Chilli Con Carnage by Sesa Woruban
Author's Notes: Ah - those early days before it all got complicated. A celebration of how wonderful female friendships are.
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~~~ Part 1 ~~~
They couldn't keep the grins off their faces and every time they looked at each other, they would break out in giggles.
While Sam had only recently got to know Janet, she couldn't help thinking, and not for the first time, how lucky she was to have her as a friend. Not only was the woman a consummate professional, she was the only person Sam could rely on to stop her taking things too seriously. While she hated to admit it, Sam didn't have much of a social life - no scrap that - much of a life at all outside of work. She'd had some fairly close friends back in Washington but since moving to Colorado, work in the SGC had taken up all her time and she'd not met anyone of consequence outside the base.
The largely male contingent of the SGC, the need to prove herself as a woman *and* a key member of the flagship team meant she rarely relaxed but around Janet, it was almost impossible not to. She realised ruefully that her concern for how she was perceived could actually be due to hidden gender prejudices of her own than other's views. Laughing here with Janet she realised that, while today had highlighted, perhaps more than ever, that she wasn't 'one of the guys', she was very happy being the woman she was.
However, she did admit to being quietly pleased that Colonel O'Neill and the others weren't around to witness their positively girlie behaviour.
They attempted to compose themselves as they changed out of their uniforms and into civvies.
Sam chose to take the initiative, "Do you fancy grabbing a bite to eat at a restaurant? I *really* feel the need to get out of here and spend some quality time without any guys around."
"Oh, I'd love to, but I've already got my chilli con carne waiting for me at home - always find it tastes better the day after it's first cooked. Hey, why not come over and we can have an evening in?"
Sam thought about it for a millisecond before realising that it was exactly
what she needed, "Yeah, that'd be great."
"And I think today needs a bit of a celebration so why don't you
bring a bottle and stay over; neither of us are on duty tomorrow."
Sam was a little surprised by the candid offer but quickly realised that her openness was exactly what she liked about Janet.
"That'd be great. I'll head home, grab some stuff and buy a bottle on the way over - red wine?"
"Yep - and get more than one!" Janet tossed over her shoulder as she casually headed out of the locker room.
Sam just smiled as she grabbed her bag to follow; she was really looking forward to this evening.
~~~ Part 2 ~~~
It was around 21 hundred hours when Sam arrived at Janet's front door. She was expecting to feel more nervous but, instead, she felt a sense of relief and calm wash over her as she rang the doorbell. It was the first time she'd been here but even from the outside, it looked like a happy, family-friendly pad. She had been a little surprised to discover that Janet didn't have any children. That, together with the earlier comment about her ex-husband made Sam realise how little she knew about her.
Janet opened the door a little hurried, "Just about to take the rice off, come on in".
Janet glided back to the kitchen while Sam followed at an easy pace admiring the pictures on the wall and the general decor. She reflected that she had never managed to create a similar feel at her own place. While the apartment she had near the base was well appointed with all the mod-cons, it betrayed the fact that she was rarely there. When she did choose to go home, it felt cold, functional and a bit desolate.
Once again she was reminded how good it felt to be kicking back at Janet's for the evening, she knew that she would be made to feel instantly at home, probably even more so than she felt at her own place. She found Janet in the kitchen draining the rice surrounded by the glorious aroma of a perfect chilli. Sam's stomach growled and she realised just how hungry she was; all the commotion at the base hadn't left a lot of spare thoughts for eating.
"Smells delicious."
"Chilli con carne's my speciality. Tonight, it shall-a be-a served with-a the garlic bread and-a the salad, senorita" she announced in a bad Italian accent. "Should all be ready in a couple of minutes. Glass of wine?"
"Yeah, that'd be great." Sam handed over the bag from the liquor store.
Sam leant back against the counter as she watched Janet open the first bottle and pour two good-sized glasses. Taking the proffered beverage, she smiled and raised her glass, "I think we need a toast. Suggestions?"
"To women and they're far superior body chemistry", Janet proclaimed grandly.
Sam just laughed, "Oh Janet, that's terrible." She hadn't even started her wine and already, just being in this house and in Janet's company was having all the same pleasant effects.
~~~ Part 3 ~~~
Dinner was wonderful, they talked about everything and nothing while getting through a meal that probably could have fed four. Janet regaled Sam with numerous amusing anecdotes from her time in med. school. Sam realised that she'd probably missed out on a lot by focussing so much on her studies.
Janet talked a little about Hank, her ex-husband. They'd met while she was doing her internship at one of the innumerable parties that Janet had amazingly fitted into her long working weeks. He was a friend of a friend and was working as the construction site manager for the new hospital wing. It had been love or at least lust at first sight. Their marriage had followed 7 months later after a whirlwind romance. Mr. and Mrs. Cohen had had a few blissful years until he started to realise that she wasn't going to change, quit her career and settle down to have lots of babies. Looking back, Janet was pretty sure that her joining the air force was the final act that caused the split. It had been amicable with no kids to complicate the situation. He and Janet were still friends and she had even attended his wedding to his new wife. He was a gentle and caring man; they just had very different life agendas and values.
Sam's contribution to the conversation revolved around her work and life at the Pentagon. For the moment, she choose to avoid mentioning Jonas - too many things to think about. Instead, she focussed on how she'd worked to get the Stargate project running again, something that they had in common.
As they finished the food and the conversation came to a natural lull, they both simultaneously leaned back and sighed. They quietly contemplated the devastation on the table in front on them, happy, a little drunk and pleasantly full.
Janet was the first to speak, "Oh, I can't look at this mess any longer but I'm damned if I'm gonna clear it up now, let's move to the lounge."
They each got up, a little carefully and Janet took the now nearly empty first bottle of wine while Sam grabbed a second. They moved into the lounge where they sat down on the warm deep-pile rug across from each other. Janet proceeded to pour the remains of the bottle into her companion's glass. Sam probably should have protested but she didn't. She had nowhere she had to be while the team was on stand-down for a few days getting some well-earned recovery time. She briefly wondered what the rest of the team were doing with their time off. She assumed that the Colonel had headed to his cabin to do some of the fishing he seemed to love so much. As for Daniel and Teal'c, she had no idea what they might do. She realised with a little regret that she didn't know as much about her colleagues' lives outside the SGC as she would have liked. It was good that, with Janet at least, she was starting to fill in some of the gaps.
~~~ Part 4 ~~~
The change of venue to the comfort of the lounge and the opening of the second bottle of wine marked a down-turn in the calibre of conversation. Careers, international events and film preferences gave way to first kisses, best kisses and anything else involving sex.
Sam couldn't resist asking Janet if she'd seen Sergeant Harvie since they're passionate embrace in the holding cell earlier that day. Much to Sam's disappointment, Janet didn't seem even vaguely embarrassed by the incident.
"Hmm - yeah, not bad technique and, no, I haven't spoken to him. He was allowed off the base fairly quickly along with the rest of the men once the nurse had checked them out."
"What are you going to say to him, when you next see him?"
"I don't know, what do you think I should say?"
Sam was stumped and the alcohol wasn't helping. "Erm..."
However, Janet was off with her own train of thought by now. "How about, 'Do you want another try?' or '6 out of 10 I think.'... or, 'Does this mean we're engaged now?' or..."
Sam laughed as Janet rambled on but her friend's jokey comment about engagement brought thoughts of Jonas to her mind again. Sam silently berated herself for not seeing what he was like when she first agreed to marry him. She had seen some of his less admirable qualities when she'd first broken off the engagement but the recent events had added a whole dimension to him that she couldn't have imagined. Part of her wondered how she could have ever loved and considered marrying someone who could turn into the deranged man she had seen only weeks ago. Another part realised with a little fear that despite everything, he had still had a lot of qualities she looked for in a man. Would she, could she make the same mistake again? Her comment about having a soft spot for the lunatic fringe had been made in jest but she considered the possible truth it may hide. She reflected on how much she had changed since then, especially over the last 9 months as part of SG-1. The loss of Jonas had left her feeling relieved. However, despite her bitter memories, she couldn't help but also feel regret, sadness and even a little loneliness.
~~~ Part 5 ~~~
Janet's question was perfectly pronounced, grammatically correct and a definite indication of her declining sobriety.
"So, if you had to, with whom from SG-1 would you choose to 'knock boots'?"
"Janet!!"
Sam looked up from her musings and stared at her, now obviously, inebriated friend. She could tell from the evil twinkle in her eyes that she had no intention of taking back the question.
Janet broke into a laugh at Sam's open-mouthed astonishment. "Go on, tell me, don't pretend you haven't thought about it a little."
"Janet, since when did this evening become a truth or dare game?"
"Since you looked like this wine was making you have way too many serious thoughts. Now, stop trying to avoid the question."
"Sorry, what question?", Sam knew her pathetic attempt wouldn't wash.
"Samantha..." Janet admonished, the mischievous look still on her face.
"Okay, okay, who's the most bed-able out of the team?" Sam took a big swig of her wine and pretended to think for a while. "Well, I really don't think of any of them that way, you know."
Sam lapsed into silence hoping in vain that Janet would get bored waiting and change topic but, for a woman who was supposed to be drunk, her friend had suddenly developed a great deal of patience.
"Well, Daniel's more like a brother to me and Teal'c isn't-."
"I knew it!" Janet's face lit up in triumph as she shot her glass-filled hand in the air.
Sam watched, not a little amused as that special drunk-person's physics ensured the liquid in her half-full glass remained just inside.
"So, I suppose I should ask just *how* you think you knew that it was Colonel O'Neill that had caught my eye."
The alcohol made her unable to come back with a better retort. Sam felt that she, perhaps, ought to be worried that she'd been caught thinking less than professional thoughts about her CO but she knew that Janet was more observant than most and, anyway, finding someone in your chain of command attractive wasn't against any regulations.
Janet calmed and replied sagely "Ah, a doctor knows these things."
Sam gave her friend an incredulous look. "A doctor knows these things?"
"Yes." Janet's mock-sage look broke quickly as she wasted no time getting back to the juicy conversation "So what's he like as a kisser?"
For a moment, Sam wondered how on earth her friend and fellow officer could make such an enormous jump to the conclusion that she'd actually done anything with him. That was until she remembered the debacle that was the mission to P3X-797. Oh how she wished that she didn't remember that particular experience in excruciating detail.
She remembered the uncontrollable urge to choose a mate. The heat of the locker room and the pure lust she had felt for him. She clearly recalled the point of no return when she grabbed his face in her hands and the expectation and exhilaration as she waited for him to respond and seize her round her bare-skinned waist returning her passion. While that moment never really came, when she had first grabbed him she was sure that for a split second he'd responded positively. Obviously, he hadn't taken long to realise that what they were doing was wrong but for just a moment, she could tell that, given the right circumstances or a lack of consequences, he'd probably want to do it again. After all, he'd added "Not like this" to his refusal, which could probably be taken as at least a partial admittance to being a little interested.
She wasn't sure what feelings she had for him, definitely respect and a deep affection borne of their time together through some life-threatening experiences. He made her laugh with his stupid jokes and deliberate mispronunciations and, yes, Janet was right, she also found him alluring. Beyond that, she didn't dare venture into her psyche but it was a good feeling that, after all this time as a single woman in the environment she worked in, she was still considered attractive, especially by someone like him.
"That good eh?" Janet woke her from her private reverie.
Sam blushed furiously as she realised that she must have been grinning like a teenager with a crush. Janet just leered.
"I... er... I hardly remember anything."
Janet didn't bother to respond that she knew everyone's memories had stayed in tact throughout the illness; she just gave her a withering look and decided that she'd seen this poor woman squirm enough for the moment.
"So, looks like we've just about finished this bottle, want another?"
~FINIS~
Or not - as, I think Peter Deluise pointed out, sometime you write/direct something just to get to a point and I think I've done that. However, there are probably a lot more they could talk about. I already have the title for the sequel. Any requests/suggestions on what it would be should they open the next bottle of wine?
