Absently tapping the pen she held against the side of her coffee cup, Janet Fraiser scanned the commissary once more, wondering where Sam was. They had arranged to meet there over half an hour ago, but so far, there'd been no sign of the other woman. Sighing, she rested her chin on one fisted hand, returning to her pen-tapping. She was so involved in her distraction, that she jumped when a tray loaded with food dropped down on to the table in front of her.
"Janet, I am *so* sorry. I totally lost track of time, and then when I remembered, I ran in to the Colonel and Daniel, and I kind of invited them along -- oh, they'll be here in a minute, they were just going to pick up Teal'c -- and then I got here as fast as I could."
As Janet looked up at the whirlwind that had just invaded her space, she wasn't surprised to find Sam breathing heavily. That was one hell of a conversation opener.
"Hi," was all she could think of to say.
Sam smiled, her white teeth flashing. "Hey."
Most of what Sam had just said finally penetrated Janet's brain. "What was that about the Colonel and Daniel?"
Sam was finger-combing her hair, apparently trying to bring the unruly blond spikes in to order. "I bumped in to them on my way here, and I thought they could do with a break, too. Hope you don't mind."
Janet definitely didn't mind. She'd been worried about SG1 for the last couple of weeks, now -- their mission load had been heavy recently, with virtually no time in between jumps through the Stargate to recover. Now with most of their missions completed, they were still working themselves ragged with on base work. So while a quick trip to the commissary for a little lunch was hardly a fortnight in Bali, it was still a break, however small.
"Of course I don't mind," she smiled. It would save her having to track them all down for a little 'discussion'.
"Don't mind what?" asked a voice.
The two women looked up as the rest of SG1 moved in, taking up the remaining seats and placing their own lunches down. Daniel ended up next to Sam, Teal'c next to Janet, while O'Neill snagged an unoccupied chair from another table, turning it around and straddling it. Crossing his arms, he rested them on the back of the chair, leaning his chin there. His eyebrows rose as he changed his question slightly. "Mind about what?"
"Nothing, sir," Janet answered. She wasn't about to tell him her concerns for his health. For some reason, the Colonel was rarely receptive of them. Worries about his *team*, however, he would need to know about. But her tactics with him would have to be subtle.
She watched as the foursome tucked in to their lunches, random comments flying here and there. She was relieved to see the tension lines framing their mouths and foreheads fade, smiles appearing in their place. For a little while, there, she had been afraid that she might have to confront Hammond about her fears.
"...Janet?"
Blinking to refocus her eyes, the doctor turned to Sam, her mouth moving soundlessly for a moment. "Huh?"
The smiles were amused, now, and Sam popped a spoon of Jello in her mouth before she repeated her last words. "I said, have you got the baking all done, now, Janet?"
For a few seconds, all Janet could do was stare. Again. She glanced down at the mug of cold coffee in her hand, wondering if the substance really *could* sap a person's intelligence. She had no idea what Sam was talking about. "Baking?"
The Captain nodded. "Yeah, baking. You just told us about this the other day. You know... Cassie, school, bake sale... cookies to *sell* at the bake sale?
Stop me if any of this seems familiar."
Something stirred in the back of Janet's mind, and her eyes closed as she fought a groan. She remembered now. The night when her adopted daughter had come home, excited at the idea of the sale. It appeared that one of her new classmates had filled her in, detailing what was involved. The particulars, for some reason, had really captured the girl's attention -- though Janet had already known that she liked to cook, and of course, there was really nothing comparable to the school event on Hanka. So there was no question that they were going to participate.
Unfortunately, like SG1, she'd had a few busy weeks herself. Emergencies weren't exactly coming in thick and fast (thank God), but even the less serious cases -- cuts, bruises, rashes, sprains -- took time to treat. Since Dr. Warner was out with a broken leg (though what he was doing on skates she'd probably *never* know), it had fallen upon her to take on the majority of the work. She had been barely making it home in time to feed her child on the evenings. The bake sale had *completely* slipped her mind.
"Oh... God...." This time she did moan, already picturing the crestfallen expression on her daughter's face when she was told that, no, mom was too busy to do anything for the sale. One hand cradling her forehead, she looked up through her lashes, taking in the sympathetic expression Sam was wearing. Teal'c and Daniel looked slightly confused, and the Colonel seemed to be telegraphing 'I've been there, I feel for you' vibes.
Damn, damn, damn!
"I do not understand," Teal'c said, looking back and forth between his friends. "What is this... bake sale?"
As the Colonel drew him aside slightly to fill him in, Daniel shrugged. "I don't get it."
"Of course not," Sam waved her spoon. "It was just after we'd come back from P3X-767."
"Daenan," Daniel supplied the natives' name for the planet.
"Right," Sam nodded. "You were having that cut you got from the cave wall treated, while the rest of us waited for you."
Janet sat up straight, resigned to explaining her error. "They're having a bake sale at Cassie's school tomorrow. When Cassandra found out, she was really excited. They didn't have events like that on Hanka." She found a small smile as she though about her little girl. "It seems to have really grabbed her imagination. Anyway, I promised I'd bake for her -- that we'd both do it."
"And you forgot," Daniel realized.
"Yup." She was sure that it was noted down on a calendar somewhere. And had she had any reason -- or opportunity -- to go *near* a calendar in the last couple of days, she'd probably have reminded herself.
"Dr. Fraiser," Teal'c suddenly spoke up. "What is involved in this... 'baking'?"
Exchanging a confused look with Sam, Janet explained.
Teal'c nodded thoughtfully. "I believe I would like to engage in this activity."
Once again, Janet was stuck for words. "You... you would?"
Teal'c inclined his head. "Indeed. Perhaps when you and Cassandra are completing your wares for this 'sale', you would allow me to observe."
Janet considered the idea. Jaffa cooking classes... could take off. But....
"Ah... and therein lies the problem." Four puzzled looks faced her. "I have to work tonight. We were going to do the cookies, and then I was going to drop Cassie off at a friend's house, so I could work the late shift. But with Dr Warner off, I need to work straight through."
Sam gave her another sympathetic glance, before she frowned. Janet knew that the considerable intellect that was behind Sam Carter, was working furiously. Then, suddenly, as if a switch had been flicked, her face cleared. "Wait a second..." she said slowly, drawing the words out. "I think I *just* might have an idea."
*****
That evening, Janet carefully opened her front door, scanning her surroundings. There was no movement, no noise, and she frowned for a moment. She knew for a fact that SG1 should be here... after Sam had volunteered their services (with only minimal Cassandra-induced guilt tripping required to secure the Colonel and Daniel's participation), they had agreed to come over tonight. Sam had a spare key for emergencies, and she was to arrive first, meeting Cassie from school. Although disappointed that the mother/daughter bonding ritual (of which she'd heard all about from her friends) was postponed, the girl had had to settle with at least having something for the bake sale. She'd been jazzed about spending the night at her friends house, anyway, so she wasn't too upset.
Maybe they were in the kitchen, she realized. Dropping her purse and hanging up her coat, she prepared herself for her upcoming confrontation. If the guys were anything like her and Cassie, there was going to be a bit of a mess to clear up. But after they'd come through for her like this, she was willing to be lenient.
She rolled her shoulders carefully, moving her head from side to side as she tried to loosen the muscles in her neck. She loved her work; every aspect of it. Alright, she could probably do without such long hours, but it was her calling. She knew it.
That didn't stop her from feeling so damn tired, though. Well... it wasn't long 'til she could get a little rest. Provided SG1 had performed as promised, of course.
Pushing through the swinging kitchen door, the doctor was quite surprised at the sight that met her. Once she'd managed to see through the cloud of dust, that was.
Her kitchen was white. It looked as though some sort of demented blizzard had had been let loose in the room.
Movement caught her eye, and she realized that she wasn't alone. Focusing carefully, she noticed the... snowmen.
"Uh... Janet. Hi. We didn't expect you back so soon."
Make that snowmen and *woman*.
"What... on Earth...." Janet couldn't even finish the sentence. She moved forward involuntarily, only to stop as her shoe got caught in something thick and... doughy.
"Oops?" Sam said.
"We were just about to clean up." That sounded like Daniel, and she managed to pick out the archaeologist. He was miraculously still wearing his glasses, though they were covered in flour as well.
"What happened?" the doctor tried again.
"Well, y'see, doc," Jack O'Neill began, moving forward until he was visible.
"I sent Teal'c and Daniel out for supplies. And, being the good Boy Scouts that they are, they bought back about triple what we needed."
"Right," Daniel chimed in again, shooting a look at the dusty man beside him. "And then Teal'c started asking questions about the history of this kind of thing...."
"Which we all tried to answer," Sam picked up the story. "And the Colonel...."
She faltered there, and Janet turned her eyes to O'Neill.
"And I started talking about other uses for flour," he went on. "Then things got... a little out of hand."
"Out of hand?" Janet asked dumbly. "Out of hand? Look at this place!"
She could see the Colonel grimace, even as he raised his hands, as if warding off her words. "Hey, doc! This wasn't my fault." At least three sets of eyes turned his way, and he squirmed a little. "At least... not totally. You see --"
"I am to blame, Doctor Fraiser."
Janet looked to Teal'c, and the Jaffa moved forward. "It was I who fired the first salvo, which is what started the fight. I apologize."
"Fight?" Janet just couldn't seem to put together a coherent sentence.
"Yeah," O'Neill answered. "Y'know... when you get flour and you..." he trailed off in to hand gestures, miming the action of throwing.
Suddenly, it was all too much for Janet. She raised a hand to stop the pantomime that was still being acted out in front of her. "Just... tell me that you finished the cookies."
"We finished the cookies," Sam assured her.
"Good." Janet rubbed at her neck, feeling the muscles tighten. "Now," she said, determined to get through this with dignity (or as much dignity as she *could* while surreptitiously trying to scrape sticky dough off her shoe). "I am going to bed. I expect this mess to be cleaned up by the time you leave. Is that understood?"
Four floury figures snapped to attention at the command in her tone (even Daniel, who knew enough to know *not* to mess with that voice). With one last satisfied nod, she turned on her heel, striding from the room.
Once the door had swung shut behind her, she couldn't hold back a small laugh. That was an image that was going to be in her mind for a long time to come. SG1, the SGC's premiere team, all a snowy white with dopey grins on their faces. Her smile turned wolfish. Oh, yes... definitely blackmail material.
Taking her sticky shoe off, she limped off to the stairs. This evening had accomplished more than one thing, that was for sure. Cassie had her cookies, her friends looked more relaxed than she'd seen them in a long while, and she... well, she was headed for bed with some excellent extortion material (good for the next time she needed a favor). It looked like everyone had won.
The End
Author's Notes: Written in response to Fai's Warm Fuzzy Challenge on the GenGate list -- One of the women of the SGC must forget something. Well... here it is <G>
© February 2004 Not mine, don't want them anyway -- 'cept the snowmen.