DISCLAIMER: all sorts of dudes own Stargate and characters. Of course I am not making a penny off of this but I want to play in this world and change things so we have the perfect pairing of Janet and Sam together.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you so much Celevamp for the fine beta work.
ARCHIVE: Only with the permission of the author.
The New Meaning of Thanksgiving
By Elizabeth Carter
His daughter and her small family were partaking of the holiday with her in-laws, leaving General George Hammond free for Thanksgiving Day. Of course there were a few officers when they got wind of the news would have none of that. In fact the CMO of Stargate Command had gone out of her way to ensure the portly general knew that there would be no exceptions: he was to be expected at the Fraiser household.
In fact all of SG1 was going to partake of the holiday. For both Cassandra and Teal'c this would be their first. Last year of course SG1 was aboard the mother ships of Apophis and Klorel so this year Thanksgiving had a double meaning. It was a Thanksgiving earth was not under Goa'uld control and that earth was free.
Daniel had of course explained to Teal'c behind the original concept of Thanksgiving, the safe passage of the Mayflower across a vast ocean to land on Plymouth Rock. How the Native Americans had welcomed the pilgrims with a hearty meal. The archeologist stayed clear of the political landmine of what occurred between the two nations of people.
Cassandra likewise had all during school learned the basic elementary concept of Thanksgiving. The pilgrims were so happy they could have the freedom to believe how they wanted (never mind they would persecute the Native Americans for not believing in western religion) and that they had a safe passage on the Mayflower. The Native Americans were a friendly group of people, who taught the newcomers everything about maize and corn, hunting plump turkeys, squash and other varieties of vegetables. If it weren't for the Native Americans, the pilgrims would have perished in the harsh winter.
This of course meant little to either the Jaffa or alien child, but the fact Earth wasn't in the stranglehold of the Goa'uld system lords, now that was something to give thanks for. So for SG1, Thanksgiving stopped being about the Mayflower, Pilgrims, and Native Americans and became about a free earth.
Sam sidled up next to the woman who was her dearest and best friend. Then her gaze turned to study the young girl who became a daughter to both Sam and Janet. And she found herself being thankful to have the opportunity to call both family. That she could love both of them and was loved by them.
'Definitely blessed to have them.' Sam smiled. How many times in the past two years had Janet been there to put her back together, or to bring her back to life, Sam pondered. Then there was Cassie a bright and shinning star; a girl whose strength brought Sam back from the abyss that Jolinar had put her in.
Janet checked the turkey for the umpteenth time as Sam was stirring the cranberry sauce, which Janet insisted not come from a can but from fresh cranberries. Cassandra was mumbling to herself on how to make the stuffing.
The small doctor grinned as she thought to herself that she had a family. Satisfied with the basting the tiny woman fluttered to check on her assistants' progress her arms went around Sam as she dipped a tablespoon into the jelling sauce and tasted it, her face puckered a little as the tartness of the flavor hitting her tongue.
'Ooff a touch more sugar, hon."
Sam leaned back a little and kissed her lover, her tongue sneaking out and trailing along the lips of the doctor. "How's that?"
"Smartass."
"I thought you liked my arse?" Sam whispered, then jumped as Janet smacked her on the rump.
They both snickered.
Janet snapped her teeth together in a mocking bite and winked. "You know it." She kissed Sam on the cheek once more. "Put about an eighth of a cup more sugar in the sauce."
Sam complied. She wasn't one to cook so she had no problem in obeying Janet's instructions. When it came to birthdays, Sam went for buying birthday cake because the last one she baked was a charred black brick when it came out of the oven.
Janet's next inspection was to check on Cassandra who was reading aloud each step of the recipe as she was making the Marjorie Fraiser bread-stuffing. "How's it coming Honey?"
"Okay I think," The thirteen year old said. The breadcrumbs had been stirred in with herbs Janet had set aside as well as the thinly sliced onions she was slowly pouring in the warm water causing the bread to swell like a sponge.
"Sure is, good job." A motherly stroke on the shoulders conveying her love in that single touch.
"Jan, it's gone all gooey." Sam said trying to get her lovers attention.
"All-gooey? My articulate Sam reduced to all gooey." Janet said as she stepped over to inspect the sauce.
"Oh its perfect, it's jelling." The doctor winked giving her lover the proper terminology. "Okay, pour it into the crystal bowl and let it cool."
Sam turned off the burner and did as instructed.
Janet busied herself by checking on the green beans, creamed asparagus, the yams and corn, and the broccoli and cheese dish. Janet also checked the acorn squash that had been cut in half, the cavity filled with butter and brown-sugar. She had ordered Sam to mash the peeled boiled red potatoes and she herself set about making the gravy.
Sam was impressed; Janet had everything timed so that nearly everything was finished at the same moment.
When the doorbell rang, Cassie bolted off the stool at the island in the kitchen "I got it mom!" She spirited to the foyer.
Janet sucked in a contented gasp of air. The sound of 'mom' was still so new as Cassie had only just started calling her by that blessed title this years mother's day. Sam snuck a quick kiss before the guests bombarded them.
"It looks good on you."
"What?"
"Mom."
Janet smiled. "Yeah, it does.
"Whoa! Doc, can you cook or what!" the voice of Jack O'Neill bellowed from the foyer.
"Yeah no kidding," Daniel echoed.
"This is most delightful smelling," Teal'c said as he came into the kitchen.
"I add my vote to that ladies," General Hammond said with his jovial wide smile, in his arms tucked close to his body a brown paper sack.
The four men entered plus one preteen piggyback riding on her Uncle Jack's back. "I helped," Cassie piped up. "So did Sam."
"Carter!" Jack's eyebrows skyrocketed upwards. "You and cooking…? I though you only barbequed and made soufflés."
The blonde smiled. "Don't worry, Sir, Janet made the turkey. Cassie and I just followed her orders."
Janet patted her lover on the arm, "Don't worry Sam, I just got an idea. Since it was the women who put the meal together, you gentlemen can do KP."
"Awwww come on…. the game," Jack pouted like a young boy. "We'll miss it."
"Just like generations of women have for years," Sam said.
"Mom has a little TV in the kitchen, we were watching the Macey's Thanksgiving Day parade when we were making dinner," Cassie said.
"I think we can handle a little KP," Hammond said. "After all the three of you ladies went out of your way to make a wonderful meal for all of us," George would never fully admit it but he looked upon SG1 as his kids. He tended to favor them. Of course the fact his goddaughter was the flagship team's 2IC might have a little to do with the favoritism. But SG1 and the Doctor gave their lives to save the world from oblivion.
He loved being included in their circle, in some way it felt like family. He loved them as such, but he knew as their CO he would have to make some tough choices concerning them. There was nothing he wouldn't do for them, even if it meant he had to resign to save one of their lives he'd do it without question.
"Oh!" Hammond said as he set the bag he was carrying on the island. "I brought a little something." He held up his hand at the scowling captains, as both ladies told him that he was only to bring his appetite. But the scowls turned to smiles when he withdrew two bottles of wine and a third bottle of non-alcoholic wine. "This is for our non-drinkers." He winked to Cassandra and flashed a smile to the large Jaffa.
"My grandchildren loved to partake in the toast at the table but of course being children wine was out of the question so ol' Grandpa made sure they had something special."
Cassie looked at the large purple bottle "Welch's sparking grape cider. …It looks like wine."
"That's the point Cassandra," Hammond said. "To tell you the truth I like this better then wine," His wink gained a major smile from the young girl.
"Yeah, I am a beer drinker myself," Jack shrugged
Now the scowls of two mothers and a general were directed his way.
He had the good graces to wince, and a very uncle-ly he ruffled Cassandra's auburn hair. "No beer for you, you're too young."
"Well everything is ready, General sir, will you do the honors?" Janet hinted at his carving the Thanksgiving turkey.
"I'd love too." He puffed up in pride.
He sat at the head of the table, as it was the freer space for the large thirty-pound roasted bird. Every other place on the table was taken up from dinner settings to dishes of food.
It became a communal effort as a plate picked up and passed around the table until it has a portion of everything on the table, that everyone helped scooping from what ever dish was in front of them.
Once everyone had a plate piled with food and the wine glasses filled with chaplet or the sparking grape juice, and the Lord's Prayer offered as Grace, Hammond rose up and cleared his throat.
"I would like to offer a toast for this years Thanksgiving."
All eyes were upon him. "First to our gracious host Doctor Janet Fraiser, for opening the doors to her home and hearth and giving us a taste of family. To Cassandra for the forever-bright smile may nothing cause it to disappear. And To Samantha for opening her heart and allowing the rest of us to share this special time of family I know our young Captain covets.
"Here here!" Jack said as he led the round of applause in recognition of the Fraiser household.
"And to SG1 without whom we would not have Thanksgiving." Hammond's blue eyes glinted with real tears. "I think everyone in the SGC will remember this day for a reason the rest of the world may never know. At least in our little corner of the world, while America celebrates for one reason, we celebrate a thanksgiving to be free of Goa'uld incursion, that we are free, safe and sound." he smiles. "And so ladies it is with a glad heart I volunteer for KP as there is KP to be done."
"Amen to that," Daniel echoed.
Smiles and arms squeezes were universal as they sipped from their glasses.
Ooohs and awws of how delicious everything was especially over the dressing when it was discovered that Cassy had made it. So her indulgent uncles gushed over it as they had the yams knowing the teen had made those as well.
There wasn't a face that didn't smile at the flicker of private thoughts of how wonderful it was to have a family to sit at the table with on this special day. Under the table two women gave even more secret hand squeezes showing their love for one another.
After dinner the men started to clean up and do the dishes. Which really wasn't that terrible since Janet had cleaned as she cooked and of course she had a dishwasher so it didn't take forever as Jack had thought it would to clean up.
Of course the inevitable 'food-coma' followed the hearty meal as everyone gathered around the TV to watch the game. Half-time marked time to serve classic pumpkin pie and whipped cream.
Once more Janet and Sam exhumed themselves as they started to serve, with Cassie acting as runner to deliver the pies.
While as her back was turned, Sam crept up behind Janet a can of whipped cream and a devilish smirk on her face. She heard the men whooping as the favored team made a goal; she had the distraction she needed. The smirk grew wider as she shook the can and was ready to open fire on her lover when she heard
"Do it and be sorry."
"How….how did you know?" Sam's shoulders deflated in disappointment that she couldn't play with the whipcream
"I am a mom of a teen, Sam…. I learned to have eyes in the back of my head." Janet craned her head so she could look at her lover, with a warm chuckle.
"Ah… man you are so not fun," Sam pouted.
"Now you sound like Cass," Janet admonished with the smile still on her face.
Sam didn't notice the can of whipcream hidden behind the doctor's back. Blue eyes flared brightly when suddenly the creamy topping hit her in the face and Janet was laughing so hard she nearly doubled over.
"Oh now you did it!" Sam blustered as she unloaded the can of whipped topping down Janet's top. "Here let me help you clean that up!" Sam leaned in and soundly kissed Janet on the lips.
They froze when they heard a cough from General Hammond. "I came in for a re-fill cup of coffee to go with the pie."
They paled. There went their careers.
"You know my daughters when they were younger, just like my granddaughters get into those little cream-filling fights. You could hear their giggling through out the entire house." He said filling his mug with coffee. "As I recall Sam you and your mom got in a few of those whipped cream things as well."
He had given them an out. A way to cover what they were doing with something as innocent as a 'pie-fight.'
Hammond was all-military, but today he almost felt like he was when he knew Sam when she was younger. He recalled as mother and daughter of the Carter family were giggling so hard as they would play with the desert topping. It had started out innocently enough. Tilt your head back and let your mouth be filled with foam, but a miss and a dribble on the chin and the wham getting one over the other guy started. Sam recalled the memory as well she and her mother running and ducking around the kitchen as they struck each other with the whipped cream as if they had squirt-guns. Then with double barrels the Carter women let loose the toppings on Mark, Jacob and George.
"You ladies are missing the game." Hammond said as he headed for the threshold of the kitchen. Then he paused throwing over his shoulder. "Rebecca would have approved Janet…." And he said nothing more. The innuendo was clear, as was the cover up message that the play was carrying on a spontaneous family tradition
"I think we have something to be even more thankful this year." Janet said.
"Oh yeah." Sam nodded. "Very thankful." The tall blonde reached out and cupped Janet's chin and quickly kissed her lover. "And the General is right Janet, Mum would have approved."
That brought the biggest smile of the day to the tiny doctor's face.
His goddaughter had finally found someone he himself approved of. Truth be told George had hated Jonas Hansen. He might have been an apt solider at one time, but the General loathed the man. He loathed even more to know Sam had allowed herself to fall into that vile man's snare of the wounded bird routine. George Hammond knew Janet was light-years above that fiend. Hammond knew that Janet Fraiser would never hit Sam, that she would never belittle Sam, nor would she ever take advantage of Sam, nor force herself upon Sam as that Hansen creep had done.
George smiled, he had put the subtle fear of the military into the girls but he also couldn't help himself but be satisfied. His goddaughter was going to be okay in this world. She was going to be loved and have someone to love. She had not allowed anyone to get close to her since her mother had died. The old General had something even more to be thankful for. The young woman he had known since the very day of her birth, was going to be okay. He loved Sam like a daughter and he knew that some of his guard for her could be relaxed because of the fiery presence of the 'Napoleonic power monger.'
He watched the two women coming into the living room having the good graces to look nervous but relaxed when he flashed them a smile. Hammond knew he would never have to issue a warning about being careful. Like any other member of the SGC in a romantic relationship it was kept off the base.
All in all the general thought it was a wonderful day to celebrate Thanksgiving.
The End