Changing Lives 46/55 (Sam/Janet femslash) Stargate SG-1
"I can't tell you how much we appreciate what you've done for the girls," Roy, Anna's father said to Sam the next weekend. The whole family had been invited to spend the night at the Ross's new house, on their way up to pick up Kathryn. "I mean, giving them the apartment. They're overwhelmed. It's a wonderful thing for you to do."
Sam smiled at him warmly. "It's something we always planned to do for Cass," she told him. "Right back when I first moved in with Janet, and Cassie, Janet and I talked about it. We decided to keep the apartment on and rent it out. Just wanted to make her life a little easier for her when she grew up. She had a ... difficult ... start. Before we adopted her. We kinda reckoned that she deserved a break. And we couldn't be happier about her meeting Annie. She's great," Sam's eyes crinkled with affection. "She's made Cassie so happy."
"I think that's mutual," Roy smiled back. "Annie's life has really turned around. Don't get me wrong, she'd already got Tina out of her system, got her life back. But she hadn't met anybody since, and Carolyn and I were starting to worry that she had lost confidence. Then Cassandra came along. And the rest, as they say, is history!" He grinned. "Anyway, follow me. Caro won't even let me talk about the Cadillac, you're the only one who'll understand my 'little obsession' as she calls it."
Sam followed Roy enthusiastically to the big garage in the new house.
"Since Caro's going to be spending so much of her time writing, and I've just retired, I decided it was time to get me a hobby," Roy explained as they descended the stairs. "I've always loved cars. And when I saw a 1950s Cadillac for sale, I just couldn't resist." He lifted the cover to the car.
"Wow!" Sam gasped. "It's beautiful."
"It is, isn't it?" Roy couldn't keep the smile off his face. "It needs work. A lot of work. But that just made it more attractive to me. I can spend my days down here, while Caro sits at her computer. When I'm not fishing, that is," he winked. "You know, I think I'm going to enjoy my retirement!"
= = =
"You're not even going to let me peek?" Cassie whined. "Just to see the color? Or the fabric?"
"No!" Anna was firm, as she carried her shrouded wedding dress into her parents' bedroom. "Mum's going to put it in her suitcase for me, so's you won't be tempted to look in the closet. The first time you see it, sweetheart," she leant over and kissed her fiancee softly on the lips, "is on the morning of our wedding, as we step into the cabin on the London Eye. Then you can look at it all you want."
Cassie's mouth went dry. "I know I'm not going to be able to keep my eyes off you," she said quietly. She laughed. "God knows how I'm gonna keep my hands off you!"
"Ditto," Anna smiled. "Your dress is already in Sam and Janet's closet, right?"
Cassie grinned. "Need to know," she said secretively, "and you, Miss Ross, do not need to know. Anyway, who says I'm wearing a dress? I might just turn up in my jeans and a torn t-shirt."
"You can wear what you want, Cass," Anna's voice was serious, as she reached out to cup her cheek. "You could wear one of Sam's old uniforms for all I care. As long as you're there, saying 'yes' at the right moment, that's all I ask."
"Wild horses," Cassie was surprised to realize that her voice was breaking.
= = =
"Five bedrooms?" Janet couldn't believe how much room Anna's family had in their new house.
"Three of them with an outside deck, too," Izzie told her with a huge grin on her face. "Mine, Mum and Dad's, and Anna and Cassie's. But you and Sam have to sleep in my room tonight," she said. "I want you to know what it's like, waking up right by the water."
"Oh no," Janet demurred, "we couldn't take your room. We'll be very happy in another room."
"I don't care," Izzie said stubbornly. "You're in my room. Anyway," she grinned, "I tidied it specially. You have to sleep in it now."
"She's not kidding," Carolyn laughed, "it's only because you're such important guests that she started cleaning. She'll be very disappointed if you say no."
"Well in that case," Janet put her arm round the young girl's shoulders, "we'll be very happy to sleep in your room. That's real kind of you. Thank you."
"Sleep with the curtains open," Izzie advised. "Then you'll see the moonlight, as well as the sunrise. It's beautiful."
"Sam'll love it," Janet said. "And so will I. Thank you Izzie."
= = =
An hour later, Janet and Carolyn were sitting drinking tea on the top deck, enjoying the sunshine.
"What about you and Sam?" Carolyn asked. "With all these preparations for the wedding, have you never thought of marrying yourselves?"
Janet smiled. "Oh God yes," she replied. "There's nothing we'd like more. Sam especially. She feels she needs to show her commitment to me in some official way. But we can't, not in our jobs. The military would never stand for it. They're all great at the base where we are. Sam and I have refused to hide our relationship in any way, and everybody's been so supportive. Everybody that matters, that is," she winced slightly. "Of course there are some bigots, that's only to be expected. But most everybody at the mountain just accepts us for who we are, nobody bats an eyelid. We will marry one day, of that I'm sure, even if we have to wait until we retire."
"Will Anna and Cassie's wedding be awkward for you at work?" Carolyn looked concerned.
"Not at all," Janet insisted. "They all love Cassie at the mountain. Hell, General O'Neill is the CO, and he and Daniel and Murray have been like uncles to Cassie since we adopted her. They're all coming to the wedding. No, quite honestly, nobody there gives a rat's ass, as long as everybody is happy. And anyway, they know that if they caused problems, Sam would resign. And they'd be lost without Sam."
"Without you too, from what I hear," Carolyn interjected quietly.
"Not as much," Janet said. "I love my job, and I reckon I'm pretty good at it. But I'm nowhere near as important there as Sam is."
"Like hell you're not," Sam's voice rang out from behind her as she came out on to the deck. "Don't listen to her, Carolyn," she said firmly, "Janet's the best doctor in the whole of the military. She's saved us all, countless times. And," her eyes twinkled, "she also happens to be the most beautiful medic who's ever put on a uniform."
She leaned over and kissed Janet on the cheek. "Or taken one off," she whispered into Janet's ear, not loud enough for Carolyn to hear, and settled herself into a chair between Janet and Carolyn.
"So has Roy been boring you with his new toy?" Carolyn smiled, and reached out to pour a cup of tea for Sam.
"Oh it's not at all boring," Sam smiled. "I could have stayed down there tinkering with it all day."
"She's not kidding," Janet agreed. "You should see her beautiful 1960s Volvo. You restored it entirely, didn't you hon?"
Sam nodded. "That was before we got together," she said, "and before Cassie came on the scene. It was something for me to do in my spare time, not that I've ever had too much of that. I don't think I'd ever be able to make time for such a major project again. My life is so full now. And we're gonna have even less time soon, aren't we baby?" and she reached over and ran her hand over Janet's growing belly.
"You'll love having a baby in the house," Carolyn smiled. "I still remember every day of Anna's and Izzie's first few months. It's a very special time."
"Was it not harder with Izzie?" Sam asked, "if you don't mind me asking, that is?"
Carolyn smiled. "I don't mind at all. Yes, to start with it was a shock. They took her away from me the minute she was born, to do a battery of tests. I thought something terrible had happened. Roy and I had no idea what was happening. But then," she smiled fondly, "then they brought her back and gave her to me, to us. She was so beautiful. Right from the first day, she was beautiful. And such a sweet nature. And she was never any trouble. The worst part," her face clouded over, "was dealing with interfering busybodies. And some stupid doctors, made us spend a lot of her childhood taking her to and from hospitals, test after test. In the end, Roy put his foot down. We took her home and decided to do our own thing. And I'd say she's doing okay, wouldn't you?"
Janet reached over and took her hand. "She's amazing," she told her. "You've got two wonderful daughters."
Sam nodded her agreement. "They're both beautiful, Carolyn. Inside and out."
= = =
"Izzie was right," Janet reached over to Sam in bed that night and pulled her arm around her, snuggling into her side. "We'll leave the curtains open all night, huh?"
"Yeah," Sam breathed, watching the moonlight ripple over the water outside. "It's so beautiful here, and so peaceful. She says the dawn is incredible too. What a great place to live."
= = =
Janet awoke at 3am, and realized that the bed was empty next to her. She sat up blearily, and through the glass door, saw Sam sitting on the seat on the deck, her legs drawn up to her chest with her arms tightly wrapped round them. At first she was alarmed, worried that something was wrong with Sam. As she approached the doorway though, she saw the expression on Sam's face; it was serene and more peaceful than she had seen in a long time. "Hey," she said quietly, anxious not to startle her lover.
Sam turned round and caught sight of her. "Hey," she replied softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't," Janet sat beside Sam, who immediately put her arm round her shoulders and pulled her gently to her. "I only just woke. Are you okay hon?"
"I'm great," Sam ran her hand very lightly down Janet's cheek, and leaned in to kiss her. "I just couldn't resist coming out here. I woke about half an hour ago. Everything's so peaceful. So beautiful. You could almost believe that the whole world is at peace."
"Yeah," Janet agreed. "One day. Maybe."
Sam shook her head sadly. "I wish that were true. But I can't ever see it happening. God, Jan," her voice shook slightly. "Can you imagine how amazing that would be? No more need for defense forces. I could get a real job. We could get married."
"We are married, Sam," Janet kissed her. "In every way that matters. We've got a beautiful daughter. And very nearly a daughter-in-law, just one more week to go. And we're having a baby. Together."
"Yeah," Sam smiled. "We're real lucky, Jan, aren't we?" she put her feet on the ground and pulled Janet into her lap.
Janet snuggled into the warm embrace, and took Sam's hand, placing it over her belly. "I wonder what she's gonna be like?" she mused.
"What makes you so sure it's gonna be a girl?" Sam smiled.
"I don't know," Janet replied. "I just think it will."
"Well I've got a feeling we're having a boy," Sam very gently rubbed Janet's belly. "I don't care either way, though. What about you sweetie?"
"Couldn't care less," Janet said. "You. Me. Cassie. Annie. Our baby. I don't need anything else."
"What about choosing wallpaper for the nursery?" Sam's eyes were full of laughter.
"We'll buy blue and pink," Janet joked, "and you can hang the wallpaper the day the baby is born!"
"Whatever you want, Jan," Sam said. "You just tell me what you want, and when, and I'll do it."
"You know, Sam, I believe you would too," Janet said, "you'd really go straight from the hospital to hang wallpaper."
"If that was what you wanted," Sam said, her voice serious. "Then of course I would. I'd do anything for you, Jan. Anything at all."
Janet squeezed Sam's fingers. "I really think you would too," she said in a sleepy voice, burrowing deeper into Sam's front.
Sam tightened her grip on her lover, running her hand gently and rhythmically through her hair. "Sleep, baby," she whispered.
Within minutes, Janet was asleep. Once Sam was sure she was fully out, she very carefully picked her up and carried her, nestled to her chest, back into the room, placing her tenderly in the bed. She climbed in beside her, and pulled her into her arms so that they were tightly entwined. "I love you," she whispered to Janet. "So much."