The Risks And Rewards of Playing Cupid
by Pam V
E-MAIL: krepta21@hotmail.com
RATING: PG
CATEGORY: Daniel/Janet, Sam/Jack UST
SPOILERS: Singularity (for the existence of a certain girl)
SEASON: late 1st
SUMMARY: Tricks and costumes and romance, oh my!
DISCLAIMER: not mine, I'm just playing
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Okay, I know I said I wouldn't do the WiP thing anymore, but if I don't post this now, I'll probably never finish it. I promise that I won't leave you hanging, though! Now, I'm still new at this fic-writing thing, so be nice. Feedback would be adored and might even spur my muse to work faster. :)
Watchful eyes stared at her, seeming to monitor her every movement as she traveled through the darkness. From the depths of the flickering shadows they glittered ominously, appearing as if they retained the unspoken knowledge of all things. If she tried hard, she could almost believe that they could peer into her very soul.
Cassie shivered delightedly before letting out a giggle and hurrying through the corridor to the next source of terror. Janet and Sam looked on with amusement as they followed, albeit more sedately.
It was Cassie's first Halloween on Earth, and Colonel O'Neill -- the perpetual child-at-heart -- had insisted that they all visit a haunted house to give her another taste of Earth culture. He had even scouted the area and selected the one he'd thought would provide the most "thrills and chills" -- a place forebodingly referred to as "The Deadly Chambers of Doom and Horror." Janet had hesitated to allow her daughter to visit such a horrendous-sounding place, but Jack had assured her that it was perfectly age-appropriate. In the end, of course, it had been the twelve-year-old's earnest beseeching that had led to Janet's giving in, and, Janet thought wryly, at least Cassie *did* seem to be having fun.
This was Teal'c's first trip to a haunted house as well, and while it wasn't the Jaffa's first encounter with human customs, it was certainly one of the most difficult to explain. Teal'c couldn't comprehend the reasons for Tau'ri parents to allow their children to visit a place where they were supposed to be scared out of their wits. While Jack had tried, with much difficulty, to explain the logic behind it all, he'd long since given up, and Teal'c was resigned to disregard the subject as an inexplicable element
of Earth culture.
The Colonel in question was ambling along leisurely, determined to enjoy every aspect of this fright fest. Daniel walked beside him equally engrossed, having not done anything like this since he was a small child. Though Daniel would never admit it, he secretly appreciated that Jack had convinced the four of them -- him, Teal'c, Sam, and Janet -- to accompany Cassie here -- even if SG-1 had done the same thing last Halloween.
Despite that fact, it was still a enjoyable experience, and they were merely attempting to unwind by having a little fun. After all, saving the world countless times without a break was bound to get tiring.
As Jack continued along, a piercing scream resonated down the hallway, ricocheting around them in a seemingly endless echo of reverberation. Cassie, walking slightly ahead with Sam and Janet, jumped in surprise before bursting into giggles. Daniel smiled in amusement, chuckling to himself.
Turning around, Daniel saw Teal'c peering around the passageway as if searching for something, and, correctly surmising Teal'c's intent, said in a low voice, "Teal'c... It's probably just a recording or something. You know, they record the sounds and then they play it back..." He trailed off. The other man, appearing to be satisfied with the answer, inclined his head in response.
The three men moved through a doorway where an overabundance of spider webs were hanging, around a bubbling cauldron of green slime out of which a hand was climbing, and past a grisly corpse, which sat up and grinned lopsidedly at them as they passed.
Suddenly, Jack spoke.
"Hey, this thing's almost over. What do you say we go and frighten a couple of women?" he proposed with a wicked smile. "That is, two women and one girl..."
Quickly catching on to his drift, Daniel grinned in response. "Hey, as long as we're here, might as well get in the spirit of things," he said, attempting to rationalize what Jack planned to do.
Having received the archaeologist's agreement, the Colonel turned to Teal'c. "What do you say, Teal'c? Want to take part in a little Halloween fun?"
Teal'c studied his commanding officer skeptically. Finally determining that Jack did not wish any particular ill harm upon the others, he stated dutifully, "If you say so, O'Neill."
"Excellent," O'Neill replied, steepling his fingers in an excellent impression of Mr. Montgomery Burns. Daniel groaned. Jack was *way* too obsessed with The Simpsons.
Jack, the ring-leader of the trio, gestured ahead. Cassie, Sam, and Janet were approaching the last (corny) fright of the night -- a decidedly eerie howl as mechanical bats flew at them and plastic spiders dropped on their heads -- and the male conspirators had to hurry if they were going to surprise the three women.
Stealthily, they drew near. As the cloud of bats swooped over Cassie's head, the girl merely let out an amused laugh -- which turned into a shriek when the spiders fell upon her and her companions.
Batting the fake spiders off, she turned to Sam and Janet and assumed a put-out expression when she saw the smiles creeping across their faces. "Hey, not funny..." Sam simply shook her head, attempting a veneer of innocence, but failing tremendously. By now, she, Janet, and Cassie were approaching the egress, brightly outlined by the sunlight outdoors. Janet pulled the door open, and, squinting, Cassie and Sam followed her out.
Right after Sam had exited, the men ambushed them.
"BOO!!!" they yelled in unison as, each having crept up on his target, they pounced.
Teal'c, not wishing to frighten Cassie too badly, had merely stated the simple "Boo" in a rumbling bass, and the young girl only jumped a little, emitting a short scream before she turned around and discovered who had startled her.
Daniel, who had aimed for Fraiser, seized her shoulders as the three of them had shouted, and the doctor had yelped in surprise. Her mind racing, she was forced speechless by shock, and in a sudden flash of contrition, Daniel suddenly regretted having gone along with Jack and his crazy ideas.
Said Colonel's victim had been his second-in-command, and, as he was the one who had contrived the entire scheme, it stood to reason that he would generate the most spectacular effect.
This theory was proven beyond a doubt as he grabbed her waist, shouting into her ear. She had shrieked in a very un-Carterlike way, and Jack let her go in surprise, having not expected such an extreme reaction.
Heart pounding, Sam spun to face her attacker, letting out a startled squeal when she saw none other than her commanding officer...her *SO* dead commanding officer.
Having gotten over her initial shock, Janet whirled around, looking extremely pissed. Jack and Daniel gulped. "Dr. Jackson, Teal'c, Colonel O'Neill," she began, fixing each of them in turn with a steely glare. "All I can say is...you're *really* going to enjoy your next physical." With a smirk, she flashed them a brilliant smile before turning back to Cassie and Sam. "C'mon, girls, let's get some lunch."
With that, she headed off.
Obediently, Cassie hurried ahead with her mom, and Sam followed behind a moment later, shooting her fellow team members a sheepish smile as she walked away. Embarrassed, Daniel refused to meet her eyes, but Teal'c inclined his head respectfully as she departed, and the Colonel actually flashed her a saucy grin in return.
Sighing at the man's audacity, Sam shook her head incredulously and followed Cassie to Janet's car.
*
"I don't care what you say, Daniel, I'm not doing it!"
Daniel groaned exasperatedly. "Come on, Jack, you said you would."
O'Neill sat up abruptly, from where he had been leaning back in his chair. "I said I would *come*," he started as his feet hit the ground with a thud. "I didn't say I was going to participate!" He glared at Daniel.
"Well, Jack, your saying that you would come kind of implied that you were actually going to join in the festivities," Daniel began, a smile quirking about his lips.
"Semantics, schmantics."
"Jack, you know Cassie's going to be very disappointed if you don't come. You wouldn't want that, would you? I mean, I'm sure everyone's just *dying* to see you in that costume Janet picked out for you..." Jack shot Daniel the evil eye, but the archaeologist merely ignored it and went on.
"Besides, Janet's not going to be happy if you upset her daughter, and you wouldn't want her to get even *more* mad at you, would you?"
Jack pointed threateningly at Daniel. "Hey, don't bring the Doc and her needles into this. But since I *do* plan on preserving my life -- as pathetic as it might happen to be -- fine; I'll go."
"And...?" Daniel prompted, a triumphant smile on his face.
"And while I know I should *never* have told Fraiser that I didn't have any costume ideas, thereby 'forcing' her to come up with one, I'll dress up, okay? You happy now?
"But if I'm getting roped into this, then so are *you*." He smirked inwardly at the sudden look of panic on Daniel's face.
"But- but-" Daniel sputtered. Jack smoothly stood up, striding toward the exit.
"Tsk tsk, Danny -- for a guy who can speak so many languages, your linguistic skills could use a little work.
"And remember, you'll need a costume, too. I hear Captain Tinney, the one with the crush on you, is going as a bimbo -- some sort of female objection to the stereotype."
Shooting Daniel a smug smile, Jack walked out the door, calling over his shoulder, "Maybe you could go as her pimp."
And with that, he strode away, leaving behind a flabbergasted archaeologist still standing speechless in the middle of the room.
*
Sam was sprawled on the couch in Janet's house, nursing a glass of diet soda -- she *did* have work tomorrow, after all.
Impatiently, she looked at her watch for the thirtieth time in the last ten minutes. "Janet, you're *still* not done?" Sam called, sitting up from her reclined position and placing her glass on the table. "Come on, you don't have to get all dolled-up for me," she teased.
At last, Janet emerged from her bedroom. "Aww, but you know you like it," she kidded and was rewarded with a crumpled ball of paper flying at her head. "Hey, this is *my* house," she admonished, "...and that better not be the mission report that I spent hours finishing...."
Janet approached the couch and paused in front of Sam. Dressed in a Raggedy Ann costume, complete with flaming red hair, she twirled in a circle so that Sam could get the total effect of the outfit, and Sam smiled approvingly.
"That's just the cutest costume, Janet," she said with approbation. "Cassandra helped you pick it out, right? The girl's got good taste."
The mention of her daughter set Janet's mind rolling toward thoughts that had been often frequented that evening. "I hope she's okay," Janet replied with concern, sitting down on the couch beside Sam. "I mean, it's her first sleepover..."
Sam smiled in fond amusement. "Janet, you're a great mother, but you're way too over-protective. Cassie's growing up, you know, and this certainly won't be the only time she spends the night away from home.
"Now, I'm sure she's doing fine, so you can stop worrying. You're probably more torn-up about this than she is!"
Janet sighed. "I know you're right, Sam, but I can't help worrying anyway. Besides," she added with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, "when you have kids, then you'll feel differently."
Sam grimaced. "Don't hold your breath, Janet," she replied. "Between work and my non-existent social life, I don't think there's any chance of that happening anytime soon."
"C'mon, Sam, don't be such a pessimist. There are a ton of guys on the base who'd *die* for a date with you," Janet teased.
"Same to you, Janet!" Sam said, a smile on her face. "But I guess I just haven't been able to find the right guy," she sighed. "No offense, but there are definitely some people on base who I wouldn't date in a million years..."
Janet laughed. "Are you talking about Lieutenant Stevens, that guy who followed you around with the puppy-dog face, asking if you needed anything? It was so adorable..." Sam frowned and gave Janet a look.
"Not funny, Janet..."
"In any case, there are still plenty of normal guys for you and me," Janet continued. "What about your CO? Colonel O'Neill? He's pretty cute..."
Sam blushed slightly. "Come on, Janet, he's totally not interested in me. I mean, did you see that smug look on his face after he scared me half to death?" She made a face. "And remember, like you said -- he's my commanding officer. I couldn't go out with him even if I wanted to."
Janet grinned. "Ooh, Sam's in love with Colonel O'Neill..."
Sam's face flushed a bright crimson, and she retorted, "Am not!"
"Are so..." Janet repeated, smirking.
Clearly seeing that she couldn't win this argument, Sam chose a different tactic -- changing the subject. "So, Janet... I think you could certainly get a guy if you wanted to. How about Lieutenant Stevens?"
Janet grimaced at the thought. "Sorry, Sam, but I think he only has eyes for you..." At Sam's death glare, Janet quickly stood up. "Okay, I'm going to change out of this now -- I'll be right back, but I'm sure you won't even notice I'm gone while you're busily daydreaming about Lieutenant Stevens...or Colonel O'Neill...or both..." Janet waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
In response, Sam picked up a pillow from the couch and hurled it in Janet's direction. Nimbly dodging the object, the doctor headed down the hallway.
Frowning, Sam let her head fall back on the couch. She was *so* going to get the last word in when Janet came back.
*
Janet deftly folded her costume and placed it on her dresser. Tomorrow was the Halloween party that she and Sam had organized, and Janet didn't want her carefully-chosen outfit to meet with an "accident" before then.
As Janet moved toward the bedroom door, a yawn escaped. Glancing at the clock, her eyes widened in surprise. Whoa, she and Sam had certainly spent some time talking. How time flies, she thought with a wry smile. It was already almost midnight, and it wasn't like the two of them had the next day off.
Running her fingers through her hair, Janet pulled the door open and padded into the hallway.
"Sam," she called as she made her way down the dim corridor. "It's late; do you want to stay here for the night?"
She trailed off as she reached the living room. Sam was sprawled on the couch, fast asleep. "Guess that answers my question," Janet murmured softly. Heading toward the closet, Janet returned shortly with a blanket. She nimbly unfolded it and draped it over the sleeping form of her friend.
Janet turned off the overhead lights, leaving the lamp on so that Sam could see if she woke up in the middle of the night. After her task was finished, another yawn escaped, and Janet sighed drowsily. Sleepily, she headed off to her bedroom.
*
Sam Carter was tired. Very tired. Heading into her lab, she flopped into her chair, letting the bag she was carrying in one hand fall to the ground. She let her head fall back on the chair as she let out a deep sigh, and bringing her arm up to gaze at her watch, she observed that she still had two hours left before she could go home.
Briefly, Sam entertained the notion of an alien conspiracy to slow time down to a minuscule crawl with the express purpose of driving her insane...but that was crazy. She dropped her arm down and stared tiredly up at the ceiling.
Sam remained like that for a long moment before reluctantly hauling herself up and glancing at the paperwork she still had to finish -- who *really* wanted to know what had happened on P89 632, anyway? Resigning herself to the inevitable, she reached for her keyboard and began to type.
*
CRASH!!!
Daniel jumped in surprise and turned in the direction of the noise -- a sheepish Colonel who was precariously performing a balancing act with a statue of Osiris, an artifact that SG-11 had recently brought back, and a shelf that looked about to topple.
Jumping from his chair, Daniel reached for the statue and seized it before it managed to fall. Gratefully, Jack handed him the other artifact, and Daniel placed both items on his desk before turning back to his friend.
"Jack, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Time to go home!" Jack announced. "Fraiser's party starts in an hour and a half, and you weren't planning on just staying here all night, were you?"
"Well, Jack, I'm...busy. I have this translation to do, and-"
"Oh, no you don't. You're not getting out of this that easily. Remember," he started, mimicking Daniel's previous words, "you wouldn't want the Doc to get even *more* mad at you, would you?"
Daniel sighed. "See, I *knew* those words would come back to bite me in the ass one day."
Jack grinned in response before turning serious. "Come on, Daniel, you can't expect me to go by myself! If I have to suffer, then so do you."
"Jack, if you have to suffer, you can do it by yourself!" Daniel retorted, a smile belying his words. "But Sam already asked me to come, so I'm not going to disappoint her."
"And you haven't forgotten that you promised to dress up, have you? Still need a costume idea?" Jack smirked.
Daniel shot him a look. "Actually, Sam helped me pick one out -- and it's a lot better than anything *you* might've come up with."
Jack gasped dramatically. "I can't believe it. After all we've been
through..." Daniel snorted in amusement. "I can't believe you'd reject my opinion for...a *girl's*?"
"Shut up, Jack," Daniel shot back good-naturedly.
With a grin, Jack headed toward the exit, turning back to Daniel as he went. He tapped his watch. "Don't be late, Danny..." And with that, he left.
Daniel turned back to his work and shook his head. It didn't look like he was going to be finishing that translation any time soon. Well, there's always tomorrow, he thought, and with that, he headed out the door.
*
Sam stood and stretched her arms. Finally, she was done with her report. Now, to take another look at those calculations that Sergeant Siler had asked for, and she could leave. Sam had just sat back down on her chair when a knock on the door interrupted whatever work she was planning to accomplish.
She turned around, and her gaze met that of her CO, whose head was currently poking around the doorframe. When he saw that he had her attention, he stepped inside.
"Carter!" he began, and she started in surprise.
"What?" she asked, bemused.
"You scientists are all the same -- always working. I practically had to drag Daniel away from his office, and now you, too? Come on, now..."
Sam stared at him. "Uh, sir, unlike some people, apparently..." He raised his eyebrow, and she continued, "I have work to do, and I'm trying to do it. I'm sure Daniel that does, as well."
"Yeah, well, even Daniel managed to pry himself away from his books," Jack replied, "and besides -- aren't you supposed to go to the Halloween party that *you* and Fraiser planned?"
Looking down, Sam peered at her watch and her eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa, I didn't realize it was that late," she said to herself.
Jack sighed. "See, that's why people like me are here -- to keep people like you from working too hard and losing track of time," he quipped, a smile tugging at his lips. Sam grinned in response.
"And you're doing a fine job of it, sir," she replied as she shut down her laptop. Closing it, she turned and made her way toward the door. On the way, she snagged the plastic bag that she had dropped earlier.
At Jack's inquiring look, she explained, "Costume." He nodded, and she proceeded out the doorway, he following close behind.
"So, Carter, I don't suppose there's a bimbo in that bag?"
Her shocked gasp echoed through the corridor.
*
Dropping her keys on the table, Sam was making her way to her bedroom, bag in one hand, when the phone rang. She hurried to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Sam, it's me," came Janet's voice through the line.
"Janet, hi!" Sam replied, leaning against the kitchen counter and toying with the plastic bag. "What's up? Is something wrong?"
"No, I was just wondering if you fit the costume I gave you," Janet responded. "It was a little big for me, but you're a good deal taller than I am."
Sam reached into the bag and pulled out a mass of silk and satin -- it was a Cinderella costume. Holding the phone in one hand, Sam held the costume up against her body.
After glancing down and eyeing the bottom hem, she brought the phone back up to her ear and said, "Yeah, it's fine, Janet. Thanks again -- I don't know how my princess costume got ripped."
"No problem, Sam," Janet replied. "Well, I'll let you get dressed, then. See you in half an hour?"
"Yeah, I'll be there, Janet. 'Bye."
"'Bye."
*
Janet carefully adjusted the wig on her head until it looked perfectly in place. Giving herself one last look in the mirror, she strode out of her bedroom and headed to check on the party refreshments again.
After indulging in that particular impulse for the third time that evening, Janet determined that she was suffering from a severe case of pre-party jitters. Fervently resolving to preoccupy herself with other matters, she called out, "Cassandra? Do you need help getting dressed?"
"No, I've almost got it, Mom," came the reply. After a few minutes, during which Janet found herself anxiously fidgeting -- oh God, she wasn't taking after Colonel O'Neill, was she? -- Cassie stepped out of her bedroom.
The girl was wearing a flowing angel costume. Iridescent wings extended from her back, and a glittering halo adorned her head. "Do you like it?" she asked anxiously, glancing down at herself. "I know it doesn't look quite like it did in the store..."
"It looks wonderful, honey," her mother assured. At that moment, the sound of the doorbell interrupted their conversation.
"Ooh, can I get that?" Cassie asked, her eyes lit up with excitement.
"Sure, it's probably Sam," Janet replied. Cassie headed to the door, followed by Janet, and peeked through the peephole before opening the door.
"Hi, General Hammond," she greeted, and Janet moved to look out the door, where she saw General Hammond standing in a vampire costume.
"Hello, General," she started as she gestured for him to enter. "Sorry, I thought Sam would be here first..."
"It's all right, Doctor," he drawled, dismissing her concern with a wave of his hand. As he stepped past the threshold and into her house, he marveled at the eerie atmosphere of the decorated interior.
Noticing his gaze, Janet explained, "Sam helped me put up the spider webs last night." He nodded, and she was about to continue when the doorbell rang again. Janet said a quick "Excuse me" before heading to the door and pulling it open.
Standing on her doorstep was Teal'c, who was doing a very good impression of a bunny rabbit -- apparently, Colonel O'Neill's idea -- and as she invited him in, two nurses from the infirmary came up the walk.
For the next few minutes, all thought of conversation was forgotten as the guests kept arriving. Janet greeted each with a smile, marveling at the elaborate outfits and occasionally glancing back to watch the costumed guests mingling with each other.
*
When the number of arriving people seemed to trickle down, Janet allowed her mind to wander slightly. As her attention was no longer concentrated on greeting people, a stab of worry suddenly hit her at the realization that Sam was still not there -- after all, Sam *had* been responsible for helping to put the party together, and she should have arrived by now.
Just as niggling worry was growing into fear and Janet was about to call her friend, the doorbell rang again.
Habitually looking through the peephole after she had reached the door, Janet gratefully pulled it open. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off as Sam immediately began talking.
"Sorry I'm late, Janet," she started as she stepped inside and Janet shut the door. Turning to face her friend, Sam continued, "There was an accident blocking traffic. I tried to call you, but there was a busy signal..."
Janet stared at her, confused. "Busy signal?" She turned and headed toward her bedroom, Sam following close behind.
Upon entering, both immediately noticed a beeping sound, which Janet quickly pinpointed. Moving to her bedside table, Janet reached down and replaced the receiver on its hook.
"I must not have put it on correctly after calling you," Janet speculated, "and then it probably slipped off."
Sam smiled. "Kind of humbling to see that even with the Stargate and all the alien technology we've gotten our hands, on, we can still be foiled by a simple telephone," she joked.
At that moment, Cassie's voice could be heard down the hallway. "Mom!" she called as she burst into the room. Seeing Sam, her mission was momentarily forgotten, and she began, "Hi, Sam! I love your costume..." When she caught sight of Janet's slightly-exasperated "I'm busy, so what do you need?" look, she quickly got back to her point.
"Mom, someone spilled some Coke, and I can't find the towels," she said. Sighing, Janet moved out of the room and back to the living room, trailed by Sam and Cassie.
*
The music was playing, the people were mingling, and Janet was about ready for the whole thing to be over -- which wouldn't happen for another two hours, unfortunately. Janet gave an exhausted sigh.
After the Coke incident, Cassie had suggested a game of hide-and-seek. That had seemed like a good idea for all of ten minutes...until a ghost also known as Sergeant Davis had been a bit overexcited in his searching, and, in his haste to tag Teal'c -- who was crouched behind the refreshment table -- had accidentally caught his flowing sleeves on fire.
It had taken only a minute to extinguish the flames but almost twenty to clean up the mess he had made when, in a panic, he had managed to knock over the bowl of punch and send chips flying, along with destroying many of the bat-shaped cookies that Janet and Cassie had spent the better part of the afternoon baking.
Although Sam, Cassie, and the sheepish Davis had all pitched in with the cleanup, Janet was nevertheless exhausted and already swearing never to hold another party again. Sighing, she turned to Sam, who sat beside her on the couch, and was surprised at the sudden strange sense of worry that seemed to gnaw at her. She had been unaware of it before, what with all the messes to take care of, but now that she had time to think, she couldn't help but feel that there was something...*wrong* about the situation.
"Janet?" Sam asked, confused and concerned. "Is everything okay?"
Something in her words set Janet's mind rolling, and, at last, she was able to pinpoint the source of her uneasiness. "Sam, have you talked to Colonel O'Neill? He told me he would come tonight... Cassandra's been wanting to see him again."
"No, I haven't -- but now that you mention it, Daniel said that he was going to come, too. And I just saw the Colonel a few hours ago when I left the base.
"Huh, that's weird. Do you think something's happened to them?"
"I don't know... I can't think of a reason for them *both* to be missing."
Sam and Janet stared at each other, troubled. Both were unconsciously mimicking the slight hand-wringing motions of the other as they worried about their colleagues' fate.
The sound of the doorbell interrupted their cogitation, and both women jumped; they had been so lost in thought.
"Ooh, hope that's not the cops coming to investigate all that earlier yelling," Sergeant Siler teased loudly. He nudged Davis, who blushed furiously and mumbled an unintelligible response. Getting up from the couch, Janet frowned at Siler.
"Not funny..." she muttered as she and Sam headed toward the door. Janet pulled it open and was greeted by two dusty figures.
After a startled silence, Sam and Janet both began to speak at the same time.
"Sir!"
"Dr. Jackson!"
The two women glanced at each other and then turned back to the disheveled pair standing in the doorway.
"Daniel!"
"Colonel!"
"Hey, you gonna let us in, or what? We're growing old here, ya know, and I, of all people, do *not* need that." The impatient voice spurred Janet and Sam into action, and they stepped back simultaneously, allowing Jack and Daniel to enter.
As Janet shut the door and turned around to face the new newest arrivals, she and Sam did a double take.
"Raggedy Andy?" Janet stared at Daniel and blinked in surprise.
"Sir? Are you Prince Charming?" Sam asked incredulously.
His forehead creased, Jack looked at Sam and Janet, then at himself and Daniel, and back to Sam and Janet.
"Uh, is it just me, or are our costumes surprisingly...coordinated?" Jack ventured.
As if a light bulb had appeared above both their heads, Janet and Sam turned to each other, and suddenly, understanding dawned on both their faces.
"...What?" Daniel asked hesitantly, cocking his head in an effort to
decipher the exchange between the two women.
Janet turned to him. "Dr. Jackson-"
"Daniel," he corrected habitually and then blushed slightly. Jack and Sam exchanged a look, and Janet made an effort to ignore them and continue.
"*Daniel*..." Janet began again, a small smile quirking at her lips. "Did you pick out that costume yourself?"
A bit puzzled at the question, Daniel answered it nevertheless. "Actually, Sam suggested it. I figured it was better than anything Jack would've thought of, so..." He trailed off uncertainly.
Janet turned to Sam, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. "Well, Sam? Anything you'd like to explain?"
Instead of replying, Sam turned to her CO. "Sir? I don't suppose you could explain why you decided to dress up as Prince Charming?"
"She made me," he responded petulantly, jerking his thumb in Janet's direction. He opened his mouth to continue but was cut off when Sam began to speak.
"Well, Janet? Anything you'd like to explain?" Sam mimicked, eyebrow raised. The two women stared daggers at each other for a moment before a crash tore their attention back to the living room.
"Uh, sorry about that," Lieutenant Samuels said guiltily, righting his chair and nervously smoothing down his Superman cape.
"Bert! I told you not to lean back in that chair," came a voice from the crowd, and everyone around them chuckled.
"Sorry, Mom," he shot back sarcastically, and after another round of laughter, the multitude soon turned its attention back to small-talk.
Janet looked at the mass of people and sighed. "Sam, we'll talk later," she said threateningly, trying her best to give the other woman a harsh glare. Sam, however, merely smirked in response, and Janet threw up her hands in defeat as she headed to check on the refreshments.
Daniel, Sam, and Jack exchanged a look before heading after her to mingle with the crowd.
"Uh, Carter? About what you asked before -- you don't think I'd actually *choose* to wear this, do you?" Jack started, giving his 2IC a doubtful look.
Sam adjusted her puffy sleeves and strode back to the living room, simply flashing him a smile as she walked past.
"Well, you certainly make a dashing prince," Daniel snorted under his
breath, just loud enough for Jack to hear.
"Hey!" Jack started, before Daniel left him and followed Sam into the crowd.
*
Daniel plopped onto the couch, feeling completely worn out. It really had been a long day.
Staring into the glass of punch that he held in one hand, he allowed his thoughts to wander aimlessly and was surprised at how often they turned to a certain...redheaded...doctor...
"Mind if I join you?" Well, speak of the devil.
Janet stood before the couch, holding an identical glass of punch, and looking nervously at him. Wait a minute, nervously? He must've had too much punch...
Daniel shrugged and gestured at the couch with one hand as he tried desperately to quell the swarm of butterflies he suddenly felt fluttering in his stomach. "Hey, it's your couch..."
Janet sank down beside him, leaning back into the soft cushions.
"So, Doctor, are you enjoying the party?"
"Please, Doctor, call me Daniel." He repeated his words from earlier, and she smiled slightly.
"Janet, then," she replied.
They fell mute for a long moment, and though the surrounding crowd continued to chat, the quiet between them seemed to encircle them both in an enveloping shroud. Abruptly, Daniel found himself speaking merely to break the stifling silence.
"Hey, have you seen Sam?" he started. Janet chuckled dryly.
"Oh, she's probably hiding from me," Janet replied, a big grin on her face.
"Because she told me to dress up like you?" Daniel paused. "I mean, not *like* like you..."
Janet smiled in response. "Yeah, probably..."
They lapsed into silence again, but this time, it was a comfortable quiet. After a short while, Janet spoke again.
"So...why *were* you and Colonel O'Neill late, anyway?"
Grateful that this was a subject he could actually speak on, Daniel shifted to face Janet and began his narrative.
"Well, Jack thought that I was going to skip out on the party in order to work -- even though I wouldn't have, because I'd already told Sam that I would come -- so he dropped by my place to pick me up and personally 'escort' me here." He snorted.
"So, we're driving along, and everything's all fine and dandy until some idiot swerves in front of us and slams on the brakes."
Janet gasped in shock, and Daniel nodded. "I know! Then, the guy actually has the nerve to blame *us* for running into him, and we get into this huge argument.
"So, here we are, standing in the middle of the street, arms flying and everything. Someone ends up calling the cops, and so for this *teeny* rear-ender, we have to go all the way down to the police station to sort it all out.
"Luckily, the guy finally gave up and dropped the 'charges.' We came here as fast as we could, but it still took awhile, you know." Having finished his story, Daniel fixed his gaze on Janet.
"Wow," she started. "Sounds like you had quite an experience!"
Daniel grimaced. "Nothing I'd like to repeat for a long time," he muttered, and Janet smiled.
"I can understand that," she replied. Daniel smiled back. For a moment, they sat there, quietly enjoying each other's company. Then, gathering his courage, Daniel asked Janet the question that he'd been wondering ever since the four of them had separated at the door earlier.
"About Sam pulling the 'couple costume' gag... Do you- I mean, is it-" he stammered, looking half-embarrassed, half-frustrated at his inability to articulate his question.
"Is it such a terrible thing?" she finished gently, a touch of fond affection creeping into her voice.
"Yeah, that's it," he said gratefully. A pause. "Well, is it?"
Her forehead creased in concentration as she looked away, and Daniel immediately regretted ever opening his mouth. For crying out loud, if she had to *think* about it... Daniel winced at both her impending response and the Jackism that had crept into his mind's vocabulary.
At last, she took a deep breath, summoned all her courage, and looked up into his eyes, speaking softly.
"No. No, it doesn't." Janet stared into his eyes, waiting for his response. The blue depths seemed bottomless, and she could easily imagine getting lost in them...
Janet was startled at the unbidden thought. Maybe here was a man with whom she could finally find happiness. Maybe Sam had been right after all -- there *were* decent guys at the SGC; she had just never thought of them in that way before. But after all, there was a first time for everything...
Abruptly, Janet broke eye contact with Daniel and stared down at her hands in her lap as she held her breath in anxious anticipation of his response. No point in dreaming about the future if there wasn't one to dream about, right?
"Well...that's good to know."
Janet's heart plummeted as she heard his words. Perhaps she had mistaken his intentions all along. God, she felt like an idiot! How could she have been so stupid?
Janet could feel the tears brimming in her eyes -- *so* not the time, dear, she chided harshly to herself. She was about to murmur a hasty excuse and make a swift exit when Daniel's voice stopped her.
Softly, he said her name. "Janet..." The single word was spoken with such deep emotion that she felt compelled to look up into his face.
What she saw there startled her. His blue eyes had turned dark with passion, and when he spoke again, it was in a husky voice that sent delicious shivers spiraling down her spine.
"That's good to know...because if it weren't..." He paused before continuing, and even as she willed herself not to, she felt her heart skip a beat as she awaited his response. "If it weren't, I wouldn't be able to do this..."
With that, he leaned in toward her, putting one hand on the side of her face as he pulled her head in and gently brushed his lips against hers. Janet's eyes fluttered shut as she savored the sensation.
All too soon, it was over, and Janet reluctantly opened her eyes to gaze into his.
"So...what does this mean?" she whispered.
"Well...I guess it means that there's definitely an attraction between us, and if you'd like, we could go to dinner together..." She didn't say anything, so he added, "But only if you want to. What do you think?"
"I don't know... I mean, I know that I want to try this, but..." Janet swore softly, frustrated. "I don't know! Actually, that's it exactly -- I don't know anything *about* you," she said plaintively. "I want- It's just-" Janet's face fell, and Daniel felt a rush of affection.
"Well, I do," he said suddenly, and she stared at him, confusion creasing her forehead. "I know that you're patient -- who else could deal with Jack's constant whining every time he needs a shot and *not* throttle him? You can kick butt when you want to; Hathor was a great indication of that. You have a wonderful nurturing side, and you're a great mother to Cassandra. You're clever, sweet, and caring...
"And I hate that you're hesitating to go through with this because we've known each other for two years, and yet we haven't taken the time to become closer friends." Pausing, Daniel considered his next words.
What the hell, he figured. He'd already gone this far; put himself on the line; and regardless of how it all concluded, Daniel knew that he wanted to see this through to its finish, no matter if it ended as a joyful prelude to something more or as a bitter finale to an irreparable friendship.
Even if he had to continue on without her, he still wanted to know if his feelings were reciprocated -- and then he would decide how to move on from there. Taking a deep breath to garner his courage, Daniel spoke again.
"So, would you like the opportunity to get to know each other better?"
Janet gazed at him, a myriad of thoughts swirling and churning in her mind. Unexpectedly, a sudden thought coalesced from the chaos, and she realized that it all came down to one decision: to hide behind safety and routine and never know what could've been, or to risk everything by taking the plunge and, in the process, perhaps gain even more.
As Janet looked up into Daniel's face, her heart melted at his unsure, vulnerable expression, and she realized that she wanted to try this, she truly did, and she felt certain that even if it didn't work out, they would still find a way to maintain their budding friendship.
"Yes," she said at last, her insides warming at the way that Daniel's expression changed to delight. "I'd love to...and if that offer's still available, I wouldn't mind dinner together, either."
"Maybe Friday, then?"
"Friday sounds great," she replied. Daniel grinned at her, and she smiled back happily.
"I guess this party wasn't such a bad idea after all," Janet remarked, seductively placing a hand on his leg as she slid a little closer to him.
A crash from behind them caused Daniel to start, and he peered over her shoulder. "Uh, someone knocked over that bowl of chips..."
"Whoever did that had better clean up that mess," Janet called warningly, not turning from her position on the couch.
A voice anxiously squeaked back, "Very sorry, Doctor, I'll get it cleaned up," and Janet moved her hand up to Daniel's head, turning his face back toward her. She grinned.
"I'm sure they can handle it without us," she murmured softly as she pulled his head down toward hers.
*
Janet wearily raised her head from her pillow. Damn, I wish someone would turn off that infernal racket, she thought to herself as she reached for her alarm clock, preparing to hurl it across the room. Before she could act, however, a thought pierced through the foggy cloud surrounding her sleep-filled mind.
It wasn't her alarm clock that was making that noise, it was...the telephone.
Groggily, Janet picked up the phone. "*What*? I mean, hello?" she started, blearily peering at her alarm clock. Who could be calling at this ungodly hour of...9:00?
"Hey, Janet," came the perky voice, and Janet immediately became more awake.
"Sam, hi."
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" The voice on the other line, while *sounding* contrite, was laced with a slight hint of something else, and at once, Janet was on her guard.
"Yes, actually, you did," Janet replied matter-of-factly, endeavoring to guess what Sam was trying to get at. "I guess I'm too old to be partying into the night," she continued, abruptly stopping when she heard a muffled snort.
Okay, *that* was suspicious.
"Sam? What's going on?" she began, a furrow creasing her brow.
"Nothing," came the all-too-quick response, and Janet frowned.
"Come on, Sam, tell me. Now," she ordered, the edge of authority in her voice slicing through the line. Janet could almost see Sam wince -- and secretly, the thought appealed to her.
"Fine, Janet, it's just that-" Sam burst into uncharacteristic giggles, and Janet sighed in exasperation and impatience.
"Sam!"
"Okay, okay." A moment's pause, while Sam composed herself. "I was just wondering... When you say that you stayed up all night partying...
"Were you, perhaps, partying with a certain person? Into the night, you say?" Stifled laughter.
Janet could just imagine Sam's eyebrows waggling suggestively, and she groaned, appalled at the insinuation. "Sam! I can't believe you would say such a thing. And here I was, thinking that you were this innocent little angel..."
"Really, now?" Sam snorted in amusement, and Janet couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. "So...what happened?" Sam pressed expectantly.
"Well...we kissed," Janet started, unable to keep a grin from spreading across her face. "And we're going to dinner on Friday." She sighed contentedly.
"Ooh, that's great! I'm so happy for you two," Sam said with delight. "I can't believe it -- two of my best friends have gotten together." Janet smiled, grateful for her friend's support.
"Thanks, Sam."
"So, you kissed. Anything else happen? Hmm?" Janet merely shook her head in fond amusement. Sam just wouldn't be deterred, would she?
"No, Sam, of course not," Janet answered with a smile. "After all, it was just yesterday when we decided to pursue a relationship. What do you take me for?"
"Okay, okay," Sam responded contritely. "Sorry."
"Well, what happened with you and Colonel O'Neill? I saw you two talking last night -- and don't think I didn't notice that you bolted out of here at the first opportunity."
Sam laughed. "Really, you noticed? I would've thought that you were a little preoccupied and all, what with that head being glued to your face..."
"Hey!"
"Seriously, though, Janet -- we've just decided to be friends."
"Really?"
Sam smiled at the disappointment in her friend's voice. "Well, there may be an attraction between us, but as things stand, we're not going to pursue it. We *can't*, after all -- he's still my commanding officer, and neither of us is willing to quit the SGC just so we can be together.
"We'll still have our friendship, though, and that's enough for now. As for the rest, no one knows what the future will bring. If it's meant to be, it'll happen, and we'll wait for it because we can't do anything else."
Clearly not wishing to continue discussion of that particular topic, Sam deftly changed the subject. "So, about my pulling the costume gag... You're fine with that?"
"Yeah, of course, Sam. I mean, I did the same thing -- although it never would've worked out if your costume hadn't ripped."
"Must've been fate," Sam joked.
"Seriously, though, I would've thought that *you'd* be mad at *me*. After all, I seem to have interfered with your love life with nothing to show for it. I'm really sorry, Sam."
"Aww, it's okay, Janet," Sam replied, touched by her friend's concern. "Really, it's fine. I'm not gonna be all broken up because it didn't work out -- if it's worth happening, then it's worth waiting for. The best things in life are."
She gave an ironic laugh. "Bet you never guessed that I was such a sap, huh?" Janet chuckled softly, and Sam continued. "And, you know, I can wait. It's not like my love life was such a success before..."
"Well, I'm just glad that you have such a positive attitude about it all."
"I pride myself on my positive attitude," Sam declared, and Janet laughed. "Well, I just wanted to hear how everything turned out with you and Daniel. I guess I should let you get back to sleep now."
"Ah, I was getting up anyway," Janet replied, "but I don't have to be in until noon."
"Okay, mind if I drop by your office around three? You can tell me all the juicy details about last night."
"Sam, do you really want to know that? I mean, once you learn those things, you might never look at Daniel in the same way again..." They both laughed.
"Okay, 'bye, Janet."
"'Bye, Sam."
Janet smiled as she hung up the phone. Glancing at the clock, she slid out of bed and moved to get ready for work. As she headed into the bathroom to brush her teeth, her mind wandered to the coming day.
Daniel. She was bound to see him at the SGC. Her smile widened to a ridiculously huge grin, which remained even as she brushed, spat, rinsed, and headed back into her bedroom.
Surprisingly, Janet found herself not minding the fact that she couldn't stop smiling. She hadn't felt this alive and, well, *happy* in a long time. Moving to her closet, she even found herself humming a lively tune.
Janet pulled her uniform from its hanger and placed it on the bed. As she changed, Sam's words suddenly echoed in her mind.
*If it's worth happening, then it's worth waiting for.*
Janet hoped that Sam would find true love one day -- whether it was with Colonel O'Neill or someone else, she didn't know, and she frankly didn't care as long as her friend was happy.
She, on the other hand, had waited for her Prince Charming, and he had come in the guise of a brown-haired, accident-prone archaeologist who had swept her off her feet with his bumbling charm and adorable awkwardness.
Sam might be satisfied to wait and see what the future brought her, but as for Janet, she was perfectly content to live in the present, now that she had found what she was looking for at last.
~fin
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