OT3 update
Title: The Beginning of Something New..part 7
Author: elfcat255
Pairing: Sam/Janet/Vala
Rating: PG...sorry..did you think I was just gonna write smut with them all the time..sheesh
Spoilers: Umm...my Season 10 world..picks up from last chapter
Warnings: umm...nope
AN: There will be one more chapter coming sometime soon...I have to start typing it up...bleh...writing with toothache sucks.
Sam watched as Vala moved away from the van, her long strides eating up the distance from the vehicle to the picnic table rather fast and when she reached the table the woman began gathering trash, stuffing it into a plastic bag, “I’m going to dispose of this, “ she told Sam and Janet as she moved away towards a distant set of dumpsters.
Cassie soon reappeared from behind the van and made her way over to sit across from her parents at the picnic table, her elbows propped up on the wooden surface as she stared at them, “Okay spill it,” she said.
“First tell me what you said to Vala,” Sam asked their daughter, “ and then we’ll tell you what’s going on.”
“I asked her what was going on between the three of you and she refused to answer me, even when I pointed out she was just as stubborn as Sam trying to keep her feelings hidden,” Cass told her mothers; “You do realize she’s in love with the both of you…right?”
Her parents looked at one another and then turned to face her, “Yes, we know that Cassandra,” Janet told her and Sam added, “Did you have to be so blunt with her?”
“I’m not a naive twelve year old anymore you two, I call it like I see it and she loves you, both of you…a lot,” Cassie replied.
“Do you want to explain or do you want me too?” the doctor asked Sam.
“By all means explain what we’ve been going through for the last month,” Sam replied with a wave of her hand towards the young woman.
Janet started from the beginning, telling Cassie about all they had come to realize about Vala and that they too loved the dark-haired woman but were waiting for her to actually admit her own feelings before telling her theirs and that they both had done all they could to poke and prod at her trying to make that happen.
When Janet finished with her explanation Cassie just shook her head and groaned, “You guys always have to complicate things and you make it worse by not talking to each other.”
“Well then, little miss know-it-all, want to give us a helping hand?” Sam asked eyeing her daughter.
“I think you should tell her how the two of you feel but if you really want to wait until she says something first I’ll try to nudge her along a little,” Cass replied giving them a grin.
“Nudging is good but don’t back her into corner while you’re doing it, she can be a little skittish,” Janet told her.
“Just like Sam was?” Cass said with a wink to her taller mother.
“Yes, just like I was,” Sam admitted.
Cassie thought for a few moments then spoke, ”Well that whole first date thing won’t work, she’ll see through that; let me make phone call and I’ll let you know what I come up with before I try it.”
“Cassandra…” Janet began but Sam stopped her; “No, let’s see what she has in mind first hun,” the blonde said to her partner and Janet sighed as she nodded her head.
“Good, I’ll make that phone call now,” the young woman said, “and here she comes,” she added motioning towards Vala as she walked back towards the table and then she pulled her phone from her pocket, standing up to walk away as she searched for a number.
Vala walked up to the table and took Cassie’s vacated seat, “So what else do we do on these outings?” she asked looking at the women seated across from her.
Sam shrugged, “This is pretty much it, eat, play games, eat more and then go home,” she replied.
“The whole purpose of this was to cheer you up,“ Janet said nudging Sam in the side.
“Oh I’m up, way up now and I thank the both of you for it,” she told them.
“Janet did it all, I just kept my mouth shut,” Vala told her.
“No, you had the hardest job, putting up with my moods,” Sam said to her, smiling at the dark-haired woman and Vala ducked her head trying to hide the blush appearing on her cheeks.
“It’s true, “ Janet said to her as well, “even I can only handle her up to a certain point but you’ve been taking everything in stride.”
“It wasn’t that hard to do Jan,” Vala said looking up at the doctor, “I can let you in on my secret if you want me too.”
“Secret? There’s a secret involved?” Sam asked with a raise of her eyebrows.
Vala just grinned at the blonde and reaching into her jeans pocket pulled out something, holding her closed fist out over the table she opened it to reveal two orange earplugs and Janet burst out laughing.
Sam gave Vala a shocked look, “The whole time I thought you were being patient with me by listening to my grumblings you were wearing earplugs?” her voice raised in pitch as she asked the question.
Janet continued to laugh, tears formed in the corners of her eyes and wiping them away, “Oh why didn’t I think of that years ago,” she said in between her laughs.
“Well not all the time,” Vala said with a tilt of her head, “just during your more loud tantrums.”
“Give me those,” Sam muttered but she smiled at Vala as she tried to snatch the earplugs from her hand.
Moving her hand back Vala spoke, “Nope…I may still need them.”
“And you call me a comedian,“ Sam said to her partner as Janet finally controlled her laughter.
“The two of you are perfect together,“ the doctor said to them.
Just then Cassie walked back over, stopping any further conversation from the trio, “Hey Vala, do you want to go out with me and some friends tonight?”
Vala shook her head, “No, I’ll pass, besides you just met me; how do you know I’m fun to be around?”
“Well you have these two for friends, “ Cassie said with a nod toward her parents, “ I have known them to party pretty hard.”
“Hey now, we aren’t wallflowers but we do behave ourselves, “ Sam said quickly.
“You should go out with them Vala, you’ve been cooped up in the house with Sam for too long,” Janet told her.
“Come on it’ll be fun and it will let me get to know you better, “ Cassie said giving Vala a pleading look.
“Oh, I know that look,” Vala said raising an eyebrow as she looked at Sam who held her hands up; “What can I say she has some of my quirks,” she said with a laugh.
Vala thought for a few minutes and then with a nod she told Cassie, “Okay, I’ll go out with you tonight.”
“Alright!” Cassie exclaimed, “We’re going to have so much fun!”
“Just don’t get into any trouble please, “ Janet told her daughter.
“Trouble…me? Come on Mom, I’m a saint and you know it,” Cassie said to her mother with a small grin.
“Riiiggght,” Sam remarked which earned her a punch in the arm from the young woman, “ow, quit with the punching….I’m old remember…you might break me,” she grumbled, rubbing her arm.
This made the other three women burst out laughing and Cassie stuck her tongue out at Sam then sat down beside Vala; the four continued to make small talk, with Cassie telling them more about her time at school until the guys returned from their game of Frisbee golf.
**************************************
Sometime later the guys returned from their game and as Cassie helped her smaller mother load up the van she asked, “So…are the two of you really serious about all of this?”
Janet looked at her daughter and with a small smile replied, “Yes, we’ve both talked this over and decided instead of ignoring how we feel about her, we want to let her into our lives; do you have a problem with it?”
“Me…problem? Mom, I of all people have no problem with my mothers letting a woman from halfway across the galaxy into their lives, after all, you adopted me didn’t you? Maybe you and Sam just have a thing for lost alien girls,” Cassie said with a grin, nudging her mother.
“Well they do make our lives more interesting,” Janet replied giving Cass a little shove towards the table where Sam and Vala still sat.
“Van’s all loaded, you two ready to head home now?” Janet told them.
“Yup,” Sam said with a smile at her partner, “we have to get Vala all fixed up for her night out with the kids,” she added with a grin at the dark-haired woman.
“Why does that scare me?“ muttered Vala as she rose from the table and walked towards the van.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let them dress you,” Cassie called out after her and Vala turned to give the young woman a little bow; “My hero,” she replied back and turned to walk away again.
Janet looped an arm around Cassie’s waist and leaned her head in close to her daughter, “Was that a crack about our clothing sense?”
Cassie laughed loudly, “No, Mom but if she wants something other than jeans or leather I think she’ll let me help her,” the young woman told her while they walked to the van.
Looking over her shoulder Janet gave Sam a grin, “Oh I don’t know…leather works pretty well on Stretch back there,” she said with a wink that earned her a wicked smile from the woman behind them.
This just made Cassie burst into laughter as she looked back at her taller mother and saw the smile, “Geez, you two will never change,” she said as they reached the van.
“And you know you love us for it,” Sam told her daughter as she carefully climbed into the backseat to sit beside Vala who was trying to contain a grin at the interaction between the three.
“Oh yeah…big time,” Cassie remarked as she slid the back door shut and then climbed into the passenger seat.
**************************
A few hours later, Vala stood in front of the mirror in the bedroom running a critical eye over her chosen outfit. Standing there in a pair of faded jeans that were tight in just the right places and a white tank tee that barely covered her belly button she gave a slight nod then turned to see what Sam thought.
Vala grinned because the blonde had a far off dreamy look on her face, moving closer she waved a hand in front of her blue eyes, “Earth to Sam,” she said with a chuckle.
“Wha…huh?” Sam stuttered and then blushed, “Sorry, I was picturing both you and Janet in that outfit…very nice image.”
“So, I look okay?” Vala asked, hooking her thumbs in her front pockets and rocking back on her socked feet.
“Perfect and don’t let Cass talk you into changing, I don’t care what she thinks; a nice pair of jeans on a body like yours is damn sexy,” Sam told her with a crooked grin, “ but I think you need something else to finish it off.”
Sam rose from the bed and limped over to the closet, she searched around for a few minutes and with a loud “ah ha,” backed out of the closet holding a leather racing jacket, “This is too small for me now let’s see how it fits you,” she said handing the outerwear to Vala.
Slipping into the jacket Vala moved to stand before the mirror again; the waist length red and black jacket fit her perfectly, just enough shoulder room and the sleeves were the right length, zipping it up she found that it fit snug but she could still flex comfortably. She ran a hand over the well worn leather, “This is beautiful Sam, thanks for letting me wear it.”
“Keep it…it’s yours now,” Sam said gripping the dark haired woman on the shoulders from behind, “It was mine when I first started riding, about time it got a new owner.”
“Whoa! Okay I take back what I said about jeans and leather,” they heard from the doorway and turned to find Cassie and Janet standing there.
“So I look okay for a night out with people younger than me?” Vala asked the younger woman.
“We’re going to have to run interference for you all night, “ Cassie joked, walking in to sit on the bed. Vala’s eyes followed her over and then she looked back at Janet who was smiling and nodding her head.
“Speaking of interference,” Sam began but Janet stopped her; “I’ve already put my two cents in on that and it won’t make a difference if you do too,” the doctor told her partner.
Cassie looked down at her outfit, the short blue mini-skirt and matching tank top were no worse than what Vala wore, “You two need to quit it, I’m old enough to wear what I want,” she said smiling at her parents.
Sam threw up her hands, “Fine,” she remarked and then spoke in an aside to Vala, “keep an eye on her.” Vala gave her a wink and smiled at Cassie who was frowning at them but remained quiet.
Sam turned back to limp to the closet and returned with a pair of black cowboy boots, “These should fit you too,” she said as Vala took them from her hand and she limped over to the bed.
“I thought I told you to use the cane in the house,” Janet said eyeing her from the doorway still.
With a wave of her hand Sam snorted, “Whatever,” and then grumbled, “Okay,” when Janet’s look intensified.
“Alright let’s leave these two to grumble at each other,“ Cassie said rising from the bed, “Jennifer will be here soon.”
“Hailey?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, she’s not on a mission so I called to see if she wanted to hang out with us, actually it’s just the three of us going, “ Cassie told her as she moved out of the room, followed by Vala who was tugging the boots on as she walked.
Sam gave Janet a questioning look and the doctor shrugged her shoulders; Cassie had been friends with the young Lieutenant before she’d left for school but Sam didn’t know they had stayed in touch. Janet tossed her the cane from next to the door and she rose from the bed to limp towards her partner, “Well at least I know Hailey will keep an eye on them both, “ Sam muttered.
“We seem to be forgetting she’s been on her own for a while now Sam, I’m sure she’ll be okay and Vala will be fine too,” Janet told her, “ or are you worried about something else?”
Sam stopped in the doorway, “No, I’m not worried about anything, just nervous; Cassie still hasn’t explained what she’s up to yet with this whole going out thing,” the taller woman said.
Rubbing her partner’s shoulder, “We’ll handle whatever comes of it Sam,” the doctor told her and the couple made their way downstairs just as a horn blew from outside.
“That’s Jen…we’ll see you two later, don’t wait up,” Cassie said walking towards the front door with Vala close behind.
“Like I’m going to do that,” Sam called out after them as they walked out the door.
Vala smiled at the couple and with a little wave closed the door behind her. Janet snaked an arm around her partner’s waist, “Well…looks like we have the house all to ourselves,” she said looking up at Sam with a grin on her face.
Turning until she could wrap her arms around the doctor Sam smiled, “My, my…whatever shall we do to pass the time?” she said softly and ducked her head down, placing a soft kiss on Janet’s lips.
Janet pulled back from the kiss and replied, “Oh, I’m sure we’ll think of something,” then tugged on Sam’s waist, pulling her towards the couch, “you’re the smart one in this family.”
Sam just grinned and with a little push to the doctor, caused her to flop on the couch, “Hmm, let me think on it for a second…ah, got it!” she exclaimed and plopped on the couch next to Janet then she pulled the doctor over to lay in her lap.
Looking up, Janet laughed, “I think I like this idea,” she said.
“Then you’re going to love the rest,” Sam replied softly and bent over to place a kiss on the side of her partner’s neck.
************************************
Vala sat on the stool at the little table they grabbed in the corner of the club, she looked around the large open space, noting the second bar along the back wall and a booth where a young man could be seen working on music selections. There were a few people dancing out in the large open space in the middle of the club, she looked over to Cassie, “So, are we early or something?”
“Yeah, a little bit…it will pick up in about an hour or so, until then we can just relax and chit chat,” the young woman told her.
Just then Hailey returned from the bar, she set the drinks before the other two women and pulled a stool over to sit on; taking a sip from her beer she looked at Cass, “So, what have you been up to?”
Cassie began telling Jennifer all about school and living in San Francisco, Vala having heard all of this today sat looking around the club, playing with the label on her beer bottle. She saw a few mixed couples dancing and gave Cassie and Hailey an odd look, interrupting their conversation to ask, “Excuse me but is this gay bar?”
Hailey answered, “No, but no one cares here, it’s kind of a safe place for everyone to go, you don’t have to worry about anyone bothering you or asking questions they don’t need too.”
Vala just nodded and let the two younger women continue with their talk. ‘I wonder what Sam and Janet are doing since they have the house to themselves?’ she thought to herself and then grinned, ‘probably acting like a couple of love-sick teenagers.’ Sitting there she began thinking of all the things the couple could be doing, grinning then looking up she discovered she’d missed the end of the younger woman’s conversation and both of them were staring at her with questioning looks.
“I asked if you have enjoyed staying with my parents,” Cassie repeated.
“Oh…sorry, umm…yeah I’ve had a great time; it’s much better than staying cooped up on the base all the time and I’ve learned lots of new things thanks to Sam and Janet both,” Vala said quickly and then asked, “Which way to the restrooms?”
Hailey pointed to the corner across the dance floor and Vala thanked her with a nod then slipped off her stool, moving towards the restrooms. The young lieutenant watched her walk away and turned back to Cassie, “Okay what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Cassie remarked.
Jennifer rolled her eyes, “Cass I know that look, you’re up to something now let me in on it,” she told her friend.
“Fine but first what can you tell me about Vala,” Cassie said, sipping her drink.
“Well I haven’t been on any missions with her but from what I’ve heard through the base gossip vine she’s kind of a flirt and seems to get into trouble a lot but I’ve also overheard Colonel Mitchell talking about her and you can count on her in a pinch. Personally I think she’s an okay person and she seems to be an integral part of SG-1 now,” Hailey told her; “Why you thinking of making a move on her?” she added with a nudge to Cassie’s arm.
Cassie laughed, “No…I’m not making a move on her but I am helping out my folks, see this is what has happened and you can’t tell anybody….” and Cass began telling Hailey all she’d discovered when she came home for this visit.
Vala returned shortly after Cassie finished explaining everything to Jennifer and the three continued to talk, finishing another round of drinks as they conversed. While this took place the atmosphere in the club began to pick up as more people arrived to enjoy a night out. Soon all hopes of finishing any conversation were dashed as the music began playing louder and the dance floor filled up with bodies.
“Come on let’s go dance,” Cassie told the two as she slipped off her stool.
Vala shook her head, “I’ll sit this one out, you two go,” she told them and when Cassie started to protest she added over the loud music, “I’m not going to sit here all night, I just want to watch for a little while, don’t want to make a fool of myself when I do go out there.”
Cassie gave her a shrug and grabbed Jennifer’s hand, dragging her out onto the dance floor where they were quickly surrounded by bodies, mostly male bodies. For a few minutes Vala watched the mass of dancing people while sipping on her beer, she believed she could hold her own out there and finishing off her drink she slipped from the stool to move out onto the dance floor. Making her way through the people she found Cassie and Jennifer dancing close together, in the middle of a mixed group. She slipped in beside them and began moving her body to the driving beat of the music blaring through the club.
Several times as she danced Vala would feel hands on her hips and a body behind her, every time she looked over her shoulder there would be a guy standing there grinning; whenever this happened she would give them a smile and then use the heel of her boot to stomp on their feet, they quickly moved to other partners. She continued to dance with Cassie and Jennifer, following their moves as they danced until she felt the hands return to her waist; looking over her shoulder she was surprised to see a woman standing there…a very beautiful woman. She felt the hands slide from her waist to rest on her hips and the woman pulled her closer to move in a slow grind together as the music pulsed and bodies danced around them.
Cassie looked over Hailey’s shoulder to see Vala dancing close to another woman…one who’s clothing left little to the imagination as the leather mini-skirt and white half-tee left ample skin uncovered, showing off her lithe, toned figure. The younger woman watched as Vala moved with the woman, she had her head thrown back and one hand covered the one holding her hip tightly. When the woman made to move a hand up to slip under the leather and stroke the exposed skin on Vala’s stomach Cassie saw the dark-haired woman stiffen then break away from the other woman to move quickly off the dance floor. Cassie motioned to Hailey that she was going to sit down and left the floor, making her way over to their table where Vala now stood, removing her jacket.
“Getting a little warm out there isn’t it?” Cassie asked loudly over the music.
“Just a little bit,” Vala replied, “I’m going to get a drink; do you want something?”
“Bring me back whatever you get,” Cassie told her and then watched as Vala moved away from the table walking towards the bar.
The young woman watched as Vala stood by the bar waiting for service, she saw several men try to hit on the woman but every time Vala would just smile and shake her head. She recognized one of them as a guy who had been bugging all three of them on the dance floor and she laughed out loud when she saw Vala dump a drink over his head, maybe now he finally got a clue. Soon the dark-haired woman was headed back to the table with three beers in her hands, just before she reached the table the woman from the dance floor appeared in front of her halting Vala in mid-stride.
‘Oh…let’s see how she handles this,’ Cassie mused to herself.
She watched as the woman ran a finger up Vala’s arm and lean closer to her, saying something in her ear; this made Vala jump and Cassie realized the woman’s other hand had disappeared behind Vala. She saw Vala say something to the woman and then she slipped past her, moving towards the table again.
“Problems?” Cassie asked as Vala set the drinks on the table.
“No, but are people always this forward here?” she asked, taking a drink from her beer.
“Well when you look like that it happens,” Cassie said motioning her head to Vala’s body.
That was when Vala realized she was covered in sweat, which made the tank tee cling to her like a second skin and caused her skin to glisten from the overhead lighting, “Yeah, I guess so,” she said agreeing with Cass.
Just then Jennifer walked up and plopped on her stool, breathing heavily she picked up one of the beers and took a long swig, “Okay, you two need to hurry up and get back out there, I’m getting manhandled by myself,” she said after swallowing.
“We were coming back…just take a breather for a little bit Jen,” Cassie told her.
The young lieutenant took another drink from the beer and nodded, “Good idea.”
Sitting out the next couple of songs they finished their drinks and then with a renewed vigor set back out towards the dance floor. Hailey had been right, as long as the three of them stayed close together no one tried to cut in, that is until the woman from before showed up, trying to pull Vala away from their little group dance.
****************************
Cassie watched as Vala tried everything she could to stay away from the woman and finally she moved off the dance floor, walking towards the restroom with the woman not far behind her. Cassie pointed towards the restrooms and Jennifer nodded, they made their way through the bodies, reaching the facilities not long after Vala and the woman entered. A couple of women walked out of the restroom and Cassie caught the door before it closed, pulling Jennifer in with her; there was a wall blocking the door from plain sight and Cass peeked out around it to see if she could see what was happening.
The woman had Vala backed up against the far wall and seemed to be making am impassioned plea to the dark-haired woman. Cassie heard Vala’s voice raise, “I told you no; how many times do I have to repeat myself?”
The woman’s voice echoed through the now empty bathroom, “Aw come on I just want to have a little fun.”
“Sorry but as I tried to explain I have commitments elsewhere,” Vala said, trying to move past her.
The woman placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping the movement, “Must not be much of a commitment if you’re here on a Friday night, now come on…you can play with me just for a little while,” she said in a smoky voice.
Vala placed her hand on the woman’s where it rested on her shoulder and picked it up, letting it drop, “I said no,” and she moved away from the woman.
Cassie turned and shoved Jennifer towards the door before Vala could catch them eavesdropping, they exited it and had just turned around again when Vala walked out, “Oh hi,” she said, “ I’m going to sit at the table for awhile,” she told them and moved away across the floor towards their seats.
The two young women re-entered the bathroom and while Jennifer went to an empty stall Cassie stood at the sink washing her hands. She glanced over at the woman who had been stalking Vala all night and saw a disgruntled look on her face, “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Oh I’m fine sweetheart…word of advice for you, never set your sights on someone in love, they’ll shoot you down every time,” she told Cassie and then walked past her and out of the bathroom.
Cassie stood there for a second and then told Jennifer she’d see her back at the table, when the other woman acknowledged that she left the restroom and made her way back over to their table, where Vala sat sipping on a beer.
“You can tell a perfect stranger you’re in love but you can’t tell my parents that?” the young woman blurted out over the music.
Vala spewed beer out of her mouth, “What?”
“You heard me, why can’t you tell that to my parents?” Cassie demanded, she didn’t want to push the woman but after overhearing the conversation and then what the woman told her she was a little worked up that Vala could use it as an excuse to get away from grabby people.
“I really don’t want to talk about this here,” Vala said in a loud voice and started to move towards the dance floor again.
Cassie grabbed Vala’s arm as she passed her, “No more running, you talk about it or else forget it; I’m not going to have you playing with their feelings,” the young woman yelled.
Vala glared at the young woman, she tugged her arm out of Cassie’s grasp and yelled back, “It doesn’t concern you so I don’t have to talk if I don’t want to!”
With that said she grabbed her jacket from the stool and strode towards the entrance of the club, leaving a stunned Cassie to stare after her, “Oh crap!” she exclaimed and ran after Vala.
She reached the outside just as Vala was stepping into a waiting cab, “Vala, I’m sorry…come back inside and have another beer, I‘ll stop pestering you,” Cassie called out as she ran up to the vehicle.
“I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night, tell your parents I’m staying at the base tonight and I’ll call tomorrow,” Vala told her and stepped into the cab, closing the door behind her.
Cassie watched the cab pull away and jumped slightly when she felt a hand land on her shoulder, she turned to find Jennifer standing behind her, “What happened?” she asked.
“I just let my temper get the best of me and screwed up royally,” Cassie muttered and explained what had just happened.
Hailey looped an arm over the slightly taller girl’s shoulder’s, “Eh, every plan is not foolproof Cassie and this time it was you who were the fool. Don’t worry I’m sure once she has time to think over things she’ll go back to the house,” Jennifer told her as they turned to walk back into the club, “Let’s go dance a little more and then I’ll take you home.”
Cassie groaned, “Home…just great, they’ll kill me slowly when I tell them what happened.”
Jennifer squeezed her closer and spoke, “I got your six Cass,” she joked and Cassie gave her a small smile as they walked through the club entrance.
Author: elfcat255
Pairing: Sam/Janet/Vala
Rating: PG...sorry..did you think I was just gonna write smut with them all the time..sheesh
Spoilers: Umm...my Season 10 world..picks up from last chapter
Warnings: umm...nope
AN: There will be one more chapter coming sometime soon...I have to start typing it up...bleh...writing with toothache sucks.
Sam watched as Vala moved away from the van, her long strides eating up the distance from the vehicle to the picnic table rather fast and when she reached the table the woman began gathering trash, stuffing it into a plastic bag, “I’m going to dispose of this, “ she told Sam and Janet as she moved away towards a distant set of dumpsters.
Cassie soon reappeared from behind the van and made her way over to sit across from her parents at the picnic table, her elbows propped up on the wooden surface as she stared at them, “Okay spill it,” she said.
“First tell me what you said to Vala,” Sam asked their daughter, “ and then we’ll tell you what’s going on.”
“I asked her what was going on between the three of you and she refused to answer me, even when I pointed out she was just as stubborn as Sam trying to keep her feelings hidden,” Cass told her mothers; “You do realize she’s in love with the both of you…right?”
Her parents looked at one another and then turned to face her, “Yes, we know that Cassandra,” Janet told her and Sam added, “Did you have to be so blunt with her?”
“I’m not a naive twelve year old anymore you two, I call it like I see it and she loves you, both of you…a lot,” Cassie replied.
“Do you want to explain or do you want me too?” the doctor asked Sam.
“By all means explain what we’ve been going through for the last month,” Sam replied with a wave of her hand towards the young woman.
Janet started from the beginning, telling Cassie about all they had come to realize about Vala and that they too loved the dark-haired woman but were waiting for her to actually admit her own feelings before telling her theirs and that they both had done all they could to poke and prod at her trying to make that happen.
When Janet finished with her explanation Cassie just shook her head and groaned, “You guys always have to complicate things and you make it worse by not talking to each other.”
“Well then, little miss know-it-all, want to give us a helping hand?” Sam asked eyeing her daughter.
“I think you should tell her how the two of you feel but if you really want to wait until she says something first I’ll try to nudge her along a little,” Cass replied giving them a grin.
“Nudging is good but don’t back her into corner while you’re doing it, she can be a little skittish,” Janet told her.
“Just like Sam was?” Cass said with a wink to her taller mother.
“Yes, just like I was,” Sam admitted.
Cassie thought for a few moments then spoke, ”Well that whole first date thing won’t work, she’ll see through that; let me make phone call and I’ll let you know what I come up with before I try it.”
“Cassandra…” Janet began but Sam stopped her; “No, let’s see what she has in mind first hun,” the blonde said to her partner and Janet sighed as she nodded her head.
“Good, I’ll make that phone call now,” the young woman said, “and here she comes,” she added motioning towards Vala as she walked back towards the table and then she pulled her phone from her pocket, standing up to walk away as she searched for a number.
Vala walked up to the table and took Cassie’s vacated seat, “So what else do we do on these outings?” she asked looking at the women seated across from her.
Sam shrugged, “This is pretty much it, eat, play games, eat more and then go home,” she replied.
“The whole purpose of this was to cheer you up,“ Janet said nudging Sam in the side.
“Oh I’m up, way up now and I thank the both of you for it,” she told them.
“Janet did it all, I just kept my mouth shut,” Vala told her.
“No, you had the hardest job, putting up with my moods,” Sam said to her, smiling at the dark-haired woman and Vala ducked her head trying to hide the blush appearing on her cheeks.
“It’s true, “ Janet said to her as well, “even I can only handle her up to a certain point but you’ve been taking everything in stride.”
“It wasn’t that hard to do Jan,” Vala said looking up at the doctor, “I can let you in on my secret if you want me too.”
“Secret? There’s a secret involved?” Sam asked with a raise of her eyebrows.
Vala just grinned at the blonde and reaching into her jeans pocket pulled out something, holding her closed fist out over the table she opened it to reveal two orange earplugs and Janet burst out laughing.
Sam gave Vala a shocked look, “The whole time I thought you were being patient with me by listening to my grumblings you were wearing earplugs?” her voice raised in pitch as she asked the question.
Janet continued to laugh, tears formed in the corners of her eyes and wiping them away, “Oh why didn’t I think of that years ago,” she said in between her laughs.
“Well not all the time,” Vala said with a tilt of her head, “just during your more loud tantrums.”
“Give me those,” Sam muttered but she smiled at Vala as she tried to snatch the earplugs from her hand.
Moving her hand back Vala spoke, “Nope…I may still need them.”
“And you call me a comedian,“ Sam said to her partner as Janet finally controlled her laughter.
“The two of you are perfect together,“ the doctor said to them.
Just then Cassie walked back over, stopping any further conversation from the trio, “Hey Vala, do you want to go out with me and some friends tonight?”
Vala shook her head, “No, I’ll pass, besides you just met me; how do you know I’m fun to be around?”
“Well you have these two for friends, “ Cassie said with a nod toward her parents, “ I have known them to party pretty hard.”
“Hey now, we aren’t wallflowers but we do behave ourselves, “ Sam said quickly.
“You should go out with them Vala, you’ve been cooped up in the house with Sam for too long,” Janet told her.
“Come on it’ll be fun and it will let me get to know you better, “ Cassie said giving Vala a pleading look.
“Oh, I know that look,” Vala said raising an eyebrow as she looked at Sam who held her hands up; “What can I say she has some of my quirks,” she said with a laugh.
Vala thought for a few minutes and then with a nod she told Cassie, “Okay, I’ll go out with you tonight.”
“Alright!” Cassie exclaimed, “We’re going to have so much fun!”
“Just don’t get into any trouble please, “ Janet told her daughter.
“Trouble…me? Come on Mom, I’m a saint and you know it,” Cassie said to her mother with a small grin.
“Riiiggght,” Sam remarked which earned her a punch in the arm from the young woman, “ow, quit with the punching….I’m old remember…you might break me,” she grumbled, rubbing her arm.
This made the other three women burst out laughing and Cassie stuck her tongue out at Sam then sat down beside Vala; the four continued to make small talk, with Cassie telling them more about her time at school until the guys returned from their game of Frisbee golf.
**************************************
Sometime later the guys returned from their game and as Cassie helped her smaller mother load up the van she asked, “So…are the two of you really serious about all of this?”
Janet looked at her daughter and with a small smile replied, “Yes, we’ve both talked this over and decided instead of ignoring how we feel about her, we want to let her into our lives; do you have a problem with it?”
“Me…problem? Mom, I of all people have no problem with my mothers letting a woman from halfway across the galaxy into their lives, after all, you adopted me didn’t you? Maybe you and Sam just have a thing for lost alien girls,” Cassie said with a grin, nudging her mother.
“Well they do make our lives more interesting,” Janet replied giving Cass a little shove towards the table where Sam and Vala still sat.
“Van’s all loaded, you two ready to head home now?” Janet told them.
“Yup,” Sam said with a smile at her partner, “we have to get Vala all fixed up for her night out with the kids,” she added with a grin at the dark-haired woman.
“Why does that scare me?“ muttered Vala as she rose from the table and walked towards the van.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let them dress you,” Cassie called out after her and Vala turned to give the young woman a little bow; “My hero,” she replied back and turned to walk away again.
Janet looped an arm around Cassie’s waist and leaned her head in close to her daughter, “Was that a crack about our clothing sense?”
Cassie laughed loudly, “No, Mom but if she wants something other than jeans or leather I think she’ll let me help her,” the young woman told her while they walked to the van.
Looking over her shoulder Janet gave Sam a grin, “Oh I don’t know…leather works pretty well on Stretch back there,” she said with a wink that earned her a wicked smile from the woman behind them.
This just made Cassie burst into laughter as she looked back at her taller mother and saw the smile, “Geez, you two will never change,” she said as they reached the van.
“And you know you love us for it,” Sam told her daughter as she carefully climbed into the backseat to sit beside Vala who was trying to contain a grin at the interaction between the three.
“Oh yeah…big time,” Cassie remarked as she slid the back door shut and then climbed into the passenger seat.
**************************
A few hours later, Vala stood in front of the mirror in the bedroom running a critical eye over her chosen outfit. Standing there in a pair of faded jeans that were tight in just the right places and a white tank tee that barely covered her belly button she gave a slight nod then turned to see what Sam thought.
Vala grinned because the blonde had a far off dreamy look on her face, moving closer she waved a hand in front of her blue eyes, “Earth to Sam,” she said with a chuckle.
“Wha…huh?” Sam stuttered and then blushed, “Sorry, I was picturing both you and Janet in that outfit…very nice image.”
“So, I look okay?” Vala asked, hooking her thumbs in her front pockets and rocking back on her socked feet.
“Perfect and don’t let Cass talk you into changing, I don’t care what she thinks; a nice pair of jeans on a body like yours is damn sexy,” Sam told her with a crooked grin, “ but I think you need something else to finish it off.”
Sam rose from the bed and limped over to the closet, she searched around for a few minutes and with a loud “ah ha,” backed out of the closet holding a leather racing jacket, “This is too small for me now let’s see how it fits you,” she said handing the outerwear to Vala.
Slipping into the jacket Vala moved to stand before the mirror again; the waist length red and black jacket fit her perfectly, just enough shoulder room and the sleeves were the right length, zipping it up she found that it fit snug but she could still flex comfortably. She ran a hand over the well worn leather, “This is beautiful Sam, thanks for letting me wear it.”
“Keep it…it’s yours now,” Sam said gripping the dark haired woman on the shoulders from behind, “It was mine when I first started riding, about time it got a new owner.”
“Whoa! Okay I take back what I said about jeans and leather,” they heard from the doorway and turned to find Cassie and Janet standing there.
“So I look okay for a night out with people younger than me?” Vala asked the younger woman.
“We’re going to have to run interference for you all night, “ Cassie joked, walking in to sit on the bed. Vala’s eyes followed her over and then she looked back at Janet who was smiling and nodding her head.
“Speaking of interference,” Sam began but Janet stopped her; “I’ve already put my two cents in on that and it won’t make a difference if you do too,” the doctor told her partner.
Cassie looked down at her outfit, the short blue mini-skirt and matching tank top were no worse than what Vala wore, “You two need to quit it, I’m old enough to wear what I want,” she said smiling at her parents.
Sam threw up her hands, “Fine,” she remarked and then spoke in an aside to Vala, “keep an eye on her.” Vala gave her a wink and smiled at Cassie who was frowning at them but remained quiet.
Sam turned back to limp to the closet and returned with a pair of black cowboy boots, “These should fit you too,” she said as Vala took them from her hand and she limped over to the bed.
“I thought I told you to use the cane in the house,” Janet said eyeing her from the doorway still.
With a wave of her hand Sam snorted, “Whatever,” and then grumbled, “Okay,” when Janet’s look intensified.
“Alright let’s leave these two to grumble at each other,“ Cassie said rising from the bed, “Jennifer will be here soon.”
“Hailey?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, she’s not on a mission so I called to see if she wanted to hang out with us, actually it’s just the three of us going, “ Cassie told her as she moved out of the room, followed by Vala who was tugging the boots on as she walked.
Sam gave Janet a questioning look and the doctor shrugged her shoulders; Cassie had been friends with the young Lieutenant before she’d left for school but Sam didn’t know they had stayed in touch. Janet tossed her the cane from next to the door and she rose from the bed to limp towards her partner, “Well at least I know Hailey will keep an eye on them both, “ Sam muttered.
“We seem to be forgetting she’s been on her own for a while now Sam, I’m sure she’ll be okay and Vala will be fine too,” Janet told her, “ or are you worried about something else?”
Sam stopped in the doorway, “No, I’m not worried about anything, just nervous; Cassie still hasn’t explained what she’s up to yet with this whole going out thing,” the taller woman said.
Rubbing her partner’s shoulder, “We’ll handle whatever comes of it Sam,” the doctor told her and the couple made their way downstairs just as a horn blew from outside.
“That’s Jen…we’ll see you two later, don’t wait up,” Cassie said walking towards the front door with Vala close behind.
“Like I’m going to do that,” Sam called out after them as they walked out the door.
Vala smiled at the couple and with a little wave closed the door behind her. Janet snaked an arm around her partner’s waist, “Well…looks like we have the house all to ourselves,” she said looking up at Sam with a grin on her face.
Turning until she could wrap her arms around the doctor Sam smiled, “My, my…whatever shall we do to pass the time?” she said softly and ducked her head down, placing a soft kiss on Janet’s lips.
Janet pulled back from the kiss and replied, “Oh, I’m sure we’ll think of something,” then tugged on Sam’s waist, pulling her towards the couch, “you’re the smart one in this family.”
Sam just grinned and with a little push to the doctor, caused her to flop on the couch, “Hmm, let me think on it for a second…ah, got it!” she exclaimed and plopped on the couch next to Janet then she pulled the doctor over to lay in her lap.
Looking up, Janet laughed, “I think I like this idea,” she said.
“Then you’re going to love the rest,” Sam replied softly and bent over to place a kiss on the side of her partner’s neck.
************************************
Vala sat on the stool at the little table they grabbed in the corner of the club, she looked around the large open space, noting the second bar along the back wall and a booth where a young man could be seen working on music selections. There were a few people dancing out in the large open space in the middle of the club, she looked over to Cassie, “So, are we early or something?”
“Yeah, a little bit…it will pick up in about an hour or so, until then we can just relax and chit chat,” the young woman told her.
Just then Hailey returned from the bar, she set the drinks before the other two women and pulled a stool over to sit on; taking a sip from her beer she looked at Cass, “So, what have you been up to?”
Cassie began telling Jennifer all about school and living in San Francisco, Vala having heard all of this today sat looking around the club, playing with the label on her beer bottle. She saw a few mixed couples dancing and gave Cassie and Hailey an odd look, interrupting their conversation to ask, “Excuse me but is this gay bar?”
Hailey answered, “No, but no one cares here, it’s kind of a safe place for everyone to go, you don’t have to worry about anyone bothering you or asking questions they don’t need too.”
Vala just nodded and let the two younger women continue with their talk. ‘I wonder what Sam and Janet are doing since they have the house to themselves?’ she thought to herself and then grinned, ‘probably acting like a couple of love-sick teenagers.’ Sitting there she began thinking of all the things the couple could be doing, grinning then looking up she discovered she’d missed the end of the younger woman’s conversation and both of them were staring at her with questioning looks.
“I asked if you have enjoyed staying with my parents,” Cassie repeated.
“Oh…sorry, umm…yeah I’ve had a great time; it’s much better than staying cooped up on the base all the time and I’ve learned lots of new things thanks to Sam and Janet both,” Vala said quickly and then asked, “Which way to the restrooms?”
Hailey pointed to the corner across the dance floor and Vala thanked her with a nod then slipped off her stool, moving towards the restrooms. The young lieutenant watched her walk away and turned back to Cassie, “Okay what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Cassie remarked.
Jennifer rolled her eyes, “Cass I know that look, you’re up to something now let me in on it,” she told her friend.
“Fine but first what can you tell me about Vala,” Cassie said, sipping her drink.
“Well I haven’t been on any missions with her but from what I’ve heard through the base gossip vine she’s kind of a flirt and seems to get into trouble a lot but I’ve also overheard Colonel Mitchell talking about her and you can count on her in a pinch. Personally I think she’s an okay person and she seems to be an integral part of SG-1 now,” Hailey told her; “Why you thinking of making a move on her?” she added with a nudge to Cassie’s arm.
Cassie laughed, “No…I’m not making a move on her but I am helping out my folks, see this is what has happened and you can’t tell anybody….” and Cass began telling Hailey all she’d discovered when she came home for this visit.
Vala returned shortly after Cassie finished explaining everything to Jennifer and the three continued to talk, finishing another round of drinks as they conversed. While this took place the atmosphere in the club began to pick up as more people arrived to enjoy a night out. Soon all hopes of finishing any conversation were dashed as the music began playing louder and the dance floor filled up with bodies.
“Come on let’s go dance,” Cassie told the two as she slipped off her stool.
Vala shook her head, “I’ll sit this one out, you two go,” she told them and when Cassie started to protest she added over the loud music, “I’m not going to sit here all night, I just want to watch for a little while, don’t want to make a fool of myself when I do go out there.”
Cassie gave her a shrug and grabbed Jennifer’s hand, dragging her out onto the dance floor where they were quickly surrounded by bodies, mostly male bodies. For a few minutes Vala watched the mass of dancing people while sipping on her beer, she believed she could hold her own out there and finishing off her drink she slipped from the stool to move out onto the dance floor. Making her way through the people she found Cassie and Jennifer dancing close together, in the middle of a mixed group. She slipped in beside them and began moving her body to the driving beat of the music blaring through the club.
Several times as she danced Vala would feel hands on her hips and a body behind her, every time she looked over her shoulder there would be a guy standing there grinning; whenever this happened she would give them a smile and then use the heel of her boot to stomp on their feet, they quickly moved to other partners. She continued to dance with Cassie and Jennifer, following their moves as they danced until she felt the hands return to her waist; looking over her shoulder she was surprised to see a woman standing there…a very beautiful woman. She felt the hands slide from her waist to rest on her hips and the woman pulled her closer to move in a slow grind together as the music pulsed and bodies danced around them.
Cassie looked over Hailey’s shoulder to see Vala dancing close to another woman…one who’s clothing left little to the imagination as the leather mini-skirt and white half-tee left ample skin uncovered, showing off her lithe, toned figure. The younger woman watched as Vala moved with the woman, she had her head thrown back and one hand covered the one holding her hip tightly. When the woman made to move a hand up to slip under the leather and stroke the exposed skin on Vala’s stomach Cassie saw the dark-haired woman stiffen then break away from the other woman to move quickly off the dance floor. Cassie motioned to Hailey that she was going to sit down and left the floor, making her way over to their table where Vala now stood, removing her jacket.
“Getting a little warm out there isn’t it?” Cassie asked loudly over the music.
“Just a little bit,” Vala replied, “I’m going to get a drink; do you want something?”
“Bring me back whatever you get,” Cassie told her and then watched as Vala moved away from the table walking towards the bar.
The young woman watched as Vala stood by the bar waiting for service, she saw several men try to hit on the woman but every time Vala would just smile and shake her head. She recognized one of them as a guy who had been bugging all three of them on the dance floor and she laughed out loud when she saw Vala dump a drink over his head, maybe now he finally got a clue. Soon the dark-haired woman was headed back to the table with three beers in her hands, just before she reached the table the woman from the dance floor appeared in front of her halting Vala in mid-stride.
‘Oh…let’s see how she handles this,’ Cassie mused to herself.
She watched as the woman ran a finger up Vala’s arm and lean closer to her, saying something in her ear; this made Vala jump and Cassie realized the woman’s other hand had disappeared behind Vala. She saw Vala say something to the woman and then she slipped past her, moving towards the table again.
“Problems?” Cassie asked as Vala set the drinks on the table.
“No, but are people always this forward here?” she asked, taking a drink from her beer.
“Well when you look like that it happens,” Cassie said motioning her head to Vala’s body.
That was when Vala realized she was covered in sweat, which made the tank tee cling to her like a second skin and caused her skin to glisten from the overhead lighting, “Yeah, I guess so,” she said agreeing with Cass.
Just then Jennifer walked up and plopped on her stool, breathing heavily she picked up one of the beers and took a long swig, “Okay, you two need to hurry up and get back out there, I’m getting manhandled by myself,” she said after swallowing.
“We were coming back…just take a breather for a little bit Jen,” Cassie told her.
The young lieutenant took another drink from the beer and nodded, “Good idea.”
Sitting out the next couple of songs they finished their drinks and then with a renewed vigor set back out towards the dance floor. Hailey had been right, as long as the three of them stayed close together no one tried to cut in, that is until the woman from before showed up, trying to pull Vala away from their little group dance.
****************************
Cassie watched as Vala tried everything she could to stay away from the woman and finally she moved off the dance floor, walking towards the restroom with the woman not far behind her. Cassie pointed towards the restrooms and Jennifer nodded, they made their way through the bodies, reaching the facilities not long after Vala and the woman entered. A couple of women walked out of the restroom and Cassie caught the door before it closed, pulling Jennifer in with her; there was a wall blocking the door from plain sight and Cass peeked out around it to see if she could see what was happening.
The woman had Vala backed up against the far wall and seemed to be making am impassioned plea to the dark-haired woman. Cassie heard Vala’s voice raise, “I told you no; how many times do I have to repeat myself?”
The woman’s voice echoed through the now empty bathroom, “Aw come on I just want to have a little fun.”
“Sorry but as I tried to explain I have commitments elsewhere,” Vala said, trying to move past her.
The woman placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping the movement, “Must not be much of a commitment if you’re here on a Friday night, now come on…you can play with me just for a little while,” she said in a smoky voice.
Vala placed her hand on the woman’s where it rested on her shoulder and picked it up, letting it drop, “I said no,” and she moved away from the woman.
Cassie turned and shoved Jennifer towards the door before Vala could catch them eavesdropping, they exited it and had just turned around again when Vala walked out, “Oh hi,” she said, “ I’m going to sit at the table for awhile,” she told them and moved away across the floor towards their seats.
The two young women re-entered the bathroom and while Jennifer went to an empty stall Cassie stood at the sink washing her hands. She glanced over at the woman who had been stalking Vala all night and saw a disgruntled look on her face, “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Oh I’m fine sweetheart…word of advice for you, never set your sights on someone in love, they’ll shoot you down every time,” she told Cassie and then walked past her and out of the bathroom.
Cassie stood there for a second and then told Jennifer she’d see her back at the table, when the other woman acknowledged that she left the restroom and made her way back over to their table, where Vala sat sipping on a beer.
“You can tell a perfect stranger you’re in love but you can’t tell my parents that?” the young woman blurted out over the music.
Vala spewed beer out of her mouth, “What?”
“You heard me, why can’t you tell that to my parents?” Cassie demanded, she didn’t want to push the woman but after overhearing the conversation and then what the woman told her she was a little worked up that Vala could use it as an excuse to get away from grabby people.
“I really don’t want to talk about this here,” Vala said in a loud voice and started to move towards the dance floor again.
Cassie grabbed Vala’s arm as she passed her, “No more running, you talk about it or else forget it; I’m not going to have you playing with their feelings,” the young woman yelled.
Vala glared at the young woman, she tugged her arm out of Cassie’s grasp and yelled back, “It doesn’t concern you so I don’t have to talk if I don’t want to!”
With that said she grabbed her jacket from the stool and strode towards the entrance of the club, leaving a stunned Cassie to stare after her, “Oh crap!” she exclaimed and ran after Vala.
She reached the outside just as Vala was stepping into a waiting cab, “Vala, I’m sorry…come back inside and have another beer, I‘ll stop pestering you,” Cassie called out as she ran up to the vehicle.
“I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night, tell your parents I’m staying at the base tonight and I’ll call tomorrow,” Vala told her and stepped into the cab, closing the door behind her.
Cassie watched the cab pull away and jumped slightly when she felt a hand land on her shoulder, she turned to find Jennifer standing behind her, “What happened?” she asked.
“I just let my temper get the best of me and screwed up royally,” Cassie muttered and explained what had just happened.
Hailey looped an arm over the slightly taller girl’s shoulder’s, “Eh, every plan is not foolproof Cassie and this time it was you who were the fool. Don’t worry I’m sure once she has time to think over things she’ll go back to the house,” Jennifer told her as they turned to walk back into the club, “Let’s go dance a little more and then I’ll take you home.”
Cassie groaned, “Home…just great, they’ll kill me slowly when I tell them what happened.”
Jennifer squeezed her closer and spoke, “I got your six Cass,” she joked and Cassie gave her a small smile as they walked through the club entrance.