally, Sam gave up trying to change the mental image she had and allowed herself to find some release through masturbation.

Janet heard the soft moans from behind the bedroom door and looked quickly at her daughter. Cassie was fortunately too interested in "The Simpsons" rerun to notice.

Later, when Janet went to bed, she saw Sam sleeping with a small grin on her face. Irrationally, she was again jealous of Sam and the cop. She was also very upset with herself for letting such a thing get to her.

This night, Janet was awake long after everyone else wondering why she was so concerned with her relationship with Sam.

The next morning found them driving across the causeway to Shalimar and the State's Attorney's office. Upon arriving, all three were ushered into the Assistant State's Attorney's office. There they met a young, dark haired woman named Abbie Carmichael.

Ms. Carmichael explained briefly that a sworn statement should be more than enough from the three visitors. Any testimony in a court of law could be provided by the locals who were involved.

"This is a far cry from what I used to see in New York," she said in a husky voice. "Now if you will just tell the reporter what happened in your own words, we'll get them transcribed and you can sign the statements and we'll be done. Okay?"

Janet nodded, "Great. I'd really like to get this business behind us."

Each of them told the court reporter who was present what had happened at the arcade two days before. After they finished, the reporter left, saying he'd have the statements ready in a few minutes.

Offering her visitors something to drink, the attorney said, "This matches with what I have from the other witnesses as well as the statements Cassandra, Detective St. John, took. I don't think we'll have any trouble with this one."

"Ms. Carmichael, what about the sheriff? Couldn't he make trouble for you and the other locals?" Sam asked.

"Please, call me Abbie. It's not as formal down here as it was in New York. And, in answer to your question, no, I don't think he will. Well, at least not much. The local merchants won't stand for it." She paused and added, "One good thing to come out of this will be, I'm sure, a higher voter turnout in the next election. That's the only way to ensure that scum like our redneck friend don't get into office."

At that moment, Cassandra St. John knocked on the open door and said, "Hey, Abbie, are you free for lunch?" Then seeing the others she added, "I'm sorry. I forgot you would be here. How are you?"

Sam and Janet both replied they were well as the detective stepped in and took a seat against the wall.

The five women began to chat about various things to fill the time. All agreed that the laid back lifestyle of the region was quite different than what they had been used to.

The phone on Abbie's desk interrupted them. She picked it up saying, "Carmichael. Yes? Oh, yeah. No, I understand. Thanks Jim."

Hanging up, she asid, "I'm sorry. The statements won't be ready for some time yet. I forgot the secretaries had a maternity lunch today for one of them. Is it alright if I send it around later for you to sign?"

"Sure, that won't be a problem," Sam said.

"I'll be happy to take it for you, Abbie," Cassandra offered.

"Okay. Well, ladies, thank you very much. You have helped us out immensely," Abbie rose and shook hands with the three visitors. Cassandra did as well, saving Sam for last.

Sam again felt stirrings from contact with the detective. She could feel a physical arousal building in her.

Releasing the cop's hand, she followed her friends out the door. As she walked into the outer office, she almost tripped over Janet.

Janet had noticed on her way out that the shoelace on her left sneaker was loose. She stopped and bent to retie it. As her fingers worked the laces, she inadvertently heard through the partially open door an exchange between the detective and the attorney.

"You're shameless, Cassie," Abbie said. "Do you have to come on to every sexy tourist that comes through here?"

"Why not?" the detective replied. "It's not like I was sleeping with them."

"Better not," Abbie warned. "Why do I put up with you?"

"Because you love me?" Cassandra replied. "Cause you know I love you."

"You love to make me jealous, you mean" Abbie laughed.

"That just makes you hotter.."

Janet missed the rest of the exchange as Sam called her from the door, "Janet, are you coming?"

'Not me, but someone will be soon, I think' Janet thought before saying, "Yeah, just give me a second."

Janet walked out of the government building with Sam and Cassie, wondering about the two beautiful women they left behind and wondering why she was strangely excited by the conversation she had just overheard.

Part 8

Janet caught up to Sam and Cassie in the parking lot outside the state building in Shalimar. Sam was holding the rental car keys. Janet, not wanting another adventure in the fast lane, briskly walked up and snatched the keys form her friend's hand.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Sam demanded.

"Saving a life or three," Janet retorted. "I'm driving back to Destin!"

Sam made a grab for the keys as Janet danced away across the parking lot. "Don't make me come and get those, Fraiser!" she mock snarled.

"Ooo, I'm so scared," Janet returned wide-eyed.

Cassie began to laugh and egged them on. "Go Sam. You can take her."

"Hey, I'm your mom! The woman that provides for you, clothes and feeds you? Remember?" Janet said to Cass.

"Oh yeah," Cassie smiled. "Go Mom!"

"Fickle," declared Sam.

By this point, to the amusement of the government workers on their way to lunch, Sam grabbed Janet from behind and lifted her off her feet. "Give it up, Fraiser. You can't win!"

Janet, taken by surprise, dropped the keys to the pavement. She became very aware of Sam's breasts pressing against her back, the nipples poking through the thin cotton shirt. She was alarmed when she felt an unexpected response within her body.

Sam, surprised at herself, held Janet for a heartbeat longer than was necessary. She admitted to herself that she did enjoy the feeling of holding Janet close but she was worried. Janet had to feel her nipples poking her.

Instead of saying anything, Sam released Janet and scooped up the keys, handed them to Janet, and walked to the passenger door.

"What? I can drive?" Janet managed to say, her mouth suddenly dry.

Sam only nodded as she sat in the passenger seat. Cassie, thoroughly amused by the antics of the adults, was ready by the back door of the vehicle.

Janet opened the car, the interior stifling after sitting in the Florida sun. Sam and Cassie squealed at the hot vinyl seats, even through their pants.

Janet glanced at her friend as they returned across the causeway. She was becoming a little concerned. Sam was unusually quiet, staring out the window at the water below.

"Hey," Janet said in her usual two-syllable greeting. "Cat got your tongue? Sam?"

"What? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking. On the way back, how 'bout you drop me off at the oyster bar? I'll be able to catch the Rockies win on their satellite so I can rub it in Jack's face when we talk later?"

"Okay, sure. You know, we're going to the beach, sure you want to sit in a bar?" Janet asked.

"It's not a bar, it's a restaurant with a bar along one wall!" Sam said a trifle defensively. "I'm sorry, that was out of line. It's just that I'd like to see the game and we don't get WGN in the condo. This also gives you two some quality time together away from home. Right, kiddo?"

Cassie replied, "Affirmative, Sam." She was pleased to be included in adult conversations, so she agreed even though she hadn't been paying attention.

"Okay, but it is lunch time. May we join you for lunch before heading back?" Janet kiddingly asked.

Sam, not catching the joking nature of Janet's question, placed her hand on Janet's arm and said, "Of course. I didn't mean..."

"I know, I was kidding," Janet interrupted with a gentle smile.

"Oh, I, uh, I see," Sam said quietly. She remained quiet for the remainder of the drive back to Destin.

Pulling into the parking lot of Bud's Oyster Bar, Janet announced, "We're here!"

Cassie added, "Good! I'm starved! Come on, Sam."

"You're always starved," Janet said.

Exiting the car, she yanked open the passenger door. Sam had been leaning on it and almost tumbled onto the pavement. "Hey!" she yelled. "Watch it!"

Cassie was momentarily alarmed until she saw Sam smiling. She returned it. Janet felt relieved when she saw the smile. She was still worried, Sam hadn't been the same since the incident at the sea turtle nest.

They entered the restaurant, momentarily blinded by the dark interior after the glaring sun outside. Once their eyes adjusted, Sam asked the hostess for a table near the big screen TV behind the bar.

After they sat, a waiter came up and Sam asked, "Can you see if the Rockies/Cubs game can be put on the big TV?"

Shortly, Janet had a large iced tea, Cassie a large Coke, and Sam a bottle of Lite as they watched the bartender locate the appropriate satellite frequency.

"You know, I could do that in half the time," Sam commented.

"Okay, Ms. Astrophysicist. You also make more than the Tom Cruise wannabe over there too," Janet replied.

"Sam, don't look," Cassie warned. "The Cubs are winning 1 to nothing."

Sam glanced at the screen, "It's early, only the second inning and Chicago almost always folds. I'm not worried."

A commercial for a WB series came on. Cassie saw it and said, "That's a great show. Do you watch it Sam?"

Looking up at the "Roswell" promo, Sam shook her head, "No, short stuff, I really don't care for scifi anymore. Real life is weird enough."

Janet agreed and said, "Hey, Cass. Have you washed your hands? Go, scoot."

As Cassie dissappeared, Sam commented wryly, "Imagine an alien kid watching a show about alien kids."

Janet chuckled, "Yeah, I guess it's like if I watched 'ER' or something."

After Cass returned, and their food arrived, they sat and quietly ate. Cassie had ordered a seafood platter again.

Sam said, as she swallowed a bite of her cheeseburger, "You are going to grow gills, young lady."

"Huh-uh! Pass the ketchup, please?"

As they finished, Cassie was following the game almost as closely as Sam. Janet asked her, "Hey, sweetie, do you want to go to the beach or stay here and watch the game?"

Cassie thought for a moment, then catching the look in her mom's eye, said, "I think I'll go to the beach. Is that okay with you Sam?"

"Sure, you're here to have fun. Go. Have fun." Sam ran her fingers through Cassie's hair, smoothing it back along her head. Janet felt a warm glow at this quiet sign of Sam's love for their little girl.

Janet was smiling as she reached for her purse, thinking Cassie would have a fit being called a little girl. 'She'll always be our little girl, though,' Janet thought, echoing mothers through the ages.

Sam put her hand on Janet's, saying "I've got lunch." Indicating Cassie with her eyes, she added, "Someone is antsy to go play."

"Okay, thanks, hon. Let's go, Cass," Janet said, rising from the table. Then she looked at Sam for a moment.

Sam nodded and mouthed, "Go on." She added a shooing motion to the quiet command.

In the parking lot, as she searched for the keys, Janet said, "Thanks for picking up on my signal."

Cassie nodded, "I know Sam needs some personal time. Will she be okay?"

"Yes, she will, honey," Janet said, but secretly she was a little worried.

As her friends left, Sam grabbed the check and her beer and moved to the bar. "Can I get another, please? And I'd like to take care of this, too."

She sat and watched the game quietly and slowly drank her beer. Presently someone sat on a stool nearby.

"Good. I was hoping the Cubs would be on," the new person said. "Can I get a Bud Light? Thanks."

Sam looked over and saw a dark-haired man wearing wire-rimmed glasses. "Hi. Cubs fan?" she asked.

"Yeah. I love the bums," the man smiled. "Hi, my name's John."

"I'm Sam," she replied shaking his hand. "I'm a Rockies fan and my boss is from Chicago so we have a little bet on the game."

"So I take it you don't live around here," John gestured with his bottle.

"No, Colorado. Colorado Springs actually. I'm down here with my friend and her daughter on a vacation. You?" Sam asked.

John smiled, "No, I'm not from around here. I live on the North Side of Chicago. I came down with my sister and her two little girls. They needed to get away. Lotta crap involving a soon-to-be ex-husband. Well, you know..." he trailed off.

They both turned back to the game. The Cubs were at bat with men on first and second, and two outs.

"Oh God. Here's where they'll choke," John lamented. "Sosa's been too busy worrying about homers and not producing enough base hits. Ah hell!" John turned away as Sammy Sosa swung at an outside pitch, striking out and ending the inning. "He had no business going after that ball."

"Yeah, maybe, but your boys are still winning," Sam offered as she noted the Cubs were up 2-0. 'When did they score the second run? Must've been when Janet and Cass were leaving,' Sam thought.

"Not for long. I've been a fan too long to try to fool myself. This is not the team they had two years ago," John shook his head and smiled. "The tragic life of a Cub fan."

Sam smiled at him, a mixture of amusement and sympathy. 'What is it about this team that inspires such devotion?' she thought. 'I ask Jack and he waves me off. Maybe this guy can explain it.'

"John, can I ask you a question?" Sam inquired.

While Sam was making a new friend, Janet was saying good bye to another.

She and Cassie had changed into their suits and gone to the beach. After a short dip in the warm Gulf water, Janet sat on the beach chair, enjoying the warm sun on her legs.

"Hi! How are you?" a familiar young voice said.

Shading her eyes, Janet looked up and saw Regina, the grad student standing next to her. "Hi. I'm fine. How are you doing? Sit down."

"Thanks," the redhead said as she sat in the other chair. "Actually, I'm kind of tired. It's been a long couple of days."

"Hey Cassie," Janet called. "Come up here for a minute." As Cassie trotted up, Janet said, "Regina, this is my daughter Cassie. Cassie, this is Regina."

"I know, at the sea turtle nest," Cassie said.

"Yeah, Cassie and I met but I didn't know she was your daughter." Regina smiled, adding, "She's a very bright girl. She was really interested in what we were doing, more than most of the others."

Cassie reddened in embarrasment and Janet, feeling very proud of her daughter, nodded, "She's very smart and seems to want to learn anything. Well, almost. She's not real keen on Home Ec."

"Home Ec, yuck!" Cassie agreed.

"Cassie, we're almost done at the nest. Do you want to see the inside of one before we take the barricade down and it gets trashed?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, sure!"

"Okay, go tell Steve I said it was okay," Regina said.

"Oh yeah, Steve's cool. Is it okay Mom?" Cassie asked eagerly.

"Sure, go ahead." Janet said. Cassie grabbed her floppy hat and started off down the beach when she added, "Don't get in the way!" Waving over her shoulder in acknowlegement, Cassie started to sprint down the beach.

"I guess I kind of fibbed," Regina said. "There's not that much to see. Just some shell fragments and a lot of disturbed sand. I wanted a chance to talk to you alone for a moment."

"Oh? What about?" Janet asked.

"I saw you and your friend Sam the other day, remember?" At Janet's nod, Regina continued, "I saw how you were together. Now maybe it's not my place to say anything, but I think there is more between you than you care to admit."

Janet sat there quietly, and Regina took that as a cue to continue, "I was studying psych before I chose marine biology and I learned to read body language. I could see in both of you a special closeness, a yearning for something more than just friendship."

Janet shook her head, "No, you're wrong. I'm sorry, Regina, but you must be wrong. Sam and I are close, we work closely together everyday. And there's Cassie. But that's it."

Regina sat on the edge of her chair, leaning forward, "If you say so, Janet. I just think you're denying something very special, something you both want. Well, I better go."

"No, please, I didn't mean to..." Janet said.

"You didn't," Regina smiled. "But I do have to get back and help finish with the site. We're leaving first thing in the morning."

She stood up and hesitated for a moment, glanced around, then knelt next to Janet's chair. Leaning in, she said, "Forgive me but I have to do this." She then pressed her lips to Janet's. Janet was so surprised she didn't resist Regina's supple tongue as it slipped into her mouth. The kiss quickly became passionate and tender at the same time.

Regina's hand gently cupped Janet's breast through the thin material of her swimsuit, feeling the nipple harden against her palm. Janet's mouth seemed to respond instinctively to the softness of Regina's lips and tongue, her tongue parrying with the redhead's.

After another moment, Regina pulled back. "Whew! I really wish I could do more. You are a great kisser!"

Janet sat there stunned, both by Regina's act and by her response. Finally, she said, "I, uh, I don't know what to say."

"Did you enjoy it?" Regina asked.

Janet hesitated then barely nodded her head, as if she was unwilling to admit that she liked kissing the other woman.

"Just think of how much better it would be with some one you love," Regina said as she looked deeply into Janet's eyes. "Janet, take care of yourself and your daughter. You're a very special lady. Be happy."

As Regina started to turn, Janet said, "Wait, I, uh, I just want... Oh hell! Thank you. I will think about it. What you said, not the kiss. I mean, I will think about...oh you know."

Regina smiled sweetly and said, "Yes, I know. Goodbye."

As the lovely young woman walked away down the beach, Janet fully realized for the first time that she had been aroused by another woman. She knew she would miss Regina too. She also realized it was time to be honest with herself.

Then, feeling the moistness between her legs, she decided she'd better cool off in the water before Cassie returned. She could be honest later.

Meanwhile, Sam and John were talking and laughing as they watched the game.

"So, then, after I had dumped a glass full of water on myself, I went into the men's room and tried to use the hot-air hand drier. So of course, someone came in and saw me and I could only shrug and try to sound convincing when I explained it was water," John was saying while Sam rocked on the barstool in laughter.

Finally, Sam wiped her eyes and asked, "And that was your first date with Helen?"

"Yep! And she thought it was so funny, that we're still going out. Sometimes I think she's just waiting for a repeat performance." John smiled and added, "She's really great. She's been incredibly understanding about how much time I'm spending with my sister and my nieces, since Dickhead walked out on her. Walked out on Cindy, I mean, not Helen."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that," Sam said. 'Well,' she thought, 'I guess he wouldn't be someone to set Janet up with.' But a large part of her mind was relieved that her half-formed plan wouldn't work.

"So, how old are the girls?" Sam asked.

"Allie is about five minutes older than Ashley. They're both 4 years old. Here, I have a great picture of them," John reached for his wallet.

Sam looked at the photo. It showed two pretty little girls with long golden hair smiling at the photographer. Not surprising, they were identical twins.

"That was their birthday party last November. I think only Cindy and I can tell them apart, too," John said.

"They're beautiful!" Sam exclaimed.

"This is their mother, Cindy," John said, showing a picture of a young, short-haired blond woman.

"They take after their mother," Sam offered.

"Thank God. I'm glad they don't look like the asshole," John said quietly.

"Do you have any pictures of Helen?" Sam asked. John showed her a photo of a pretty auburn-haired woman. "She's very pretty, too."

"Thanks. The girls just love her and the feeling is mutual. It was too bad she couldn't get away." Then, smiling, he added, "Uh oh. The party's over."

He slid off the stool and hugged two identical girls who came squealing into the room. "Hi sweethearts! How was shopping?" He stood and gave the woman with them a brief peck on the cheek as the girls darted back behind their mother.

"Sam, this is my sister Cindy and my nieces, Ashley and Allie. Girls, this is Samantha Carter. She's on vacation down here too." John stood back as they all shook hands, the little girls peeking around their mother.

Sam's heart melted, "They're cuter than the pictures!"

"Come on, John. We have reservations at 5 and you need to wash up," Cindy said.

"Yes Mother. See you around, Sam. It was a pleasure watching my boys lose with you," John shook her hand then led his little brood out of the restaurant.

'The Rockies won?' Sam turned around to the TV and saw Chip Caray doing the wrapup of the game. She was quite pleased to see that the Rockies beat the Cubs by two runs. 'Take that, Colonel,' Sam thought with a smile as she got up to head back to the condo for a nap before dinner.

As she walked back, she thought of how great it would be to be part of a family. With Jacob Carter off somewhere across the galaxy with the Tok'Ra and her brother estranged because of her career, she was pretty much alone on Earth. Sam smiled ruefully, thinking the SGC, and her team, was the closest she had to a family.

'It's not enough,' she thought. 'I want what Janet has; a house, and someone to come home to. Someone who cares about me and what I do. Someone I can talk to about my job. Someone who would miss me when I was away offplanet. Dream on, Carter.'

She was happy to find no one was in when she got back. It wasn't that she didn't want to be around Janet and Cassie, but she was enjoying the relative solitude. Sam also knew that if Cass was here, her chances of any kind of nap virtually disappeared.

Writing a short note and taping it on the front door, Sam walked into the bedroom. She shook her head at the mess Janet had left.

"I thought doctors were neat freaks," she muttered as she began to pick up the clothes that Janet had strewn across the bed in her haste to get to the beach.

After dumping the clothes on a chair, she lay down and closed her eyes. Shortly she was sleeping, only her light snore disturbing the late afternoon stillness.

Arriving back at the condo some time later, Janet, distracted by the event on the beach, didn't see the note. Cassie did however and pointed it out to Janet. Janet nodded in understanding as they entered.

As Cassie went to shower and change, Janet quietly slipped into the main bedroom to change out of her damp suit. She smiled as she heard the quiet snoring coming from the sleeping woman on the bed.

Janet pulled the suit down off her shoulders, the damp material bnching around her waist. As she began to push it off, she glanced at Sam in the mirror. Turning around and looking directly at the sleeping woman, Janet consciously saw for the first time how lovely her friend was. Janet suddenly felt like she had when Regina kissed her but with a deeper emotional factor. She was in love with the blonde woman on the bed!

Janet hurriedly pulled the suit off and went into the bathroom she shared with Sam. As she stood there naked in the mirror, she felt herself shaking. She hadn't felt this scared and anxious in years. She stood under the shower spray until the hot water ran out.

She returned to the bedroom to dress, relieved and disappointed that Sam wasn't there. Janet slowly got dressed, still distracted by her revelation.

Finally she entered the living room and saw Sam and Cassie watching TV.

"Hey," she said, stretching the greeting into two syllables as she often did, trying to sound casual. "What are we doing for dinner?"

"Seafood!" Cassie announced.

"How about this Mexican place down the road we passed earlier. Lalo's?" Sam offered. Cassie, who seemed to love tacos almost as much as pepperoni pizza, readily agreed. Soon, they were off.

At the restaurant, the women ordered strawberry margaritas while Cassie got a large iced tea. They all ordered fajitas but each with a different type of meat so they could mix and match. (Cassie liked the shrimp best, of course.)

When they finished and returned to the condo, Cassie asked for, and got permission, to go to the pool. "As long as you promise to behave," Janet warned needlessly.

As Cassie was getting ready, Sam looked out at the Moon rising over the quiet gulf water in a deep purple sky. It was almost full. "Let's go for a walk on the beach," she suggested.

Janet's mind raced, 'Alone with her? Am I ready for that? What should I do?'

"Janet?" Sam looked at her friend and smiled, "do you want to?"

As Cassie came out of her room, Janet slowly nodded and the three of them went down together. As they reached the pool, Cassie waved goodbye and the women continued on to the white, sandy beach.

"I'll bet this sand almost glows under a full moon," Sam commented as she kicked off her sandals to walk barefoot.

"Maybe. Perhaps we'll find out when it's fully dark," Janet offered as she stepped out of her shoes.

They walked along quietly for several minutes before Sam spoke. "Janet, you've been distracted all evening. Even moreso than usual the last several days. What's going on?"

Janet stopped and looked out at the water. Sam saw her face lit by the moon and thought 'She's absolutely lovely.'

Jane turned and looked at Sam for a long minute. Then reaching out she took Sam's hand in hers, pulling the taller woman towards her. Leaning up, she pressed her lips to Sam's. Sam was happily surprised and responded to the tender kiss.

Janet gently thrust her tongue into Sam's mouth and Sam responded enthusiastically. They slowly slid their arms around each other and quietly, passionately kissed in the moonlight.

As they pulled slightly apart, Janet sighed and leaned her head against Sam's breast saying, "I think we need to talk."

Sam stroked the short brown hair and said, "Yes, but later." Then she placed her finger under Janet's chin and lifted her face to kiss her again, running her fingers through Janet's short, silky hair.

Janet again pulled her head back but kept holding Sam. She smiled up at this beautiful woman in her arms and nodded in agreement; talking could wait. She also thought how right Regina was. It was infinitely better with a person you loved she decided as she shared another deep, loving kiss with Sam in the moonlight.

Part 9

Janet had never felt such a combination of excitement, joy, arousal, and anxiety. She also felt safe and loved wrapped in Sam's arms, they lips tightly sealed together in love and passion.

They were laying on the deserted beach, kissing and caressing each other like lovesick teenagers. They had slowly knelt and then lay down on their sides without pulling apart somehow. They held each other as if their very lives depended upon physical contact.

It wasn't until the cool water splashed over Sam's feet that they pulled apart. Sam looked at Janet and smiled, "We better get out of here before the tide washes over us and we look like a poor imitation of 'From Here To Eternity.'"

She reluctantly let Janet go and stood up. Reaching down, she pulled her love to her feet. As they stood there, they again joined lips and tongues in a loving, exciting kiss promising much more.

"Let's go back to the room," Janet whispered into Sam's ear before nibbling on the lobe.

Goosebumps rose from the light nips at her ear as Sam nodded. "Yessss! Let's go back."

They began to walk back to the condo grounds holding hands tightly. Every few feet one or the other would stop and pull her woman to her to kiss again.

It took a blissful eternity to return.

As they neared the condo, they regained some sense of rationality and released each other as they walked by the pool.

Janet glanced over and saw Cassie playing with some of her friends. She gave a little wave and followed Sam up the path to the elevators.

Once the doors closed, they began groping and kissing again, totally oblivious. Then Sam opened her eyes and saw the grounds outside and pulled back. "We don't want to be the evening's entertainment, do we?"

Pursing her lips, Janet looked at Sam with wide, trusting eyes and shook her head.

When the elevator opened on their floor, Sam grabbed Janet's hand and pulled her down the walkway to the door of their condo. "Open the door. Hurry!" Sam pleaded.

"Sam, you act like you have to go to the bathroom," Janet smiled as she pulled the keys out of her pocket. Then, feeling another hand slide down the outside of her shorts, she squealed, "Hey! What are you doing? Oooo, yes, okay."

Distracted and fumbling with the keys, Janet sighed when another hand slid over her tshirt and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Ooooh! Wai...wait a minute...I have to get the door open...Aaah God." The hand pinched the nipple poking proudly against the shirt.

Sam was pushing Janet against the door as it opened and they both tumbled to the floor. Laying there entangled in each other, they began to laugh.

Sam, wiping her eyes, managed to stand up and helped Janet up. When they made eye contact again, they both began to giggle. Janet pressed her laughing lips to Sam and managed to kick the door closed behind them.

"We're kinda sandy," Sam observed. "Would you care to join me in the shower?"

Janet nodded and led the way to their bedroom. Once inside, she turned the flimsy lock on the door with a "So Cassie doesn't accidentally..." The end of her statement was stifled by another long kiss.

Pointing to the side while looking at Sam, Janet said, "Shower. Uh, shower over there."

Sam, panting in excitement, merely nodded as she pulled Janet's tshirt off. The doctor's tan lines stood out dark against the alabaster skin of he breasts and stomach. Sam could only stand and stare admiringly at Janet's breasts, themselves rising and falling as Janet's breathing intensified.

Janet, thrilled, aroused, and scared all at the same time, finally willed her fingers to undo the top button on Sam's shirt. The remaining buttons came undone more easily. Finally, Janet pushed the shirt off Sam's shoulders.

Of course, in her role as head doctor at the SGC, she had seen Sam's breasts before hundreds of times. But that was through the clinical eyes of a trained medic. Now she was looking with the eyes of a lover and she felt desire at what she saw.

She reached out and cupped Sam's breasts in her hands, enjoying the soft, warm weight of them. Janet rubbed her thumbs over the erect nipples, drawing a quiet gasp from Sam. Janet smiled and ran her hands lightly down Sam's tight abdomen to the waistband of her shorts. Slipping her fingers around the snap, she undid the shorts and pulled the zipper down. Tugging, Janet then forced the shorts to the floor at Sam's feet.

Sam took Janet's hands in hers and kissed them, smiling sweetly. Then she took Janet's head in her hands, running her fingers through the short brown hair. Sam leaned over and kissed Janet, her mouth opening and her tongue slipping in to meet Janet's in an erotic duet.

While enjoying the sweet taste of Janet's mouth, Sam ran her hands down the shorter woman's back and around to the front of her shorts. Soon Janet's pants were around her ankles.

Breaking the kiss reluctantly, Sam slid her arm around Janet's waist and led her to the bathroom. Janet wrapped her arm around Sam's waist as they walked.

Janet stepped through the narrow door first and squealed when Sam let her fingers trail down from her waist to tickle the sensitive skin along Janet's lower cheeks.

While they waited for the water to warm up, Janet leaned against the counter and Sam pressed her body up against her as they began to kiss again.

Sam reached under the shower stream and said, "I think the water's ready. Come on, I want to wash your back."

Shivering in anticipation, Janet followed Sam in and stood under the water. Sam took the soap and began to lather Janet's body. The sensual feelings she was creating were almost overwhelming to the young doctor. "God, Sam!" she breathed heavily. "I, you, oh God!"

As Sam soaped Janet, she moved down and slid her fingers between the soft outer lips of Janet's aroused sex. The warm dampness she felt there had nothing to do with the shower. She smiled knowing she was the cause. Her finger slipped inside Janet, causing the eager novice to gasp and grab Sam's shoulders for support. Sam slid her thumb lightly across the extremely sensitive clitoris as she pushed another finger inside. Janet felt her legs go weak and waves of warmth radiate out from the juncture of her legs. She gasped again as Sam touched her clit repeatedly. In a matter of seconds, her vaginal walls were pulsing along Sam's fingers and her breath was blasting past Sam's ear as she came for the first time that night.

Leaning against the wall of the shower stall, Janet looked at Sam with glazed eyes as Sam licked her fingers with a smile. "God, Sam, I never...You are wonderful. I only hope I can..."

Sam placed her finger on Janet's lips, "Don't worry. I know you will." Then she kissed her before handing Janet the soap.

Janet, showing more confidence than she actually felt, lathered up her hands and began to gently soap her partner's body. She cupped Sam's breasts and began to gently sqeeze and caress them, the suds spilling through her fingers. Janet looked up at Sam through her lashes and tweaked her nipples. Sam uttered a loud moan.

As Janet's hands travelled down Sam's body, just as Sam had done to her, Sam leaned her upper back against the wall. She looked down into Janet's eyes as Janet's left hand again cupped her breast ad the right hand slid between her thighs.

Lightly running her fingers along another woman's pussy for pleasure for the first time, Janet was happy to find the flesh swollen with arousal. The juices seeping out made it eaiser for her to slide a finger in. She surprised Sam and herself when she discovered Sam's g-spot.

Sam closed her eyes as she cried out in pleasure, falling against Janet as her legs failed to support her. Clinging to the brunette as she recovered, she felt an unexpected surge of joy that she was with this woman.

When she could finally stand, Sam kissed Janet forcefully, shoving her tongue into the shorter woman's mouth. Pulling back, she said, "We better lay down for anything else." Janet nodded and turned off the shower.

Towelling off heightened their seemingly boundless arousal and they gave up, falling together on the bed still damp from the shower.

Sam again kissed Janet, a more tender, loving kiss and looked in her eyes. "You know what I want to do?" Janet nodded and Sam smiled. Then she kissed her again, trying to show through the kiss how much this woman meant to her.

Sam began to kiss along Janet's neck and down to her breasts. As she planted wet kisses in a clockwise spiral from the base of one breast to the nipple, she cupped the other, squeezing the nipple between her fingers. She began sucking on the other nipple causing Janet to moan.

Sam kissed and licked her way down from that breast and across to the other, not bothering with any pattern but going for the hard nipple. She began to suck on the nipple, drawing as much of this breast into her mouth as she could. The pressure was causing Janet to moan and thrash her head on the pillow.

Releasing Janet's breast, Sam kissed her way down and crawled between Janet's legs. Using her fingers, she gently spread the pouting lips, blowing lightly on the inner suface before leaning in and tasting this woman she had wanted for so long. The musky flavor was exquisite. She began to worship at Janet's sexual center, looking up at her and loving the effect she was creating.

Sam knew that she wanted to be with this woman for the rest of her life. She tried to convey that to Janet using her mouth as Janet reached the crest of her second orgasm of the night.

Crying out, she held Sam's face tightly against her sex as waves of pleasure rolled through her body. Janet collapsed back on the mattress in ecstasy. She had never come like that before.

As Sam crawled up alongside her, Janet looked at her and said, "Regina was right. It is wonderful with the one you love."

Sam's heart skipped a beat and she was frightened that she misunderstood this beautiful woman she was with. Janet reassured her by taking her hand and saying, "Sam, I don't know what this will mean for us later, but I love you. It's not just what you did now, although I loved that too. I realized this afternoon, I love you. I want to be with you. I hope you want to be with me."

Sam blinked back tears and opened her mouth but the words wouldn't come. Janet reached up and wiped a tear that trailed down the blond woman's soft cheek.

"I hope I can make you feel a portion of what I felt," Janet said as she gently pushed Sam over on her back and knelt between her legs.

Looking at the wet flesh below the soft blond patch, Janet thought she had never really appreciated how lovely a woman's vagina was. Then she leaned in and tasted another woman for the first time. She began to run her tongue along the lips, exploring and tasting.

Soon she began to push her tongue between Sam's labia and felt her juices flowing over her tongue. After sliding her tongue around the edge of Sam's slit, Janet thrust it in against the blonde's g-spot. As her tongue touched the little bundle of nerves inside Sam's vagina, Sam moaned loudly and thrust her hips up against Janet's face. Janet kept her mouth pressed against Sam's pussy while she experienced an explosive climax.

Janet lay next to Sam, smoothing the stray blond locks on her damp forehead as the tall blonde recovered. When Sam opened her eyes, she looked deep into Janet's brown eyes and leaned up and kissed her. It was a sweet, loving kiss. Janet returned the kiss.

As they lay there resting, Janet ran her fingers along the faint scars on Sam's stomach. "I never want to forget this night. I want us to experience it again and again. Sam, I want you in my life. You are my life." Janet blinked as tears welled up in her eyes.

Sam ran the back of her hand in a light caress along Janet's cheek. "I want you in my life too. I have wanted you for so long but I was always afraid." Turning away, Sam said in a thick voice, "So much time wasted. So much time."

Janet gently turned Sam's face back and said, "We won't waste another second." Then she leaned down and kissed this special woman, the kiss loving and tender but turning exciting and passionate.

They made love several times throughout the night and snuggled, sharing secrets, hopes, and dreams several more times throughout the night. Sleep finally claimed them as the eastern sky began to lighten. They slept wrapped in each other's arms, just as they'd each dreamed of doing.

The morning sun woke Janet slowly. She stretched and smiled, remembering the wonderful night before. She rose up on her elbow and looked at her lover. 'Lover,' she thought. 'What a wonderful word to describe her.' She saw Sam laying on her side, the sheet down around her waist. Those lovely breasts that Janet had so enjoyed kissing and caressing were lolling slightly to the side.

Resisting the urge to play with them again, she instead brush a stray lock of blond hair back from Sam's face. Then she rose and walked towards the bathroom. 'This time a solo shower to really clean up,' she thought.

Soon after, she emerged from the steamy bathroom and selected a clean pair of shorts and a shirt from her drawer. She looked at Sam only to find her gazing back at her.

"Good morning," Janet said.

"Good morning. How did you sleep?" Sam asked yawning.

"Fantastic! You?"

"I'm still tired. But a good tired. You wore me out. I also used some muscles I haven't used in a while," Sam smiled seductively. "I think they will be back in shape soon, though."

Janet just smiled at that, but it was full of love and desire. "Go take a shower. We need to figure out what to do about Cassie."

Janet's eyes never left Sam's body as she padded into the bathroom naked. 'Why couldn't I see what was there all along?' she lamented to herself. 'We'll just have to make up for lost time,' she promised herself and Sam.

As she sat and brushed her damp hair, Janet began to wonder if this was part of the reason she was no longer married. Did she, deep down inside, know that she wasn't meant to be with a man? 'No, I don't buy that. We just fell out of love, if we were ever really in love in the first place,' she decided.

Sam came out of the bathroom, towelling her hair, causing her breasts to move up and down, seemingly of their own accord. Janet sat and stared, her eyes fascinated by the movement. before travelling down to the damp, blond curls between her legs.

"Hey, could you do me a favor and put some clothes on? Otherwise, I may just jump you right now!" Janet said, only half joking.

Sam stuck out her tongue but began to dress. As she did, she asked the inevitable question, "What do we do about Cassie?"

Janet shook her head and said, "I'm not sure. She's an intelligent young lady, and pretty understanding. Let's just see what happens."

"Good idea," Sam agreed, tucking in the tshirt she selected. "I've found too much fore-planning can really screw you up in these kind of situations."

Janet cocked an eyebrow, "You've been in situations like this before?"

"Well, not exactly like this," Sam said before quickly kissing Janet. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Janet nodded and opened the door, stepping out into the living room. Sam followed. They were greeted by the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee.

Cassie was sitting on the couch watching TV when they came out together. She looked at them and saw the slightly sheepish looks on their faces then said, "Well, it's about time!"

"What?" Janet asked. "What do you mean?"

"C'mon, Mom. You'd have to be blind not to see how the two of your are together. I'm just happy that it's settled and we can enjoy the rest of our vacation."

Sam asked, "Cass, this doesn't bother you? Your mom and I?"

"No. Why should it?" Cassie said, matter of factly. "My people," there was a trace of sadness in her voice, "didn't care about things like sex. All that mattered was being good and nice to others."

Janet gave her daughter a tentative smile, "Honey, you know what we're talking about, don't you?"

"Yeah, about you and Sam being lovers. It's not a big deal. You love each other, I love both of you, maybe now we can be like a real family." Cassie had a hopeful look on her face.

"Well, it's not that easy, kiddo," Sam said. "First, there's the service and then..."

"Yeah, I know. This culture is too hung up on outdated, stupid beliefs. And I have another secret to keep, too," Cassie sighed at the end of her statement. "That's okay. I'm just happy you both won't be alone anymore."

Before anymore could be said, there was a knock at the door. Cassie jumped up with an "I'll get it!" and ran to the door.

"Oh, hi there," she said.

A familiar voice siad, "Hi Cassie. Are your mom and your friend here?"

"Sure, come on in," Cassie answered.

They stepped into the room and the new lovers saw Cassie with the detective, Cassandra St. John.

"Hi, I hope I'm not here at a bad time but those statements are ready for you to sign," she explained.

"No," Sam said. "How are you detective?"

"Fine, but you can call me Cassandra, remember?" she said. Then noticing how close Sam and Janet were on the couch, her eyes widened and she said, "Oh, I hope I didn't interrupt something."

"Not at all. Coffee?" Janet offered, rising from the couch.

Nodding her head, Cassandra thought 'They had me fooled into thinking that they really were just friends.'

Sensing what the cop was thinking, Sam said, "Janet and I have found out some things and I think I have you to thank for part of it." At the quizzical look on Cassandra's face, Sam continued, "Janet felt jealous of you and that helped her finally confront her feelings."

Janet walked back in with the coffee, "Yes, I guess that did it and one other nudge from a different direction."

"Well, I'm glad I could help," Cassandra said, still not clear what was going on.

Opening her briefcase, she produced some papers. "These are the statements. Please read them over and sign the top copies. The others are your copies."

The three visitors sat and read their respective statements regarding the incident at the arcade a few days before. Sam finished first and said, "Yeah, looks like it's all there."

"Good. Sign here," Cassandra indicated on the bottom of the last page.

After the others had signed their statements, Cassandra slipped the signed copies back into her case. "Thanks. This should take care of the whole thing for you. Now you can enjoy the rest of your stay down here."

"What's going to happen now?" Janet asked.

"Well, the three defendants will be arraigned and eventually go to trial. They'll get off with a slap on the wrist, more than likely. But this should get our wonderful sheriff out of office. The only thing, and I'm arguing with Abbie about it, is the concealed weapons charge. It also appears to be illegal, but that'll probably be pled in the pre-trial," the detective shrugged.

"Will there be any problems for Ramon or anyone else?" Cassie asked.

"No, I doubt it. The sheriff is going to keep those punks on a short leash if he knows whats good for him. He won't be able to keep his position once the County Board meets but he won't dare make any moves. That'd seal his fate, politically and professionally here or anywhere else, including the stagnant backwater town he came from," Cassandra explained.

She stood, saying, "I'd love to stay and chat or go down to the beach, but I've got to get these back to Abbie. Take care."

After they said their goodbyes, Sam asked, "Are you still jealous?"

Sliding her arm around the blonde's waist, Janet shook her head, "No. Not of her. Not anymore."

"Damn. I like it when you get jealous, it means you love me," Sam smiled and kissed the top of Janet's head. "Should I be jealous of you and your little friend?"

"Oh! Sam, I have to go. I'll be back shortly," Janet said. "And no, you don't have to be jealous!" she added as she went out the door.

Shortly, Janet was walking down the beach in the direction of the abandoned nest. She looked around but saw no sign of the team studying the nest but saw a person laying on the beach she'd seen near the spot a few times before.

"Excuse me, sir? Do you happen to know where the people are who were studying the sea turtle nest?" Janet asked.

The man, a balding, middle-aged man with a large beer gut, looked up and shook his head, "No, sorry. Maybe my wife...?"

Looking over, he nudged a skinny brunette and asked her. She looked up and said, "Yes, I think they said something about leaving today."

"Yes, I know. Do you happen to know where they were staying?" Janet asked.

"I think they said the Sand Dollar," the skinny woman said as she pointed down the beach.

Janet walked on towards the old, somewhat seedy looking motel. 'Must've been built right after the war,' she mused.

Walking into the office, she asked a pleasant looking older woman about the students. "Oh yes, the Florida State group, they were very nice. Much better than most of the college students we get in the spring. But I'm sorry, they checked out before 8 o'clock."

Janet felt the disappointment build up in her. It showed on her face as she thanked the older woman and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment," the lady said. "Are you Janet? One of the girls said a pretty young lady named Janet might come by."

"Yes, my name is Janet," she answered with a flicker of hope.

"Here, she left this for you," the woman handed Janet an envelope with her name written on it.

Janet tore the end off the envelope and pulled out a single, folded sheet. It was handwritten in the same lovely script as the envelope.

Janet smiled as she read the note, her only wish was that Regina had written her address or phone number so she could thank her for everything.

Thanking the woman behind the desk, she returned to the condo. As she walked along the beach, she found Sam and Cassie in their spot. She felt a rush of love for both of them. She promised Regina and herself that she wouldn't forget how happy she was at this moment.

"Hey Mom! Go get your suit on!" Cassie yelled. Janet waved and blew her a kiss before heading up to the condo to change.

Sam caught up to her and asked, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I missed her but she left this," Janet said.

"No regrets?"

"No, none." Janet stopped and looked at Sam, marvelling again that this beautiful woman wanted to be with her. "Well, yes. I regret it took me so long to realize what was right in front of me."

Sam took her hand tenderly and said, "We still have a week here and a lifetime afterward."

6 months later...

Sam set the last box down in the third bedroom in Janet's house. 'Our house now, I suppose,' she thought.

"So, you think you'll be comfortable here?" a familiar voice asked.

Turning to see her love leaning in the doorway, Sam smiled and said, "Considering I'm not going to be using this room for more than storage, yes. I think I'll be very comfortable."

Walking over Sam took the shorter woman in her arms and kissed her. "How 'bout you? Any regrets?"

"Just that I wish we could tell everyone how happy we are and that we didn't have to make a sham of you living here with us. But about us, none," Janet said and kissed the woman she loved.

"Ooh gross. What is it with grown-ups? Can't you do that somewhere else?" Cassie complained as she walked past the two towards her room.

"Just wait, kiddo. You'll be in love with someone yourself one of these days," Sam said.

"Eeeewwww!" came from the teenager's room.

Meanwhile, in a lab in the Life Science building at Florida State, a messenger made a delivery.

"Hey who sent you roses, Reg? Are they from Suzie?"

Regina looked over at her one-time boyfriend and shook her head, "No, they're a thank you from a very dear friend."

She read the note again.

The end.

Next: After The Vacation