DISCLAIMER: Stargate and characters are the property of MGM, Gekko, etc. No infringement of copyright intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wanted to write a happy fic for Easter. Then driving to a meeting I got to thinking about 2010 and how Janet was alive. And how it is now 2004 and Janet isn't alive <sigh> Why? This is my answer. If you can only cope with 'alive' Janet read all the fic except the very last section
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
DEDICATION: To all of you, for Easter <g>
SPOILERS: 2010. Heroes.

Rolling with the Flow
By Debbie

2010: Dr. Fraiser's Office, Washington DC.

Doctor Janet Fraiser and Doctor Colonel (retired) Samantha Carter were sitting in Janet's small office in Washington DC. Although they remained friends, they were no longer as close as their days working together in SGC. The earlier ceremony commemorating the 10th anniversary of SG1's introduction of the Aschen race to the American system had reminded them both of their shared past years.

The ceremony had actually been scant evidence of the important work Stargate Command had done for its country, and in later years for the world and its allies, but at least it had given Sam, Janet, Teal'c and Daniel a chance to get-together. Colonel Jack O'Neill (retired) who had always been against the alliance had, to the dismay of his friends, refused to attend.

The Aschen had revolutionized American life to the benefit of the populous, at least that was how it appeared. People like Janet Fraiser were slowly beginning to realize things were not perfect. As Janet had said to Daniel, her job was now almost obsolete. The Aschen had made so many advances in medical treatment that old-fashioned medicine was rarely required.

And yet, Samantha and her husband Joe were unable to have children. Janet had offered to use her comparatively simplistic tests to see if Sam had a problem that could be rectified. Seating herself slowly opposite to Sam, the doctor gritted her teeth at the news she was about to give. Sam couldn't and would never be able to produce children; her ovaries were damaged beyond repair.

Words were not enough as Sam's tears began to flow, yet her tears were more in anger at the lies the Aschen had told her. She couldn't believe that the Aschen with all their technology didn't know she was unable to conceive and yet they had told her things were fine. Janet responded, as Sam knew she would with indignation. Looking directly into Sam's eyes she offered her services to find out why.

With that decision made, Sam allowed herself to break down. Janet got up slowly and came around the desk. She crouched down in front of Sam and took both of the blonde woman's hands into her own. She stroked the pad of her thumb gently across Sam's knuckles, but was reluctant to give any greater comfort, wondering if anything more would be welcomed. Many years previous the ladies had fallen in love with each other but had made a conscious decision to take no action on their obvious attraction.

Flashback: Easter 2004

It was the annual Easter Monday junior baseball league's Easter egg roll. Samantha Carter and Janet Fraiser were there with their daughter, Cassandra Fraiser, who was coach to the local under-12 baseball team. The two ladies had been given separate duties to help on the day. Samantha, with her scientific knowledge, had been asked to guide the youngsters in their egg rolling skills. Janet, with her culinary knowledge, had been asked to guide the BBQ.

Sam stood with her charges on top of the hill. Spying Janet at the BBQ, she decided to have some fun.

"Hey Guys, do you see that little lady cooking sausages on the BBQ? D'ya think you can roll your eggs as near to her feet as possible?"

Ten eager 12 year olds, desperate to show their ball skills to Cassandra's renowned "mom", rolled their eggs almost inch perfect. Looking up at Sam with questions on their faces, they wondered what their reward would be.

Throwing high 5's all around, she said with a chuckle, "Come on then, let's go claim your reward."

At the BBQ, Janet was amazed to see ten excited youngsters and one excited major staring at her. She groaned, "What? The food won't be ready for ages yet. Scat, until I call you."

Laughing, the children crowded around her still. Looking into Sam's twinkling eyes, the good doctor knew something was amiss. She laughed too and waited for the punch line.

Indicating the eggs with her eyes, Sam said, "Janet, my team have just executed a perfect egg-roll to your feet. In true Easter tradition they demand a kiss and a hug in payment for their gift of chocolate."

"Oh, they do, do they?" answered Janet, laughing even louder. "Come on then guys, who's first?"

After receiving and giving hugs and kisses, Janet smiled from ear to ear. She ushered the kids away towards the ballpark, "Ok, now go pitch a few practice games and let me finish my task. I promise, in return for my kisses you lot will get first choice at the BBQ food. Now scat!"

Smiling to herself, she watched the eleven excited "youngsters" run away from her.

Later, food eaten, Easter activities concluded, it was time for the serious business of the day to commence. Sam and Janet watched proudly as Cassandra took her charges off to the ballpark for their final game against the number one seeds.

They watched the game from on top of the egg-rolling hill. Sitting side by side the ladies were content to just sit and enjoy each other's silence. They had become more than friends over the years, and occasionally joked that they were really like an old married couple with a teenager that had nearly flown the nest. Secretly, they both held a deep dread that their friendship might flounder as Cassie grew steadily away from them.

Janet turned to Sam with a big grin on her face. Sam looked perplexed asking, "What?"

The small brunette pulled a small chocolate egg out of her pocket and placed it next to Sam's feet. Chuckling, she stared into Sam's cerulean eyes, "I demand a hug and a kiss in payment for the chocolate gift."

Surprised Sam murmured, "Oh you do, do you? And what if my answer is, 'I don't like chocolate.'"

Suddenly unsure of herself Janet tried to cover up by playing along with Sam's words, "Oh, but you forget Major Carter, I know you adore chocolate. Jeez Sam, you could eat a full bar without thinking about it..."

Sam laughed out loud, "Janet, shut up! Come here will ya?" She pulled Janet into a hug and kissed her firmly on her right cheek. Smiling at the brunette, she was caught by the look in Janet's eyes. The taller woman gasped, "Is that enough for you, ma'am?"

No words were needed as Janet grazed her fingers down Sam's cheek and drew the sparkling eyes back to look in her ebony pair. Tracing a finger feather soft across Sam's lower lips, she whispered, "No."

The kiss that followed was all that a kiss should be: magical, memorable, erotic, sensual, loving, caring, friendly. As lips massaged lips, hands came into gentle play. Each woman caressed the others arms and backs, drawing strength from the feelings that were coursing between them. Gradually, Janet felt confident enough to offer her tongue to Sam. Gasping when it was greedily accepted, Janet moaned into Sam's mouth with open desire. Suckling deeply on the major's tongue, Janet was rewarded by an answering groan from Sam. Desperate for air, the two ladies were reluctant to stop. There seemed to be an unbidden knowledge that this kiss was it, this kiss would be the sum total of their passion for each other. In that knowledge the kiss deepened once more. Time stood still as the love and passion the ladies had hidden carefully for the last three years poured between their two hearts. All too soon a loud roar of victory from the ballpark shattered the ladies' togetherness. Slowly they pulled apart. Janet stroked her thumb once more over Sam's lower lip and whispered into a gentle chaste kiss, "I love you, Samantha."

"And I love you, Janet," whispered Sam in return as she gently pulled Janet's retreating lips back with her teeth. This kiss was as sweet as the previous one had been ardent. The two ladies grinned at each other and rose from their sitting position simultaneously. Grasping Janet's hand, Sam pulled her towards the baseball game and to their daughter.

2010: Dr. Fraiser's Office, Washington DC

Pulling Janet into her arms, Samantha Carter sobbed uncontrollably for minutes. Janet just held her tight and whispered sweet nonsensical nothings into her ear. Gradually Sam came back to reality, lifting her head off Janet's shoulder she smiled thinly. The answering smile from Janet was full of the love she still held for the gorgeous woman in front of her.

Sam audibly gasped and reached up with her hand to cup the porcelain cheek of the woman holding her close. Caressing gently she whispered, "Janet? Why, oh why, didn't we make a go of things? I loved you so much back then, you know. Why didn't you have the strength to make me see the truth?"

"Oh Sam! I agreed with you. We had too much to lose. There was Cassie to think of, and your career. We just couldn't risk it. Then... then you met Joe and it was never going to be possible for us, was it? That time is gone, Sam. We've been happy, haven't we?"

Flashback Easter 2005

Major Samantha Carter and Senator Joe Faxon had just married in front of all their friends and colleagues. The only person missing from Sam's life was one Colonel Jack O'Neill. He had refused his invitation for lots of reasons, but paramount was his belief that Joe Faxon was not good enough for Sam. He had long realized that he was not the one she was seeking, but he also knew that Joe was not the one either.

Jack had called around to see Janet Fraiser the week before the wedding, beseeching her to convince Samantha not to marry the senator. Watching the newly-weds with a tear in her eye Janet thought back on his angry words and their confrontation.

"Doc, you have got to do something to stop this marriage," shouted the tall, angry Colonel.

Flustered that he was so adamant she could do something about things, all Janet could do was to shout back, "What the hell am I supposed to be able to do, Jack? Since when does Samantha Carter listen to either of us? She's marrying Joe, no matter how we feel, and you've got to accept this. Sam needs your support next weekend."

"No. She doesn't. What she needs is you. She needs you to take her by the hand and lead her away. Please Jan, try."

Shocked at Jack's plea and the use of her name rather than his usual endearment of 'doc', Janet shrugged in resignation, "I can't Jack. Sam needs Joe Faxon more than she needs any of us at the moment. All we can do is be there for her."

Jack turned on his heel and slammed the door on his way out. Stunned, Janet stared after him. Suddenly he returned and slowly walked over to her. Hugging her tightly, he whispered, "I'm sorry, Janet, I can't be there next week. See you around sometime, huh? Think about this. Please. She doesn't need that prick, she needs *you*." With that he was gone.

2010: Janet's office, Washington DC.

But Janet hadn't said anything and neither woman had really been happy.

Sam and Joe had a paper marriage in which they put on a show for Senatorial functions while Sam tried to have the child she craved. Janet no longer had a career and no longer had a daughter with her constantly, for Cassie was grown and away at college. All Janet had now was a friendship with the equally lonely Daniel Jackson, the occasional phone-call with Colonel Jack O'Neill, and the occasional friendly get-together with Sam.

But now, looking into each other's eyes, it was as if the years before had never happened. The love and desire was evident in their gaze. This time it was Sam that dared break the spell. Pulling Janet's lips to her own, she kissed the last five years away with tenderness.

As if by magic, Janet and Sam drew back at exactly the same time, sharing the very essence of their life force, each murmured, "I will always love you."

2010: Samantha Carter's Lab

They shared one more kiss that lifetime, a sweet kiss of goodbye.

After Sam and Janet's discovery of Sam's sterility, they happened upon evidence of grave misconduct on the part of the Aschen race. They were systematically sterilizing the female population of Earth and, in not so many years, would have annihilated the human race completely. It was now obvious to SG1 that the Aschen were actually more evil than the Goa'uld, the race SGC had fought so hard to obliterate only five years previously.

SG1, including Colonel Jack O'Neill and Janet Fraiser had come up with a plan. Against all of Sam's better judgements, and against her own argument of the grandfather paradox used all those years ago in 1969, Sam had agreed to help change history. She had used her astrophysical expertise to predict a solar flare that would allow the team to send a message back through time to SGC, advising them against negotiating with the Aschen race. The five people gathered together in Sam's lab had all put a drop of their own blood and a sample of their handwriting on a small note that would be thrown back in time through the Stargate. The hope was that a past group of themselves would have the necessary diagnostic skills to see it was genuine and act appropriately.

They were certain this would mean an end to life as they knew it, and more than likely result in the deaths of each one of them, but the safety of Earth was their over-riding concern. Just as it had always been.


Easter 2004.

It was the annual Easter Monday junior baseball league's Easter egg roll. Samantha Carter was there with her daughter, Cassandra Fraiser. The young woman was coach to the local under-12 baseball team.

Major Samantha Carter was sitting on top of the egg-rolling hill staring at her daughter, Cassandra. The young woman was marshalling her junior baseball team towards the ballpark. Though extremely proud, Sam couldn't, however, be happy. She felt deeply alone and in her heart she now knew she would always be alone. Two months had passed since Cassandra's Mom and Samantha's best friend had been killed in action. The love Sam knew they shared had never been expressed and now never would be.

Watching her daughter take charge of her team, Sam pondered the events of 2001, when SGC had received a communiqué from what they believed to be an SG1 of the future. Knowing her thoughts about changing the future and her previous insistence that the Grandfather paradox was paramount, Sam realized something dreadful must have caused the communiqué, but she couldn't stop the deep hurt she felt at its consequences. On that day the time-line had been irrevocably changed. Janet had been alive somewhere in the future, maybe even together with Samantha Carter. But here and now, Janet was dead.

Sam ground her fists into the floor and whispered agonizingly, "Why the hell did *I* let them do it, Janet, why?"

The End

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