Chapter Text
When she heard her assistant Cheryl walk past, Janet hurriedly covered up her legal pad with some files. Her office door was open, but Cheryl was just getting something from the med cart outside. Realizing it was a false alarm, she brushed the files aside and returned to her notes, a characteristic mixture of organized list and annotated scrawl.
Dr. Fraiser felt a little more like Inspector Fraiser these days, as she had been sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Well, at least more so than in the typical purview of her job duties in getting to the bottom of what alien virus, plant, or delicacy had gotten ahold of one of her airmen. She chuckled to herself at what constituted typical in her current assignment. But what she was involved in now was most decidedly snooping, and it could get her into trouble with her best friend or the Air Force. Honestly, she wasn't sure which she was more afraid of.
The first bullet point on her list was June 18 - the day Sam had left the base a little earlier than normal. Normal for Sam, anyway. Janet rarely saw her leave the base before dark, even on days when she worked an early shift or returned from a mission in the morning. This day in particular, she'd seemed almost anxious to get off base. When they happened to meet at the elevator, Sam had already changed into civilian clothes.
"Plans tonight?" Janet asked. It wasn't meant to be a hard question, but Sam looked like a deer caught in headlights.
"What? Oh, no, I mean, well, nothing specific," she trailed off and began to fiddle with the hem of her jacket in earnest.
Janet innocently tried to keep the conversation going.
"This and that?" she tried.
"Yep."
Janet's feelings weren't easily hurt, but Sam wasn't usually so evasive with her. Maybe she was just tired. Perhaps sensing her discomfort, Sam redeemed her short answer with eye contact and a hopeful smile no one could resist, so Janet offered mercy and took over.
"Yeah, I've been needing to go grocery shopping for ages. Cassie is going to turn into a pizza roll, I'm afraid."
"Not that she'd mind."
They'd laughed. Then said their goodbyes and gone their separate ways. It had been slightly awkward considering the depth of their friendship, but at the time Janet had just chalked it up to Sam being the wonderfully awkward human being that she was. It was hard to judge her for it because it was kind of adorable.
Janet smiled and shook her head at the memory, then drew a line from that incident to another on her list – July 23. She hadn't thought about the elevator moment again until she'd seen Sam after work in her civvies and…fresh make-up. Janet had seen the inside of Sam's makeup bag and it consisted of six items at most. And the lipstick color she was wearing was most certainly not one of them. At that point, she hadn't started a serious investigation yet, so she'd commented on it genuinely.
"Well, that's a pretty color!" she remarked when Sam entered the infirmary.
Same deer in headlights look, and she didn't look so happy to be there. Well, no one was ever really happy to be in the infirmary, but at least Sam was normally glad to see her…when she didn't have a needle in her hand. Instead, she looked more like she was scouting for the enemy.
"Um, thanks!" Sam added some enthusiasm halfway through her reply. But her face was still serious, and she looked like she was trying to get the heck out of dodge before anyone else noticed her.
"What can I do for you?" Janet asked.
"I was on my way out when General Hammond reminded me I need to sign that new medical clearance form before the next mission."
"Oh, right! Let me get that for you, I think I have it on this clipboard over here." Janet picked it up from the desk and handed it to Sam, who took it and scribbled her name faster than a celebrity on a dead run to her limo.
"Thanks, Jan, see you tomorrow!" she said, more to the open doorway than to Janet, exactly.
And that was when the seed of suspicion was truly planted, and her informal list had begun. Janet pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at her current investigative outline, wondering how many prior incidents she had missed. It was getting late and Cheryl had dimmed the outside lights, but rather than take that as a sign to wrap up her work for the day, Janet pulled her desk lamp closer. She tapped her pen determinedly on the next bullet point, August 20, searching her mind for details she may have missed.
She'd tried not to be offended that day when Sam had said no to girls' night, because at least she hadn't overcompensated with a lame excuse. She had simply said she couldn't make it. Janet had been curious, but she didn't want to shut down the potential flow of information by being too direct, so she'd decided to just prime the pump a little.
"Sorry, Jan, I can't make it tonight, but tell Cassie I'll see her soon, okay?"
Janet was getting used to the lack of elaboration, so she didn't even try. Instead, she just smiled, a little too sweetly, and continued.
"Well, I hope you have a nice evening, whatever your plans are!"
Sam looked a little panicked, clearly not prepared for further engagement on the topic.
"I mean, it won't be as nice as a girls' night, that's for sure. You know, I just hate to cancel on someone so late."
Bingo. Pump primed. Now she knew it was plans with someone as opposed to fixing her bike or catching up on research. Sam's normally lightspeed brain seemed to realize the same thing too late. When she made eye contact, Janet was sure she could actually see Sam cussing herself out in her head.
"Oh, it's no problem, honey. I completely understand. Obligations are obligations." Janet imagined the devil on her shoulder cackling.
Sam started to say something, then stopped herself, clearly unsure she could be trusted to open her own mouth. Instead, she just nodded her head and waved as she headed out the door.
Time passed, SG-1's mission schedule had been packed, some difficult medical cases came through, and Janet hadn't had the brain space to dedicate toward her little project. She'd visited Sam's lab to compare notes on a piece of technology SG-10 had encountered that was causing headaches, and their easy comradery returned. The investigation was nearly forgotten until she'd bumped into Sam at the grocery store.
"Hey, Janet!" Sam called with her usual enthusiasm, then looked like she instantly regretted calling attention to herself and snatched her waving hand back down to her side.
That look, the "I just gave away my position" expression instantly reminded Janet of the mystery and put her back on the case. The budding detective took note of everything in front of her – Clothes, hair, makeup…okay nothing new, but wait…there were actual groceries in that cart. When did Sam start cooking?
Janet was proud of herself for making genuine idle conversation, coded though it was to avoid discussing the Stargate program, while simultaneously taking stock of the items. Spaghetti, sauce ingredients, salad supplies, bread…wine? She almost choked on the air in her mouth and coughed, which seemed to signal to Sam something else was afoot. Sam glanced at her own cart, then at Janet, then spoke.
"All those reactors I've built, I figure maybe I can at least try and follow a recipe, right?" was her valiant attempt at deflection.
Janet nodded, unconvinced.
"If it turns out, maybe I can come cook for you and Cassie some weekend," she said brightly, with too much tooth in her grin.
Janet felt a little better being deceived, as it was clear Sam felt at least a tad guilty for doing it. But she wasn't letting her off the hook that easy. Might as well get a meal and some more intel out of it.
"That would be great! Let me know the next weekend you're free. Cassie would love to see you and I'll buy all the groceries." She smiled just as brightly and patted Sam on the arm as she passed her with her cart.
As she exited the produce section, Janet glanced at the security mirror overhead and watched as Sam slapped her own forehead before leaning over the cart to put her head in her hands.
Janet was wearing her down. Sam was near defeat. And she wouldn't give up on this mission now.