Gaia - The Princess 10
Homeward Bound
by romansilence
URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asr/rsilence/gaiath10.php
Summary: On the way to Gaia, Sam and Janet still deal with the aftermath of Sam's captivity, among other things.
THE PRESENT: ON BOARD OF THE SCYTHIA
The next morning the Scythia left the orbit of Nut's main planet with the XS-01 safely tucked in one of the cargo bays. Samantha and Janet spent most of the day with the teams of the SGC who had set out to her rescue. They all were anxious about the future, not only about the court-martial they might face but also about the future and the security of Earth should the NID and the ominous Trust gain the upper hand.
From the second day of their journey back to Gaia, the Amazons distracted them as best as they could with sparring sessions or by making them work as part of the crew.
Jennifer Hailey was in heaven helping out in the engine room. Daniel was happily reviewing the scrolls Queen Nut had given to the Amazons. They evidently told the story of the arrival of Nut and her people at their current star system thousands of years ago and the early development of their society. Daniel was bubbling over with excitement when they all met to share their midday meal.
Samantha spent the mornings exercising under Master Bra'tac's watchful eyes. She was content with her range of motion, her flexibility, and speed but slightly disgruntled at her lack of stamina. Every day Samantha told herself that she would resist the temptation, but every day when they came back from their lunch, Janet convinced her to take a nap with her, and every day she quickly fell asleep in her lover's arms.
In the afternoons they continued together what Janet had started at the Gabrielle's insistence, the retelling of the rescue mission and the trial against the abductors and torturers of Gabrielle and Xena. The telling was not easy for Samantha and she relied a lot on Janet's support and quiet strength. Despite everything she had to admit that it was good for her to recall these days because it not only brought back painful memories but also happy and funny ones.
~~~
THE PAST: EARTH – SAMANTHA'S AND JANET'S HOUSE
They had been back on duty for most of a week after their confinement at the SGC and their unexpected time off. There were only three days before they were expected on Gaia for the Trial against Osiris, Anise, and the others. Garshaw, Selmac and a few other members of the High Council would be present as well as Bra'tac and his apprentice Rya'c as representatives of the free Jaffa.
Samantha had spent the better part of the afternoon trying in vain to figure out how an artifact worked that SG-6 had brought back from their last mission. It looked like a generator of sorts but so far, she'd been unable to find out what it really did. Samantha was more than only slightly frustrated.
To make a bad day worse a small fire at one of the labs delayed her departure for about an hour, and on the way home, with her leather jacket still in her quarters at the base, it started to rain and Samantha found herself stuck in a traffic jam due to a multi-car pile-up. So, she was not only one hour later coming home than she had planned but also completely soakend through, just because she had insisted on taking the bike this morning. And to top it off, a rental car was blocking her driveway.
She stormed into the house shouting, "Janet, you wouldn't believe the day I had. I'm soaking wet and some idiot is blocking our drive..."
Samantha stopped in mid-word and mid-stride at the sight of a uniformed woman sitting on their couch and chatting with her lover and Cassandra. "I'm... I'm sorry!" she finally stammered.
Janet was quickly at her side, checking her with a doctor's eye. "Let me introduce you – and then you'll take a long, hot shower and change, baby. I don't want to getting ill."
She turned towards their guest who in the meantime had left the couch. "Sam, this is Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, an old friend. – Mac, I'd like to introduce Major Samantha Carter, my best friend and the love of my life."
Almost a lifetime of military training asserted itself and Samantha immediately snapped to attention, despite the fact that she was startled by her lover's openness.
"At ease, Major, please call me Mac. All my friends do, and everyone who brings such a smile to Janet's face can't be anything but."
The brunette Marine Colonel said with a smile and an outstretched hand. Samantha offered a cautious smile of her own and took the offered hand. Janet then shooed her lover to take her shower.
~~~
Thirty minutes later, Samantha still hadn't returned to the living room and the small doctor went in search of the blonde. She found her in the bedroom, showered but undressed, with her tousled hair still slightly wet, sitting on the bed and staring at the wall with unseeing eyes. "Hey, baby, are you alright?"
"She's a Colonel, Jan. She's in our house; she knows." She half babbled, half whispered.
"Most of the SGC knows, my love, Mac is an old friend, in fact she was one of my patients, one of my first patients. We immediately hit it off, and if she wanted to do anything about gays in uniform she could have outed me years ago. Try to relax, Sammy. Mac can be trusted."
"She's the JAG officer you called before we went to Gaia, right?"
"Yes, Sam. Believe me, she's no threat. I hope you don't mind but I told her that she could stay in the guest room for a couple of days."
"No, Jan, I don't mind. I trust you – though I had hoped to have you all to myself before we gate to Gaia."
"I'll make sure that we have some alone time when we're there; I'd like to spend some more time at the clearing with the waterfall. It's only a couple of days, baby. And now, hurry and get dressed. I left Mac with Cassy to raid the takeout drawer; and someone has to make sure that our darling daughter doesn't go overboard."
They had a great Chinese meal while Sarah and Janet talked about some past adventures and Samantha and Cassy listenen and laughed. When Cassy excused herself to do the rest of her homework, the Colonel asked.
"I never thought you would end up adopting a child, Janet."
Janet reluctantly gave her the official version, the one she also had told her parents.
"All of her family died in a car accident. Sam saved her before the wreck exploded. Cassandra's blood was poisoned by some of the fumes she inhaled after the accident. She's very sensitive to medicines and chemicals. So, I offered to take care of her because I know what to look for. But you're right, I never would have thought that I could be a good mother but over the time.... I may not have given life to her but I love her as if I had. She's really become my daughter."
Sarah Mackenzie was a lawyer, a good one at that, and she sensed a cover story when she heard one but as a military brat she also knew that now was not the time to call her old friend on it – not with the blonde Major practically bristling with protectiveness. So, she wasn't surprised by Samantha's question.
"Not to be nosey, Mac, but what brought you here? Just a social call?"
"Yes and no," the lawyer answered, repeating what she already had told her friend. "Admiral Chegwidden chose me to act as an official JAG observer during a treason trial of one of our allies. I was ordered to report to the Cheyenne Mountain base at 0800 the day after tomorrow for a briefing and travelling instructions. I admit I was a bit worried about Janet after her cryptic call and decided to use my two days off to check on her."
Samantha's left eyebrow rose considerably but she didn't say anything.
"I know that Janet works at the Air Force Academy hospital but what are you doing, Sam? Cassandra told me that you travel a lot."
"I have an office at NORAD. I'm an astrophysicist and coordinate some joint research projects with other observatories. Travelling is part of the job." The blonde answered and Sarah sensed another prefabricated response but something else was nagging her at the back of her mind.
She took a sip of her orange juice and suddenly she remembered. "You're the Sam Carter who wrote about wormhole theory?"
"Yes, but how does a JAG Marine know about it?" Samantha answered defensively. "No offence, but you don't look like someone fascinated with theoretical astrophysics."
"None taken, Sam, and you don't either. No, one of my colleagues told me. His name is Bud. He didn't speak about anything else for months after the book came out. He spent hours trying to verify your equations but it seemed that a lot of it simply goes over his head. He will be so miffed that I got to meet you and he didn't. He would have a million questions for you." Sarah answered with a disarming smile.
Samantha rose and disappeared in one of the rooms in the back. She handed Sarah a calling card with an email address written on the back. "Tell him to send his questions there. It's supposed to be for discussions with other scientists but over the years I learned that sometimes good ideas come from people thinking outside of the box. Tell him to put the words 'flygirl approves' in the subject header when he first uses it. One of my staff will answer him – though it might take a few days. Sometimes we're really busy."
"You don't know what a treat this will be for him, Sam. He recently lost one of his legs in the field and is still in recovery. He can use all the help he can get."
"Is there something I can do, Mac?"
"I don't think so, Janet. He's at Bethesda."
"Then he's in good hands. The doctors there are among the best we have."
"Oh, yes, you think? Well, I wasn't so sure about that when this sleep deprived second lieutenant threatened me with a very big needle," Sarah bantered.
"What shall I say, Mac? It worked. You stopped trying to get out of bed and put weight on your broken leg."
"As if I had a choice, Janet. You can be scary, sometimes."
"Thanks, Mac, you just won me a bet," Samantha quipped in. "The whole S... staff at the hospital is speculating if she always had this command presence or if it came with the responsibility of being the boss."
"As far as I know, Sam, it was always there."
"Would you two stop talking about me as if I were not in the room with you, please?!"
"I'm sorry, baby." Samantha said though she didn't sound apologetic in the least.
They spend some more time talking and bantering, and then retired to their respective rooms.
~~~
The next morning, just before sunrise Samantha opened the door to the kitchen to go for her run. She heard unfamiliar steps coming from behind and swirled around defensively. The blonde immediately relaxed when she saw their guest in a running outfit.
"Care to join me, Colonel?"
"It would be my pleasure, Major." Sarah answered.
"What do you usually do in the morning, three miles, five, seven miles?"
"Most days I only have the time for a four to five circuit."
"There's a lot of time before I have to go to work, so why don't we take the seven mile scenic route? I'll leave a note for Jan; in case she wakes up early."
"So, she still doesn't like running?"
"No, she says that she's at a natural disadvantage because of her short legs, but she's really good at hand-to-hand combat." At Sarah's obvious disbelief she added, "It's a long story, Mac. Let's go!"
About a mile into their run, the Marine asked Samantha to pick up the pace a bit, and after three miles they started to push each other. Larina and Niva had been excellent examples when it came to conditioning; so, the blonde was still far from reaching her limit and she also made sure that her running partner didn't overtax herself. It was fun for both of them, and when they slowed down to a jog to cool down before returning to the house they both were laughing.
~~~
Samantha and Janet both had to go to work. They left Sarah with a list of sights and the route to the Garden of the Gods, but they both had not counted on the fact that Colonel Mackenzie was as much a workaholic as they were.
~*~
The phone in Samantha's lab rang. "Major, are you stuck or could you escort a visitor?"
"I have nothing urgent here, General Hammond, I'm still stymied by the artifact SG-6 left at my doorstep."
"Come to my office, ASAP."
"Yes Sir."
Minutes later she was standing in front of General Hammond's desk. "We were expecting someone from JAG to observe the trial on Gaia. The lawyer in question, a Colonel Mackenzie decided to report in a day ear..."
Registering the brilliant smile he stopped his explanation. "Is there anything I should know, Major Carter?"
"Sarah Mackenzie is a good friend of Doctor Fraiser, Sir. She spent the last night with us. I should have known that she wasn't the sight-seeing type. I didn't expect her before tomorrow morning; it was really hard not to tell her the truth last night."
"She's waiting topside. Bring her down. I'll ask the rest of SG-1 and Doctor Fraiser to come to the briefing room. Tell her everything she has to know. I'll join you later. I'm in the middle of something."
"I understand, Sir."
"Dismissed Major."
~~~
Sarah Mackenzie was standing at the main entrance of the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. She was stuck between two security fences, waiting for someone to bring her in. Now more than ever she was at a loss as to what a high-security and obviously top-secret facility in Colorado could possibly have to do with a foreign, sovereign nation. She longingly looked towards her car, suddenly wishing she had gone sightseeing instead of donning her uniform and trying to work.
She had been waiting for 9 minutes and 38 seconds when the fence behind her opened. She had expected some some wet-eared Airman to escort her to the base commander, but when she turned around she saw a familiar figure clad in a black regulation t-shirt and green BDU trousers.
Samantha was standing at attention and saluted.
"Sam, I should have known. One doesn't get your scars just by looking through a telescope."
"Busted Mac, come on. Let's go. It's a long way down and there's a lot to tell. General Hammond sends his apologies; he will join us later."
Sarah was really impressed by the number of people milling through the corridors and by the strange mix of Air Force and Marine personnel working with civilians.
They were about to step into the second elevator on level 11 when a voice called from behind. "Sam, Sam, wait! The artifact in your lab, the guys want to know if they should include it in the transport to... to Nevada." Stephen stopped himself from referring to Area51 when he saw the stranger standing next to his friend.
"No, not yet. I'll need another day to figure it out."
"Alright, boss, I understand. If we don't give these boys some pointers it will only gather dust in the desert."
"Stevie, they're not that bad, just a bit unimaginative. Just give me another day."
"I'll tell them, Sam," he said and left.
"He talks like a nerd but he doesn't look like one."
"He's not the only one on this base, Mac. Besides, I'm a nerd. I'm just not geeky."
Before Sarah could answer, the door of the elevator opened at level 21 and Janet joined them, with a salute. "Welcome at Stargate Command, Colonel Mackenzie. Hi Mac, I should have known that you would be too curious to wait until tomorrow."
"Janet Fraiser, you have some explaining to do."
"You will get all the answers you want and probably more before this day it over, Mac."
When they stepped through the door to the briefing room the rest of SG-1 were already present, which meant that O'Neill must have literally dragged Daniel from his lab to make it on time. Janet introduced everyone.
Four hours later a very wide-eyed Marine was staring at the other occupants of the room, trying to wrap her mind around the science fiction-fantasy novel she just had heard.
"Carter, I think our guest needs to see it with her own eyes. Do you think Siler could dial up a nice uninhabited planet for us?!"
"Is this an order, Colonel?" Samantha asked, only too aware of the severe case of cabin fever her CO developed whenever they spent enough time Earth-bound for him to start catching up on his paperwork.
"No, Major," General Hammond ordered from behind her. "Open the blast doors. SG-12 is scheduled to return any minute. That will show Colonel Mackenzie what this base is all about. That should make enough of an impression until we'll gate to Gaia the day after tomorrow. By the way...
"Colonel, welcome to Stargate Command. I hope my flagship team didn't scare you out of your wits just yet."
"Thank you, General Hammond," Sarah answered with a crisp salute. "It's a lot to take in, Sir, but I'm a Marine. We don't scare easily."
Before Colonel O'Neill had a chance to challenge Sarah with his favourite Marine-against-Air Force taunts, the blast door opened to the sound of the first chevron of the Gate being locked. When the event horizon burst outwards with its customary 'kawoosh', Sarah involuntarily stepped back. The energy once again was sucked in and the shimmering pool appeared for the fraction of a heartbeat before the iris closed.
Siler's voice announced, "Receiving IDC, Sir. It's SG-12, right on time for a change."
"Open the iris, Sergeant."
"Sir, request permission to be excused but I think I figured out what this artifact is good for," Samantha suddenly said.
"Doctor, do you have the time to give our guest a tour? We can finish the briefing later. Major Carter, I'm looking forward to your preliminary report. Dismissed." General Hammond said.
~~~
Another three hours later, Samantha looked up from her desk just as Janet and Sarah stepped into the lab.
"So, did you figure it out, Sam?"
The blonde offered them both a bright smile. "I thought it was a generator, but it isn't. It doesn't create energy; it absorbs energy. It's a very simple mechanism. Just put it next to a generator or reactor and switch it on. It not only absorbs the energy, it somehow dissipates it."
"And what's so fascinating about this?" Janet asked.
Sarah's answer came faster. "Put it in a bomb; shoot it at a nuclear plant or something and one could effectively take out the whole energy grid of one's enemy."
There was awe in her voice.
"Yes, potentially it could be very dangerous, but I don't think that it would work as a bomb. It has to be directly connected to a specific part of a generator. We could use it to control the temperature of nuclear plants make it impossible for them to overheat." Samantha explained.
Janet, however, knew her partner well. "But...?"
"But I don't think that we will be able to retro-engineer it any time soon. It's a simple enough mechanism but the physics behind it are beyond complex. I'm not sure I understand it and SG-6 reported that it's one of a kind."
"Meaning?" Sarah asked.
"It means that I found out what it does and I have a very faint idea how it does what it does, which leaves us with two options: we can take it apart and try to rebuild something we don't even half understand or we put it in storage for use in an emergency."
"Does this happen often? Being between a rock and a hard place?"
"Yes and no, Mac. We already have quite a few of these unique potential weapons. It's not up to me to decide, fortunately. I like to figure things out but the thought of possibly spending years worrying about the same problem," Sam said as she shook her head in disgust. "No, if that was what I wanted to do I would be in Nevada not here."
She turned her attention to Janet. "I'll need about two more hours to finish up here. Why don't you call it a day? Give Mac here some time to wrap her mind around what she learned today. I'll be back in time for the Colonel's barbeque."
"That's why we stopped by, baby. To tell you about the barbeque."
"Oh, I already had a call from Daniel and a visit from Teal'c telling me about it. I was recruited to convince you to make your special pasta salad, Jan."
"That takes almost two hours to make, Sam," Janet protested but caved when she saw the pathetic puppy dog eyes the blond Major blinked her way. "I'll see what I can do, Doctor Carter."
With this half promise Samantha was left alone and hurried to get her report for General Hammond and the section chief of Area51 ready. Janet's pasta salad was best when it wasn't completely cooled down yet.
~~~
Ninety minutes later she looked into the kitchen and the sight of Sarah licking something from Janet's finger brought back all the insecurities and jealousy she thought she had buried after the incident with Stephen, her lover's former brother-in-law a couple of months ago.
She had seen her lover in the arms of a stranger and stormed off like an immature teen on her bike, without her helmet and disregarding speed limits. She remembered returning home, completely soaked from the rain and early snowfall, and she remembered how the young man had opened the door and told her how worried and angry her partner had been.
"... have a better handle on your emotions next time." Janet's words from the incident with Stephen now echoed through her mind now and became an order.
Janet's voice snapped her back to the present. "Hey, Sam, you're early. Are you alright?"
"Yes, Jan, just a bit tired; nothing a quick shower won't cure." The blonde knew that she was once again running away. It was just not as evident as the last time. She knew it was immature but when it came to Janet she felt helpless in a way she never had before.
"Good, take your time, but first taste test the dressing. I think it still needs something."
Janet scooped some up with her index finger and offered it to her and suddenly her jealousy was gone.
"Rosemary, just a tiny bits" she answered with a smile totally out of proportion to the occasion.
"Yes, that's it. Thank you, Sam."
~*~
THE PRESENT: ON BOARD OF THE SCYTHIA
Gabrielle laughed when the Earth women proceeded to tell her about the barbeque and O'Neill's not really subtle attempts to get Sarah to rise to one of his Air Force-versus-Marines baits. Then they ended their storytelling session for the day.
As soon as the door to their quarters closed behind them Janet kissed the taller woman and said teasingly, "So, you became jealous of Mac over salad dressing?"
"No, yes, I... it was only a moment. No, it was the dancing a few days later that really got to me. I know in my heart and in my head that you never would hurt me this way, baby. But sometimes it's almost as if the Neanderthal instincts brought forth on P3X-797 are not completely gone. I'm sorry, my love."
"Don't be too hard on yourself. You didn't act like a Neanderthal during the party."
"I only stormed on the dance floor and claimed you for myself, very civilised."
"Did you hear me complain, my love?"
Another more passionate kiss sealed the blonde's lips before she could answer.
"Besides, Mac is as straight as a stick."
"That's what I once thought of you, but it's also not the point. Mac is a very beautiful woman. She is strong and confident, good at her job, and she doesn't run off to the next planet to get killed or injured or possessed by who knows what."
Janet closed her arms around the blonde. She knew that Samantha's reaction had next to nothing to do with Sarah Mackenzie or any other woman. It was more of a backlash from her recent ordeal, but at the same time it seemed to come from somewhere much deeper.
The doctor opened her mind to their connection and felt the depth of her lover's distress. She drew her in the circle of their love. Samantha slowly relaxed and let herself be led to the bedroom where she snuggled in her partner's arms. The brunette just held her and gently stroked the small of her back.
A few minutes later Samantha said. "I'm sorry that I'm such a wuss."
"Sam, look at me, look into my eyes. Yes, that's better. You are a very beautiful woman, Samantha Gabriella Carter. You are strong and confident and good at your job and compassionate. You had my attention from the very first moment I saw you, sitting on one of the infirmary beds and trying to look bored but with your eyes scanning cautiously the whole room."
"I was looking for the new CMO I had read so much about and whose brown eyes had me captivated even on a grainy photo."
"Charmer. I never told you when I fell in love with you, when I discovered that I was in love with you."
Samantha's eyes grew bigger and the doctor knew that she had her undivided attention.
~*~
"Do you remember when those thugs tried to rob us, when we were coming from the movies? They threatened us with a knife. You simply stepped in front of me, shielding me. You took them out when talking didn't stop them and you blushed when I thanked you. That was the moment I knew that I was in love with you."
"I expected you to be angry with me, to tell me that as an Air Force Officer you are able to defend yourself but I couldn't risk you getting hurt." The blonde whispered, "I was so afraid that you would never talk to me again."
"With anyone else I might have been angry, Sammy, but to you it just comes naturally. You put yourself on the line and save the world on a regular basis, and you never make a big deal of it.
"Yes, I'm worried sick when SG-1 is overdue and you risk yourself for me and everyone else. It's true that sometimes I wish that you had a boring nine-to-five job but then that wouldn't be you. I love you because you have the courage to do what has to be done and what no one else can do. I love you because you really don't know how beautiful and brilliant you are.
"Oh, you listen and smile politely when someone tells you, even if that someone is the President of the United States or one of the Asgard singing your praise, but it's almost as if it doesn't touch you. It's almost as if you really don't believe it, as if you were not proud of what you have done."
Samantha abruptly sat up and the doctor feared that she had gone too far but then her lover's face gentled.
"I feel pride when I solve a problem or manage to get a better score at the shooting range. I'm proud of my career and that I came as far as I did without my father's help. I'm proud that I have won the love of the most beautiful and compassionate and smart woman in the universe. But it would be stupid to be proud of my looks or my intelligence, Jan. That's just something I was born with, and one can only be proud of things that have been earned."
A wave of anger flickered over Janet's face and to mask it she gave the blonde a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Oh Sammy! Let me guess, that's your father speaking here, right?"
Samantha nodded hesitantly.
"He was wrong, baby. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and concede that he only said this out of concern for you and not because belittling what you are made him feel better."
She prevented any protest by putting a finger on her beloved's lips.
"Yes, Sam, your beauty and your brains are a product of genetics, mostly at least, but a lot of beautiful and very intelligent people waste these gifts. What counts is what you make of them, and from my point of view there's no reason why you should not be proud of the way you are using your gifts because you don't act to soothe your ego but for the benefit of others."
The blonde's eyes lit up with a sparkle of mischief. "You are so beautiful when you snap into mama-bear-mode, my love."
"Don't change the subject, Samantha. You know that I am right."
Samantha snuggled back in her lover's embrace, reluctant to meet the brunette's eyes.
After a while Samantha said softly, "Don't let anyone ever tell you that you are less than what and who you are. All you'll ever need is in your heart and in your head, Sammy."
Janet immediately recognised the dreamlike quality of her lover's voice. She had learned to associate it with the blonde's memories of her mother or grandmother. She placed another kiss on her lover's forehead but didn't comment.
"Since my mother's death I allowed no one else to call me 'Sammy'. You are the only one. Thank you, my beloved."
"Thank you for letting me in, Sammy," Janet answered quietly.
"She would have loved you."
"And I'm sure I would have loved her too." The doctor added, "She must have been a very wise and compassionate woman. How did she end up with someone as hard and uncompromising as your father?"
The small brunette was still angry at Jacob Carter's refusal to speak to his daughter since he learned about their relationship.
"He wasn't always like this, Jan. When I grew up he was different, at least most of the time. He never was one for hugging and snuggling, and he was gone a lot but when he was home it always was a lot of fun. He played with me and read to me. He always had time to listen and to teach me one thing or another.
"My mother always made him smile, even when he was angry or in a bad mood. Sometimes they argued, mostly about him having to leave again on a mission.
"Looking back, I think that he loved her very much, more than he ever would be ready to admit. He lost the light in his life when she died. He may be judgemental, Janet, but he's not a bad man."
"And you ask yourself why I love you! Baby, sometimes you're just too good to be true. Your heart is so big, Sammy."
"I love you, Janet. I don't want to imagine what having to live without you in my life, what having to live without your love would do to me."
"If I have any say in it, Sammy, you'll never have to find out. I'll never leave you." Janet kissed the blonde head resting on her shoulder and felt the tense body relax.
Sometime later Samantha whispered, "Thank you for banning my stupid insecurities, Janet."
"It's not stupid, baby. I'll tell you as often as you need to hear it that I love you and I'll always be there for you. I can't wait to make it official, my love."
"I love you, Janet," Samantha answered in a sleepy voice and soon relaxed in a deep sleep. Talking about her feelings, especially her fears still was very draining for the blonde but Janet was ready to hold her for the rest of their lives whenever Samantha allowed herself to show her vulnerability.
~*~
Now more than ever Janet was determined to have a real Amazon joining with her beloved, consequences be damned. She wanted a ceremony performed by the priestess in front of the temple at the break of dawn, a union of body, heart, and soul, never to be broken, not even in death. She wanted to wear the sign of their love at the inside of her wrist, for everyone to see and for Samantha to touch should she ever have any doubts.
This night she dreamed of presenting her resignation as an Air Force Officer to General Hammond, and though the uniform had taken up a considerable part of her adult life her dream-self didn't even feel the slightest bit of regret at this step.
Opening her eyes she studied Samantha's peaceful face in the faint illumination of the night light. The yellow glow made her look even younger than usual and the small doctor knew that to protect the blonde she would do more than just defy the orders of the Joint Chiefs or military rules of conduct.
