Confirming Carter Day4

By RibaldWriter

 

 

Interior-Bedroom

0310 Hours

Tammy felt Sam snuggle up close behind her, her arm pressing into her back as she ground her pussy mound against her ass. She could feel Sam’s hand trapped between her ass and her own pussy as she humped against her.

“Mmmmm”, she purred. “That feels nice.” She wiggled her ass back at Sam, making her moan as she humped her pussy harder against it.

She reached down between her own legs, letting her fingers dip into the clean shaved cleft of her pussy, stroking them up and down lazily. She felt herself moistening as she caressed herself.

Sam was humping against her more urgently, and suddenly, she shuddered, stiffened for a moment, then relaxed. But she didn’t move away, or stop playing with herself as they lay together in the dimly lit room.

Tammy drew her fingers up through her now damp pussy slit. She spread the slippery juices over the fleshy folds of her pussylips, then teased herself by pulling and squeezing them between her fingers. She moaned softly in her throat.

“Ar...are you...” Sam panted, her hand picking up speed again as she ground her fingers onto her clit. She pressed her body harder against Tammy.

“Uh huh,” Tammy whispered. “Don’t stop. I want to feel you.”

“Oh god!” Sam grunted, stiffening against her again.

Tammy felt a small spurt of warm liquid on her ass, and Sam began jerking against her even more frantically. She moved her fingers up over her own clit, strumming it lightly, purring softly.

“Ruh...roll over.” Sam grunted. leaning into her back, trying to force her over onto her belly.

Tammy eased over, and Sam followed her, sliding up onto her and straddling her leg. She laid out on top of her, sliding her body back and forth over Tammy’s back as she settled her pussy mound onto the back of her leg and started rocking back and forth on it.

Tammy got her own hand back under her, and started working her fingers faster on her clit. She humped her ass back at Sam, And Sam responded by jerking and humping even harder against her, whimpering steadily as she worked herself toward her climax.

She stiffened again, and Tammy felt a gush of warm girl cum soak her thigh as Sam gasped, then fell limp on top of her.

Tammy froze, her breath catching in her throat. She lay quietly under her, then relaxed as she felt Sam’s heart beating rapidly, but strongly against her back. She could hear that her breathing was slowing, settling into a steady rhythm. She had passed out from her climax, and moved right into sleep.

Raising up slightly, Tammy moved her hand out from under herself, then lay still again, waiting to see if she had disturbed Sam. When she didn’t move, she reached back with one hand and eased Sam’s hand out from between their bodies, bringing it up so it lay alongside her. Moving her hands up under her head, she rested her cheek on them as she lay listening to her breathe.

She was asleep again in less than a minute.

 

 

Interior-Bedroom

0440 Hours

Tammy felt Sam shift on top of her, then slide off and snuggle up against her.

“I love you.” she heard her whisper.

Her breathing became slow and regular as she went right back to sleep.

I love you too, Tammy thought, and let herself drift back into sleep.

 

 

Interior-Bedroom

0650 Hours

“I’m hungry.” Sam said quietly, tracing little patterns on Tammy’s back with her finger.

“I was wondering when you were going to say something.” She stretched in place, and when Sam raised up, she rolled over and held her arms out to her.

Sam snuggled in, letting her head rest lightly on her breasts. “You shave too.” She said, running her hand down between Tammy’s legs, stroking the soft smooth skin gently. She looked up at her. “Will you cook me breakfast again?”

Tammy nodded. “I have to take a shower first. Somebody pee’d on me while I was asleep.”

Sam blushed and buried her face in her breasts. “I’m sorry.” She said, her voice muffled by the firm, full mounds.

“It’s okay. I liked it.” She eased Sam off of her and rolled over to the side of the bed. “I love this bed, but it’s a bitch to get out of.” She laughed.

“Nah, it’s easy! You just do this.” Sam said, jumping to her feet and bouncing, once, twice, then off the end of the bed.

“You’re gonna break your neck doing that.” Tammy said. “Gimme a couple minutes. I’ll be right back.”

“Can I come with?” Sam asked.

Tammy held her hand out, and Sam ran over, taking it in her own.

They went into the bathroom, and Tammy turned on the shower while Sam sat down to pee. She finished quickly, and removed her tampon, dropping it in the toilet, and flushing before she stood up.

“We need to get some more tampons. I left this one in way too long as it was. I should have changed it before I went to bed.” Sam said as she stood up, walked over and got in the shower. She turned under the spray, then wet her hair, pumped out a palm full of soap and started lathering it up.

“Tampons are in the medicine cabinet. Jenn didn’t know what kind you used, so she got three different ones.” Tammy said as she sat on the toilet. “Your flow must be light. I didn’t notice any spotting on the bed.”

“It’ll be heavier today, then lighten up tomorrow. I’ll be done tomorrow night. the next morning at the latest.” Sam said as she stuck her head under the spray, running her fingers through her hair, rinsing it quickly. She looked over at Tammy. “You coming in?”

“I’ll wait, you’re almost done.”

“There’s room for both of us.” Sam said, picking up a wash mitt and running it over her shoulders. “I could wash your back.” She said, holding up the mitt.

“Okay, but just washing. We both have things we need to get done today.” Tammy said as she stepped into the shower. She turned around, wetting herself down, then turned her back to Sam. “And I want to get some food in you. You didn’t eat very much last night.”

Sam started washing her back, soaping her up quickly. Then she wrapped her arms around her, and started sliding her body over the soft, soapy skin on Tammy’s back.

“Huh uh, don’t even start.” Tammy said, stepping away and turning around. She took the mitt from Sam and slipped it on, put more soap on it, and washed quickly. She rinsed off, gave the mitt back to Sam, grabbed a towel as she stepped out of the shower, and started drying off. “Come on,” She said, looking at Sam. “I want some coffee, and I was thinking about biscuits and gravy. How’s that sound to you?”

“Okay, I guess.” Sam said, running the mitt over herself. She was washing halfheartedly, looking down at the floor.

Tammy stepped back into the shower and took the mitt from her. “Turn around.” She said. “Put your hands against the wall and spread your legs, like I’m frisking you.”

Sam did as instructed, and Tammy began running the mitt over her, running it back and forth in slow sweeping strokes over her back, down over the full, firm cheeks of her ass, then dropping onto one knee to wash her legs. Sam purred as she lifted her feet and scrubbed each one slowly.

Standing up, she reached around her, running the mitt under her arms, and over the front of her shoulders, down over her breasts, lingering there for a long moment, then moving down over the gentle swell of her stomach. Her hand kept moving down, and she soaped up the soft, crinkly hairs of her pubes, then eased down between her legs.

“Do you want to cum?” She asked softly.

Sam shook her head, and Tammy stroked her hand back and forth a few more times, then withdrew it, dragging it slowly up her body, and around her back.

“Rinse off, I’ll get you a towel.”

She let the mitt drop to the floor, then stepped out of the shower. She got Sam a fresh towel, and held it out to her as she stepped out. She picked up her own towel and started drying off again.

“I wasn’t rejecting you.” She said gently.

“I know.” Sam said, drying herself slowly, not looking at her.

“But something’s wrong.”

Sam shrugged, then looked up at her, dropping her eyes almost immediately. “I feel fine. I’m...I just feel...I don’t know. Sad.” She looked up at her again, holding her gaze this time. “It just came up. One second I was fine. Then I was...sad.”

Tammy nodded and went over, taking her in her arms and holding her. “We’ll call Andi. Maybe she can help. Are you still hungry?”

Sam nodded into her shoulder.

“Okay, let’s get you dressed, you’re dry enough.” She eased herself away from Sam. “Do you need help with the tampon?”

Sam shook her head again.

“I’m going to go get your clothes ready. I’ll be back if you’re not out in a couple minutes. Okay?”

Sam just nodded again.

Tammy kissed her on the forehead and went out into the bedroom. She got out a sports bra and a tank top, and two pairs of panties, one of Sam’s, and one of hers, so she could choose.

“I need a panty liner when you come out.” She listened, but there was no response.

She went back into the bathroom and found Sam sitting on the toilet, staring at the floor. Tammy knelt down in front of her, lifting her head gently. Sam just stared at her.

“Sam? Can you hear me?” But Carter still just stared at her.

“Sam?” She said louder, shaking her gently. “SAM! Can you hear me?” There was still no response.

Tammy got her to her feet, then lifted her, carried her back into the bedroom, and laid her gently on the bed.

She ran into the living room, and hit two buttons at the same time on the comm. “Andi, Jenn...Are you on?” Her finger hovered over the emergency button.

“I’m on,” Andi said, followed a moment later by Jennifer.

“Something is wrong with Sam. Physically, she appears fine, but she’s unresponsive. She was fine when we woke up, but something happened, I don’t know what, and now she’s...would you come up here please? I need help.”

“I’m on the way.” They said at the same time.

Tammy went back into the bedroom. Sam hadn’t moved, and Tammy slid onto the bed next to her. Taking her in her arms, she held her, rocking back and forth slowly.

Andi and Jennifer came in a moment later, and Tammy moved back, kneeling on the bed as the doctors started examining Carter. Jenn was looking at her tablet. “Vitals are fine. There’s nothing wrong with her physically. Andi, this is all you.”

Andi nodded. “Can you give us few minutes?” She said, looking at Tammy.

Tammy started to object.

“No.” Andi said firmly. “You’re too close. Jenn, get her out of here.”

Jennifer moved over next to Tammy. “Come on, Tammy. Let’s go in the kitchen. We can make breakfast. Come on, Sam’s going to be fine, but we need to give Andi a little time. Come on now.”

Tammy looked at her, and Jennifer paled when she saw the pain in her eyes.

Jennifer took her hand and led her off the bed, then out of the room. As they walked slowly through the living room, Jennifer stopped her and picked up a gown from the back of the couch. She slipped it over Tammy’s head, got her arms in the sleeves, and smoothed it out on her. They continued on to the kitchen, and Keller watched her closely the whole way.

Tammy went over to the counter and started a pot of coffee, then started pulling out pans from under the counter, flour from the pantry, bacon, eggs, and sausage from the refrigerator.

“She said she was hungry,” She mumbled. “I told her I’d make her biscuits and gravy this morning.”

“You two aren’t kidding. About the girlfriend thing.” Jennifer said. It wasn’t a question.

Tammy shook her head.

“Do you love her?”

Tammy nodded as she started mixing ingredients in a bowl.

“Are you in love with her?”

Tammy shook her head. Then Keller heard her whisper, “Not yet.”

Tammy got out a baking sheet and started dropping biscuits on it. She sat it off to the side, opened a door and turned the oven on, and closed the door again. She touched the front of the counter, and a section of it next to the sink started to glow.

“Wow.” Jennifer said. “I didn’t know it did that.”

Tammy nodded, moving a pan onto the heat, and started crumbling sausage into it.

“Both sides of this sink are burners. The ones on either side of the other sink are chill pads. For a party I guess.” Tammy said as she got the milk from the fridge.

“What’s she doing in there, Jennifer? Would you go check?” She asked, fighting back tears.

“I don’t know if I should leave you alone right now, Tammy.” Jennifer said as she came over and stood beside her. “Andi will take good care of her. In the meantime, can you tell me what happened? Start when you woke up.”

“I...I’ll have to go back before that.” Tammy said softly, and Jennifer had to lean close to hear her. “She woke up, and made love to me.” She glanced at Jennifer. “Not like...you know, but what she did with Andi the first night. But she was making love to me in her own way. I could feel it.”

Jennifer nodded. “Then what happened?”

“She passed out, and slipped into sleep on top of me. Her heartbeat and breathing were fine. I went back to sleep a little later.”

She stirred the sausage, breaking up the bigger chunks with her spoon.

“She woke up an hour later, maybe more...it wasn’t two, and moved off of me, but she snuggled in close.” She glanced at Keller. “She does that. She likes me to hold or touch when she sleeps, it makes her feels safe.” She glanced at Jennifer again. “She’s scared. And for her, after what she’s been through...”

She stirred the sausage again, then turned down the heat, and poured a couple of big glugs of milk into the pan, then added two handfuls of flour. She stirred it slowly, then turned suddenly, throwing the spoon on the floor.

“Don’t you leave me Sam Carter. Don’t you dare.” She said softly. “I swear to god, if you leave me, I’ll follow you, and find you wherever you go.”

She stared at the wall, and Jennifer came up behind her, touching her lightly on the shoulder.

Tammy shook her off, and bent down to pick up the spoon. She rinsed it off under the tap, and went back to stirring the gravy. Opening the door under the counter, she checked the oven, then reached over and picked up the baking sheet. Sliding it into the oven, she tapped a screen several times, then closed the door again.

“She’s been showing me how to work stuff.” She said quietly.

“Tammy?” Andi called.

She as out of the room before Keller heard the end of her name, moving at a dead run. Jennifer took the pan off the heat, because she didn’t know how to turn it off, then followed.

Tammy was holding Sam in her arms, and Andi was walking toward her as she came into the room. Andi shook her head, taking her arm and leading her out of the room.

“What happened?” Keller asked as soon as they were out of the room. “How did you get her to come around?”

“I don’t have any idea. If you want the truth, I don’t think it I did. I did a quick exam, talking to her the whole time. Physically, she responded perfectly, but she was gone, Jenn. There wasn’t anybody home in there. I don’t know where she went.” She shrugged. “Then, a minute or so ago, her eyes cleared, and she asked for Tammy. That’s when I called.”

Keller’s eyes went wide, and Andi looked at her. “What? What di...”

Jennifer held her finger to her lips, and pulled her over to the porter. She tapped in the symbols for the porter near her quarters. When the doors opened, she stepped out.

“Tammy did it.” She said as she palmed the pad for her door. She stepped in and turned around.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Tammy was cooking, and suddenly, she turned and told Sam not to leave her, that she would follow and find her if she did. A moment later, you called for her.” She made an “X” on her chest. “Cross my heart, Andi. She HEARD her. And she came back from wherever it is she was. Tammy brought her back.”

“I don’t know if I can believe that Jennifer.” Andi said. “And I definitely don’t like it. And I don’t like that woman either. I think she’s a bad influence. I think we...”

“No, Andi. That’s not going to happen.” She brushed the leftovers from her backpack off onto the floor, and motioned for her to sit. “I talked to Sam about letting you go last night, and she said no. She said that Tammy thought that you were going to be a valuable member of the team, and that she should give you and her time to work out your issues. She’s not stabbing you in the back Andi.”

“You want to fire me? This is my case, I brou...”

“Andi, I’m the Chief Medical Officer of Atlantis. I can fire anybody I want. And you know why I was thinking about removing you. Tammy was right, you fly by the seat of your pants, and that’s no way to practice medicine.” She paused, giving her a chance to object. “But Sam wants you to stay, she likes you, and she insisted that she has faith in you. Don’t let her down Andi. She needs us at our best, so I need you to put your game face on and get with the program. Can you do that?”

Andi nodded. “Yes, I can do that. I’ll stay out of the hands on medicine, and stick to what I know. I’ll do better, Jennifer.”

“Okay. We need to get back over there.” She said as she stood up. “I left the burner on because I didn’t know how to turn it off. I want to get back before the place burns down.”

She stopped suddenly. “There’s one other thing. They love each other, and it’s a very deep bond. You’ve seen how Sam responds to her, and you just saw how Tammy reacted when she couldn’t help her.” She shook her head. “I don’t think they’re in love yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s gonna happen. So you watch your ass there. Because I think Samantha Carter would cheerfully toss both our asses off the roof of her citadel before she lets anything happen to her girlfriend.”

Going back out to the porter, they were back in Sam’s suite moments later. They went into the bedroom, and found it empty. They went into the kitchen, and found Tammy standing at the stove stirring a pan of eggs. Sam was sitting at the table wolfing down a plate of biscuits and gravy, and didn’t even look up at them.

“Hey, where did you two go? And why did you leave the burner on?” Tammy asked when she noticed them.

“I had to get something from my quarters, and Andi went with me.” Jennifer said, taking down a cup and pouring herself a cup of coffee. “I didn’t know how to turn off the burner. I couldn’t find the controls.”

“That looks good, Tammy. Can I get some?” Andi asked.

“Grab a plate. Family doesn’t have to ask.” She said, not turning around. “But you have to wash dishes if you don’t cook.”

She turned around, and Andi had to stepped out of the way of the pan. She scooped a big pile of eggs out onto Sam’s plate, and put the pan back on the stove. “Want some more gravy?” she asked Sam.

Carter nodded. “Ana bizgit.”

Keller and Samuels glanced at each other. Tammy saw them, and shook her head.

Tammy dipped a big ladle into a bowl of gravy and poured two scoops over her eggs, then sat the bowl on the counter and moved a plate of biscuits over onto the table.

She took her usual place next to Sam, pulled her plate closer, and dug out a fork full of eggs. Carter looked at her out of the corner of her eye, and her hand moved over toward her. Tammy closed her hand over it, and they both continued eating.

Andi and Jennifer both got plates and sat down. They ate quietly for a few minutes, when Sam said, “Sumbowy tawk.” She paused and took a breath. “Nah abouw me.”

Andi and Jennifer looked at her, then at each other. After a moment Andi said, “So, how ‘bout those Cubs?”

Sam burst out laughing, spraying a mouthful of eggs across the table. Suddenly, they were all laughing, and didn’t stop for a very long time.

 

 

Interior-Carter’s Suite

0940 Hours

They were in one of the small bedrooms in Sam’s suite, and she was stretched out on one of the beds. The portable scanner was set up on its track over the bed, and Tammy was operating the controls as it moved over her.

Samuels and Keller were sitting side by side looking at a bank of laptops in front of them, scrutinizing the information on the screens.

“We’ve been over her three times Andi,” Jennifer was saying for the forth time. “There’s no occlusions, no aneurysms, no narrowing of any arteries or veins, and no evidence of any kind of blockage.” She looked over at her. “There’s no evidence of a stroke or any other brain insult or injury. We’re going to have to look somewhere else.”

“God, I’m glad you didn’t say brain fart.” Carter muttered.

All three of them looked at her, and Tammy sat down next to her on the bed.

“Say that again.” She said, taking her hand.

“I said, ‘God, I’m glad you didn’t say brain fart.’” Carter repeated.

“Thank god,” Tammy breathed, squeezing her hand.

“Uh, Tammy,” Carter said, wincing. “You’re gonna break my hand, hon.”

Andi looked at Jennifer, then over at Sam. “So you got any idea what happened? We’re clueless. We can’t a find damn thing to explain why you went out, or why your speech was affected.”

Carter shook her head. “I was fine till I got in the shower, and started soaping up. And all of the sudden, I was just...sad.” She paused, looking up at Tammy. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

“As long as you’re better.” Tammy said. She looked over at Keller and Samuels. “She is better, isn’t she?”

“She looks fine, sounds fine, all the tests say she’s fine...so no, I don’t think she’s better.” Andi said. “I can’t explain what happened to her to begin with, or why she suddenly came out of a semi-catatonic state, then miraculously recovers from a serious speech impairment.” She looked over at Carter. “I’m sorry, Sam. But you’re starting to scare the shit out of me.”

“I want to rule out an allergic reaction. We had already swapped out everything in the suite for unscented, hypo-allergenic products. But we can swap ‘em out again if you want.” Keller said. “I guess we could put a filtering system in, but the water is already several orders of magnitude cleaner than anything you can get on Earth.”

“She took out her tampon.” Tammy said, looking down at her. “You said that you had left it in too long. No, you said, ‘way’ too long.” She looked over at the doctors. “She put it in just before noon yesterday. You remember when we went downstairs to get them?”

They both nodded.

“So she had the same tampon in for almost twenty hours.” Tammy said. “I commented that her flow must be light, because I hadn’t noticed any spotting on the bed. Then she said that it would be heavier today, lighten up tomorrow. and that she’d be done tomorrow night, the next morning at the latest.” She looked down at Carter. “But you never said what your flow was like on the first day.”

“It’s usually moderate, then picks up the second day.” Carter said, looking up at Tammy. “But you remember I was worried about dripping on your floor after we...I didn’t want to get blood on the floor. So it must have been heavier that usual.”

“After you what?” Jennifer asked.

“Are you thinking toxic shock syndrome, Tammy?” Andi asked.

“Kissed. And no, I just want to get as much information as we can out so we can eliminate possibilities and narrow the range of what we’re looking for.”

“It’s not a bad thought, there have been strokes resulting from toxic shock. But I don’t know how we’d test for that with out exposing her again.” Andi said.

“She’s already been exposed. I gave her the same brand, out of a brand new box.” Tammy said. “Maybe contamination? Something on the one I gave her yesterday?”

“I wanna hear about the kiss!” Jennifer said. “Was it platonic? Or...”

“Full blown, tongue down your throat, face sucking session.” Sam grinned at Jennifer. She looked up at Tammy. “It lasted what...”

“I don’t know! We started at the door, and didn’t stop till we hit the end wall.” Tammy said, blushing slightly as she glanced at the doctors. “Then you came back for seconds. So, five, maybe six minutes?”

“That sounds about right.” Sam said. She looked over at Jennifer. “She’s a good kisser too.”

“Can we take this in the kitchen, or do you need to do some more tests?” Tammy said. “I could use some water, and...”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Carter said as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She looked around. “If anyone wants a urine sample, speak up now, cuz I gotta do that too.”

All three of them nodded. “I’ll get you a cup. You going to use this bathroom?” Tammy asked.

Carter nodded, and Tammy walked out of the room. She turned to Keller and Samuels. “Andi, would you talk to her later? This has really shaken her, and she’s not going to believe me when I tell her I’m okay.”

“You’re not okay, but I know what you mean.” Andi said. “I have some things I need to talk to her about, but I think both of us need to talk to her about this.” She said, looking at Keller. “She’ll believe you before she believes me, and she’d be right there.”

Keller nodded. “We can do that. She’s frightened, but I think she’ll calm down if you don’t pull any more surprises on her. Or us.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Carter grinned, standing up. “I hope she hurries, I really have to go.” She said, looking toward the doorway.

“Don’t get your panties in a wad, I’m coming.” Tammy said as she came back. “I put a pack in all the bathrooms, so we don’t have to get one every time we need a sample.” She handed Sam two plastic bags. “Just leave the ones you don’t use in the bathroom. You want me to wait?”

Carter shook her head. “I’ll be fine. But give us a kiss first?”

Tammy stepped over and put her arms around her, and they kissed lightly for a moment, then moved apart.

‘Thank you.’ Sam mouthed, then turned and went into the bathroom. Tammy watched till she closed the door.

“Tammy?” Jennifer said from the door.

She turned and looked at her.

“She’s gonna be okay. Come on, let’s give her some privacy.” She held her hand out.

Tammy walked over, taking her hand for a moment, then letting it go. “I hope you’re right.” she said as she walked toward the kitchen.

 

 

Interior-Kitchen

1010 Hours

Andi already had glasses out, there were glasses of ice and cokes sitting at Sam’s and her spots at the table. Two more glasses were sitting on the counter.

“I didn’t know what you wanted, so I just got you guys glasses.” She said.

“Thanks.” Tammy said, picking up a glass and filling it from the tap. She moved to her usual spot and sat down. Her eyes barely left the door.

“What kind of juice do we have left?” Keller asked her as she opened the fridge.

“I brought up some apple and orange, no one is drinking the grape.” Samuels said as she sat down. Jennifer joined her a moment later.

“I had to use two cups,” Carter said as she walked into the room. “So I poured one of them on your laptops.”

Tammy laughed, and relaxed visibly.

Andi looked over at Jennifer. “You want to go check? You know, just in case?” She whispered.

“Good god, Andi! I heard that even with the earplugs.” Carter laughed.

“Comic relief. Think nothing of it.” She looked at Keller again, raising her eyebrows.

“Relax Andi. We can always get new ones.” Jennifer laughed.

That broke the tension, and they sat back, reviewing the morning’s events and discussing the tests they had done.

Tammy got up a few minutes later and filled her glass from the tap. “Any of you need anything while I’m up?” All of them shook their heads, and she took her place at the table again.

She reached over and took Sam’s hand. “Then there’s something else I want to talk about.” She looked at her for a moment before she spoke. “This is for me, but Andi needs to hear it, because it might help her figure out what’s happening to your personality and your brain, while Jenn and I try to figure out what’s happening to your body. We need the whole picture.” She squeezed her hand gently, then said, “Is that okay?”

Carter nodded. “I think I know what you’re going to say, and you’re right.” She looked over at Andi, then back at Tammy. “Go ahead.”

“The day we met, you were like a mink in heat. Now, I understand that if we keep your hormone and endorphin levels in balance, you behave almost normally. There are still minor differences that I can see, even with the limited contact I had with you before.”

Sam nodded, looking at her steadily.

“The next morning, when we went downstairs, you were terrified that I might try to make love to you, but relaxed when I told you no, that we were going to move at your pace.”

Carter squeezed her hand, and Tammy continued.

“Then later, down in my suite again, you were receptive to my kisses, responding eagerly. You were actually asking me to do it without saying the words. Almost like a schoolgirl out with her first beau.”

She smiled at Sam, squeezing her fingers gently. “Then in the bathroom, you were almost painfully shy about me watching you put in a tampon.”

She glanced over at Andi, and saw that she was tapping out notes on her tablet. She looked back at Sam.

“Then you made love to me this morning, and it was so beautiful, and so gentle.”

“You want to know which one is me, or which parts of them are me? Neither, and both.” Sam said softly.

“I think I can help here.” Andi said. She looked over at Sam. “Do you mind if I throw my two cents in?

Carter shook her head.

Andi looked down at her notes, then spoke directly to Tammy.

“Sam is a very self restrained, self contained, and private person, with a small circle of what she thinks of as friends, very few of them female. Those are lifelong traits, so her being shy about putting a tampon in in front of you, even in your role as nurse, isn’t that unusual. But in the scenario you described, you weren’t her nurse, she saw you in your role as her girlfriend, which would make her even more uncomfortable. You can expect that to continue until you consummate your relationship, and have cohabitated for a while. I’d say that it would take at least several months, probably closer to a year, for her to relax enough for her to expose herself like that.”

“She has...Sam, We sit around and we talk about you in the third person like you’re not even here. Sometimes it hurts to have to...”

“It’s okay, Andi.” Sam said, smiling at her. “I’m used to it. And I know you’re only doing it for my own good. I actually get something out of it. I feel included, and I know you need direct feedback and input sometimes. And I’d much rather you do it like you have been, rather than go off and talk about me behind my back, because I want to know everything that’s going on. So please, go on.”

She looked at Tammy. “I’m okay, really. Listen to what she has to say.”

“Sam has had very few sexual partners, not because she’s been especially selective, but because she’s never really found physical sex that enjoyable, and found more satisfaction in her work. That’s not an uncommon trait, and she didn’t even take it to an extreme. She’s very normal in that respect.”

“But this new need for sexual stimulation has shaken her. Where most of us have an interest in sex throughout our lives, she’s suddenly had this incredible, overwhelming desire for sexual stimulation thrust upon her, and that’s never been a big part of her world view. Understand that she never thought of sex as wrong, or dirty, she just didn’t think about it. As a psychiatrist, I think it’s astounding how well she’s dealing with just that part of the situation she finds herself in.”

She looked at Carter, tabbed down through her notes, and continued.

“Sam, you think of yourself as a heterosexual, and it’s always bothered you that people thought you were a lesbian because you never settled down into a classic male/female relationship, or even dated that much. There are notes in your Air Force and college records making reference to it, even though no one could, or ever bothered to try to prove it. And your innate need for privacy wouldn’t allow you to tell anyone that you were actually asexual. Which is a good thing. Because in Western society, with the possible exception of the clergy, asexuals are classed even lower on the social ladder than homosexuals, even though no one talks about it.”

“Then we come to Tammy.” She looked back and forth between them. “She tells you at the outset that she is here to care for you, and about you, and gives you a set of ground rules that you are expected to follow. The first one was that you are never to lie to her. She’s added to the list, but that first one is the most important. Because it told you that she was never going to lie to you, and that you could trust her, and not wait for her to earn it. You gave her that trust immediately, and it took a tremendous burden off of you.”

She took a sip from her drink, looking around the table.

“How am I doing so far? Anyone disagree, or have any objections?” She asked.

“I’m fine.” Jennifer said.

“I told you we should keep her.” Tammy said to Sam.

Carter looked at Andi for a moment. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you knowing this much about me, but I don’t have any objections to anything you’ve said so far.”

“Then let’s go back to Tammy.” Samuels continued. “You never would have had a chance for a relationship if this situation hadn’t arisen. I’m calling that a blessing in disguise. Sam, Tammy is your intellectual equal, though with different interests. She shares many of your character traits, and possesses some that you admire, but see as lacking in yourself. If she were a man, and you had met her prior to this, you’d be happily married, living your dream life at some university somewhere on Earth.”

She took another sip of her drink. “But she’s female, and even though you’re comfortable with being sexual with her, you still have that nagging little voice in the back of your head, telling you that you’re not a lesbian. And I think you should listen to it.”

Carter and Keller both leapt to their feet, shouting at her. and Carter started around the table for her. Tammy grabbed her wrist as she stared at Samuels, then smiled slowly. Andi nodded at her.

“Sit down, Sam.” She said quietly. “You too, Jenn. I don’t think she’s finished yet.”

They both sat down, and Sam looked over at Tammy, then down at the table, her face flushed with anger.

“Like I said, I think you should listen to that little voice telling you that you’re not a lesbian. Then just go ahead and be Tammy’s girlfriend. That doesn’t make you a lesbian. But it will make you happy. And that’s more important, isn’t it?”

“You’re not making any sense, Andi! You say don’t be a lesbian, but go ahead and be Tammy’s girlfr...”

“I’m making perfect sense Sam.” Andi said, smiling softly at her. “And I didn’t say don’t be a lesbian, I said listen to the little voice telling you that you’re not a lesbian. Because you’re not.”

She paused, glancing over at Tammy. Tammy nodded, and Andi continued.

“Is that voice telling you that what you’re doing with Tammy is wrong? Even one little peep?”

“Well...no.” Sam admitted grudgingly.

“It’s just telling you that you’re not a lesbian. So listen to it. You’re giving yourself permission to love her, and be with her. You’re just not listening to yourself.”

Carter sat mulling it over for a few minutes, then the looked at Tammy. “What do you think?” She asked.

“I think she’s smarter than I gave her credit for.” Tammy said, taking Sam’s hand in both of hers. “You remember the other morning when you told me that you weren’t a lesbian, and I told you that I wasn’t either?”

“You laughed at me.”

“No I didn’t. I laughed because you said something funny, and I told you that.” She paused, looking at Sam. “I’ve never thought about me being gay or straight, I just thought about being me, and I think you’re basically the same way. I think what’s bothering you isn’t whether you may be a lesbian or not, but that other people have thought you were over the years, and that hurt you, being blamed for something that you’re hadn’t done. And what made it worse, is you couldn’t do anything to defend yourself.”

“Not a bad bit of psychoanalysis if I do say so myself. She pretty much nailed the problem on the first shot.” Samuels said to no one in particular.

“So what do I do about it?”

“Oh for god’s sake Sam! You’ve got a chance for love staring you right in the face!” Andi said. “What do you do about it? You grab it, hold onto it for dear life and pray that it never goes away!”

“Bravo!” Jennifer cheered, clapping enthusiastically. “I agree with her. But let me add this. Are the people that care about you, and who’s opinions you respect going to care if you love a woman? Or are they going to be happy for you because you found someone to love and be happy with? You don’t have to answer that question, except for yourself.”

“While that’s all well and good,” Tammy said as she looked around the table. “I was asking more from a medical point of view, and trying to work out how today’s episode fits in.”

She shook her head, and looked at Carter. “I’m just as confused as you are about our feelings. I’ve never pairbonded this quickly with anyone before, or felt as deeply about anyone as I do for you, even my early puppy love crushes. I told you I had been a fan. I’ve followed your career, even before I was recruited for the Atlantis expedition. But that was as a role model, you set a standard for other female scientists and professionals. You actually have a rather large following in that crowd.”

“Really?” Carter asked. “I didn’t know that.”

Tammy nodded.

“I had heard about you before I joined Stargate Command,” Jennifer said. “There was a club at Stanford that had a group of females that excelled in their fields as role models to compare themselves to, to rate themselves against. Your were in that group.”

“Then when you took command of Atlantis, I liked the way you ran things, and admired your way with people, but I was never seriously attracted to you.” Tammy said. “There’s quite a few women on the base that are though. Not that I’m jealous or anything.”

“But now I’m wondering if there might be something else at work here.” She turned and looked at Carter. “I honestly hope I’m off base here, because I want what’s happening between us to continue.” She squeezed her hand, then looked over at Keller and Samuels.

“What’s the possibility of a pheromone based agent being at work here, or something transferred through physical contact?” She asked. “We’ve been concentrating on what the korathis is doing to her. We haven’t looked at what changes may have occurred in her system that affects others.”

“You’re talking about contagion, aren’t you?” Carter asked.

“Yes,” Tammy told her quietly. “Like I said, I hope I’m wrong, but we need to at least look at the possibility.”

“I have been looking at that actually,” Andi said, bringing up a screen on her tablet and sliding it across to Tammy. “There’s a sniffer in the living room, and it samples the air every few minutes. That chart shows the air quality over the last two days, and there’s no increase in pheromone levels in the air. The green line on the chart is the air quality from the Central Tower. I overlaid them for a comparison.”

“So we can rule pheromones out.” She stopped and grinned at Andi and Jennifer. “Or are you two feeling something too, and just not saying anything?”

Andi grinned back and shook her head.

“I’m not,” Jennifer said, “I’ve got my eye on a guy. I never really liked hairy men before...”

“Rodney’s not that hairy, Jenn, I’ve seen him without his shirt on.” Carter said. “He’s not that muscular either.”

“I think I’m going to pass on Rodney, I’ve got someone a little more macho in mind.”

Tammy leaned close and whispered in Sam’s ear. Carter’s eyes went wide, and she turned toward her. “Really, I never would have thought! She never...”

“I know,” Tammy said. “But she lights up every time he comes in, even though she tries to hide it. You should see how she hovers over him when comes in with a boo boo.”

Jennifer blushed, giving Tammy a scathing look. Carter and Tammy laughed, then Andi spoke up.

“There’s still a chance of contact based exposure of something she might be secreting or excreting. But we’ve all been in contact physical with her, ungloved. She was naked most of the two days, then Tammy put her in a tank and panties, so she’s still effectively naked. All three of us have had unprotected oral sex with her as well, I might add.”

“We can test for contagion, it’s easy enough, but considering that neither Jenn or I are showing any effects, I think we can rule it out as a cause.”

She turned to Tammy. “I honestly think that what you’re both experiencing is simple natural attraction. You’re both healthy females in your early to mid-thirties, when women are most prone to seek out true love. We’ll look at other possibilities, but I wouldn’t let it worry you, either of you.”

 

 

Interior-Gym

1150 Hours

Jennifer came out of the stairs and saw Carter doing sit-ups on the other side of the pool by the windows. Tammy was kneeling at her feet, holding them down.

“Faster.” She heard Tammy say as she walked closer.

She looked up and nodded at Keller. “We have a new development. Her strength and stamina have both increased overnight. Kinesthetic awareness is up too. She just went over three hundred on this set. This is her third. She did two hundred each on the first two. We were going to see where she maxes out, that okay with you?”

Keller nodded as she looked down at Sam. Her face was flushed, but she moved rhythmically, showing no signs of strain. She picked up the tablet off a bench, and scrolled back through the telemetry.

“Your heart rate hasn’t gone over one twenty-five.” She said. “That’s amazing.”

“Don’t talk to her. She’s in the zone.” She looked at Carter. “Four hundred. Keep going, you got some left.”

Keller moved around and knelt behind Tammy, looking over her shoulder. Carter was wearing a sports bra and panties, and a pair of athletic shoes. She was soaked in sweat. She could see her abs rippling as she went through each sit-up.

Tammy reached down and put her hand on Sam’s chest. “Stop, you’re done.” She said, pushing her back onto the mat. “Breathe.”

Sam lay back, her arms flat at her side, taking in great gulps of air. Her breathing tapered off quickly, and in less than a minute she was breathing normally. She held her hand out, and Tammy grabbed her wrist, pulling her upright as she moved to the side and let her pull her feet up under her.

“Well?” Carter asked.

“Four eighty-seven in six minutes fifty seconds.” She grinned. She held out a water bottle. “Swish, rinse, spit...then you can drink.”

“You wanna get in on this, or you wanna watch?” She asked Jennifer as she stood up. “I was going to workout with her, but she blew me away on the first set, so I’ve been spotting her on each exercise to see what she can do.”

“What have you done so far? And how long have you been at it?”

“We’ve been up here a little over half an hour. I know I told you noon, but she was getting antsy, so I figured she needed to burn off some energy.” Tammy said as she took the water bottle from Sam. “She banged out two hundred sit-ups, then rolled over into a hundred pushups without resting. I made her take a break, then she did two sets of sixty inverted pushups, with a one minute break in between. I made her rest for five minutes after that. Then another hundred pushups, and two hundred sit-ups, again with no break in between. I made her stop for another five, and talked to her about letting her muscles rest between workouts, then we started on the set you saw her doing when you came up.”

She looked down at Sam. “You wanna show Jenn what else you can do?”

Carter nodded, and Tammy reached down, pulling her to her feet.

“Gimme a walkover, into a walkover, into a handstand, do a planche, then five press-ups. Bring your feet back up, do another press-up, then power out onto your feet.”

Carter nodded, and moved over into a clear spot on the mat. She took a breath, then took two quick steps and went into an aerial walkover, then another walkover that ended in a handstand. She held the handstand for a moment, than her legs opened slowly, spreading until they were at almost seventy degrees in relation to the floor.

“She’ll be able to get her legs out horizontal tomorrow, maybe the day after. She could only do forty-five degrees the first time she did that.” Tammy said quietly.

They watched as she did five press-ups, brought her feet smoothly back up over her body, held the position, then eased down into another press-up. She bounced a couple times on her hands, then drove her body upward, arching up smoothly and landing on her feet.

“Wow! That’s incredible!” Jennifer said in amazement.

“She cheated on the powerout,” Tammy said. “Did you see her bounce before she drove out?”

“I had to,” Carter said. “My left arm was starting to give.”

“I didn’t see it.” Tammy said. “You were clean till right at the end. Your leg extension was better this time. You almost hit seventy degrees.”

“Really? Lemme try something.” Sam said, holding out her hand. “Spot me”

Tammy stepped closer and took her hand. Carter eased down into a vertical split, her legs going out in front and in back of her. She finally stopped, bouncing slightly as she bottomed out.

“That’s it, I can’t get any lower.”

“You’ve got less than a hand width between you and the floor.” Jennifer said. “What can you do side to side?”

“It’s at least double that.” Sam grinned. “I need to stretch the muscles some more, but I should be able to go flat in a couple days.”

“I did gymnastics in high school, I was all state my junior and senior year.” She said as she brought her legs under her and let Tammy help her up. “But it’s been ages since I’ve done anything like that.”

She looked over at Tammy. “I’m starving, Can we go get something to eat?”

“After that performance? Sure. You want hot or cold?”

“Cold is fine, I don’t want a lot, I just think I need to get something in me.”

“Tuna, or tuna salad on wheat?” Tammy asked as they headed for the stairs.

“Can I have chips?” Carter asked.

“Sure,” Tammy laughed. “Ten chips. But you can only have one piece of bread.”

“Awww, That’s not right!” Carter pouted. “I worked hard! I should get a reward!”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Tammy said, turning and taking her in her arms, and kissing her lightly. “You can eat all the tuna you want. With one piece of bread. And ten chips.”

“Awwwww!” She whined, stomping down the stairs.

They saw her going into the hallway as they came off the stairs.

“I’m gonna take a shower. Have it ready when I get back!” She called back over her shoulder.”

 

 

Interior-Kitchen

1215 Hours

“That was mean of you.” Jennifer said as she went over to the fridge. She got out a bottle of apple juice, and a glass from the cabinet. “You’re not gonna go with her?”

“Nah, I can see her from here. And she needs some alone time. She’ll sulk for a few minutes, and she’ll be in a good mood when she gets back.” Tammy said as she opened a three cans of tuna and drained the water from them. “Hand me the mayo, will you? And the pickle relish.”

Keller handed her the mayo, then the relish, and took her place at the table.

Carter came back into the kitchen a few minutes later. She was in a fresh tanktop and panties. She walked up behind Tammy and wrapped her arms around her waist and laid her head on her back.

“I feel good.” She said. “I haven’t worked out like that in forever. Can we do it again later?” She raised her head up and nibbled on Tammy’s ear. “Or maybe go downstairs and make-out a little...in the pit?”

“Mmmmm, I like that idea.” Tammy said as she spread a thick layer of tuna salad on two pieces of bread. “I need to work up a sweat myself!”

“Meanie!” Sam said, smacking her on the shoulder.

“I sure hope that pit cleans up easy...” Tammy laughed as she turned around. “With both of us sweating all over it, I mean.”

Sam went to wrap her arms around her, but Tammy held the plate in front of her. “Eat first, play later. What do you want to drink, the usual?”

Sam nodded as she took the plate and sat down, and a moment later Tammy sat a glass of ice and two cokes next to her, then opened a big bag of chips and sat it on the table.

“I’m gonna hop in the shower too, I’ll be right back. Jenn, hang around for a bit?”

Jennifer nodded, and watched as Sam took a big bite of her sandwich, moaning happily, her eyes rolling in her head.

Carter ate steadily until Tammy got back. By that time, she had eaten three sandwiches and half the bag of chips. She was eating tuna salad right out of the bowl when Tammy walked in, drying her hair.

“Bet you didn’t save any for me, did you?” Tammy said as she opened the freezer.

“Sawwy.” Sam mumbled around a mouthful.

“That’s okay. I’ll just eat...lemme see, chocolate ripple looks good!” She said.

“Awwww, don’t.” Sam whined, but her eyes were glassy, and she started to smile again almost immediately.

Tammy took the lid off a carton and tossed it on the table as she came around and sat at her usual place. Two handwritten R’s were showing on the top of the lid as it sat on the table.

“You’re still cruisin’ on those endorphins, huh sweetie?” She smiled as she dipped out spoonful of ice cream.

“Is that what it is?” Jennifer asked. “I was starting to wonder.”

“Yup, natural high. My baby probably still has four times what she’s used too surging through her system, and she feels so gooooood. She is sooooo stoned.” She reached out and pinched Sam’s cheek. “I wish she could take a nap, but that ain’t gonna happen.”

“I was looking at the telemetry, and I noticed that her endorphins were way up. She hit six times what she was at this morning. Her estrogen is way up too. We probably won’t have to stim...”

“Don’t bet on it.” Tammy grinned.

Carter stood up suddenly, and started for the door. She turned around and picked up her glass, and started back out.

“Where ya goin, Sam?” Tammy asked her.

“Office. I just thought of something, and I need to work on a few things.” They heard her say as she disappeared down the hall.

Tammy switched views to the office camera, and saw her walk in and sit down a moment later.

“She’s gonna be like this for a couple hours, till she comes down a little, but she’s not in any danger. I’ll keep an eye on her...”

She stopped when she saw Jennifer grinning as she looked at the tablet propped up on the table.

She looked over, and saw Sam holding up a piece of paper with BITCH written on it.

“Don’t feel bad,” Keller said. “The first one said, I Love You.”

As they watched her, they saw her reach out and touch the monitor, a soft smile creasing her lips. Then she touched the desk and the Atlantian computer came up, and she started tapping away at the keyboard, checking some notes every so often as she went through the buildings systems.

“Does that machine have access to the cameras?” Jennifer asked.

“Yes, but I’m the only one that can modify the software.”

“That’s not why I was asking. She can see us, and she’s watching you.”

Tammy looked at the tablet again, and a moment later, Carter looked at her monitor, and waved at the camera without taking her eyes off the screen. Tammy waved back, and Carter smiled, then went back to work on the Atlantian machine.

“Do you have any idea what she’s working on? I thought she had all the buildings systems configured already.” Keller said

“She said something about wanting to check some simulations that she had running. She has something going on in one of the sub basements, we went down last night after you left, and she spent half an hour playing with a device she has down there. Some kind of bridge? She said that McKay messed it up when he did it, but that she had figured it out. I missed alot of what she was talking about because she spent most of the time bitching about how arrogant he is.”

“I’ve heard people talk about that experiment.” Keller said. “They put up a bridge or something onto another universe, and brought back another McKay. His sister was here helping them do it. That was before Sam or I got here.”

“She was talking about making the bridge jump, and not stay in one place for too long. I think she has that part worked out. She was more concerned about why it wasn’t stable coming this way, but I didn’t recognize the terms she was using.”

Tammy looked back at the tablet. Carter had an application open on her desktop, and the camera was minimized in a corner. She also had a laptop open, and was rotating between the three machines.

“She’s not referencing her notes as often, and look at how she’s banging away on the ancient machine. Andi said we were intellectual equals, and she was right to a point, our IQ’s are close, within 10 points or so.” She paused as she watched Carter work on the ancient machine. “But I don’t think that’s going to last...” She said quietly.

 

 

Interior-Office

1435 Hours

Tammy came into the office with a fresh glass of ice and two cokes. She had her laptop under her arm.

“Do you mind if I join you? Jenn went back to the Infirmary, and I don’t know where Andi is.” She said as she sat the drinks down on the desk, safely away from any papers. She took the other glass and sat it on a table by the door. She sat her laptop on the edge of the desk.

“Huh? Oh yeah, come on in.” Carter said absently as she flipped the pages of a thick, hand written book. She found the section she was looking for, and Tammy could see her lips moving as she ran her finger over the page.

“Can I take a look at that book, Sam?” Tammy asked.

Carter glanced up at her, nodded, then started typing on the ancient keyboard again. She checked some calculations on the desktop machine, wrote the numbers down, then wrote a series of symbols under them and typed them into the ancient machine.

Tammy picked up the book, slid a piece of paper between the pages to mark her place, then sat down and started flipping through it.

The book was filled with neatly hand printed notes, in English at the beginning, then again on the edges of the pages later on, but most of it was drawings of ancient buildings, devices, artifacts, and what Tammy assumed were ancient symbols. It was a journal that had expanded into a reference book as the author learned more about his subject. The pages filling the last third of it were nothing but row after row, and blocks of symbols, with English translations under them. She recognized a few that she had seen on different stargates over the years, and around Atlantis.

“These pages toward the end, and the stuff you’re working on, that’s all in ancient?” She asked.

“Uh huh.”

“And you can read that?”

“Some of it.” Carter said, running her finger over the screen on the ancient machine. She typed for a minute, checked her work, then looked over at Tammy. “Why?”

“I’m just curious.” Tammy said. “How much of it could you read last week?”

Carter looked like she had hit her upside the head with a brick. She looked back at the machine, then back at Tammy.

“Oh my god, you’re right.” She said softly. “I’ve only been glancing at Daniel’s translations when I hit something I wasn’t familiar with.”

“I know, I was watching. But you knew that.” Tammy flipped back to the front of the book. “Daniel Jackson wrote this?”

“Yeah, Jonas Quinn added to it while he was with SG-1, after Daniel ascended.” Carter said as she turned back to her machines. “Jonas made some breakthroughs that made it possible for Daniel to finally translate most of the ancient language.”

“And now you understand it well enough to type forty words a minute on that thing.”

“What are you trying to say, Tammy?” Carter asked her, reaching over and picking up the glass and a coke.

“I’m not saying anything. I just want to make sure I understand what’s going on.” Tammy said as she sat the book back on the desk. “And just to clarify, last week, you had a passable understanding of ancient, and today you understand it well enough to do calculations for that gizmo you’ve got in the basement?”

Carter looked at her, but before she could say anything, Tammy went on.

“I may not understand high level physics, but I recognize it when I see it. It shares alot of the same math I deal with in chemistry.” She leaned back and stretched her feet out in front of her.

“I guess I’m busted.” Carter said. “I wasn’t trying to hide anything, and if you want the truth, I hadn’t realized that I was going as fast as I was. I’ve made alot of progress this afternoon. I was setting up simulations with different parameters this time, to make sure it doesn’t bite me in the ass like it did McKay.”

“So you want to tell me what that thing downstairs does? You were talking it about it last night, but alot of it bounced off my forehead. And you spent more time bitching about McKay. You really don’t like that guy, do you?”

“It’s a Space Time Matter Bridge, or a bridge between universes. I’ve got it configured to jump from reality to reality every few micro seconds, suck a little energy from each, and send it back to us, where we capture it and use it.” She shook her head. “I don’t know why someone didn’t think of it earlier. The bridge McKay set up was locked onto one universe, and it almost tore it apart. That’s why the alternate McKay showed up.”

She stood up and stretched, then looked at Tammy. “Would you like to go for a walk? Outside I mean? I haven’t been outside in weeks, other than a few minutes on a balcony every now and then, and I miss it.”

“Sure.” Tammy said as she stood up. “Where did you want to go? And do we need shoes? I don’t think you have any here.”

“There’s boots and sneakers in my closet, but I’d rather go barefoot.” Sam smiled. “There’s a small park at the base of the building, on the oceanside, no one will see us. We have to take the elevator down one floor, then take another one down to ground level because of the way I have them locked out.”

 

 

Interior-Kitchen

1745 Hours

Andi Samuels was in the kitchen when Sam and Tammy returned. She announced that she was cooking dinner that evening, and ordered them out. Sam went back to her office, while Tammy went over to the Central Tower to finish clearing out her quarters.

She packed up what little she had left in her locker, stripped the bed, and left a short note for her current roommate. Her next stop was the commissary, where she got toppings for sundaes and batteries for her boombox, then went on to the mess. The airman behind the counter looked at her like she was crazy when she told him that she wanted six quarts each of chocolate ripple and french vanilla, and three each of chocolate and rocky road. She’d had to call Keller to have her order the mess sergeant to give it to her. She took six sundae glasses from the fountain to make up for the aggravation.

She went back to her suite, put her things and the ice cream away, and straightened up in the living room. After a quick shower, she changed into her favorite jeans, and a blue chambray work shirt. She was bummed because she couldn’t wear her favorite perfume, but she was getting used to going unscented. Just before she left, she laid out her korathis and massage oil, and made sure that the batteries in her boombox were fresh.

The first thing she noticed when she stepped out of the porter was the delightful smell of italian cooking. The second thing she noticed was Jennifer Keller on her knees, feeling around under the couch.

Tammy couldn’t resist, and she walked over quietly, leaned close and ran her hand over the full, round cheek of her ass. Jennifer squealed and leapt forward, bumped her head on the back of the couch and fell face first onto the floor.

“Goddamnit Sam!” She shouted as she rolled over, glaring up at her.

“What did I do now?” Sam asked as she came out of her bedroom. She had showered, and was wearing one of the loose, flowing gowns Andi had brought up.

“Apparently nothing,” Keller grinned up at her, reaching up to take hold of the hand Tammy was holding out to her. “Your girlfriend on the other hand.”

“What were you doing down there anyway?” Tammy asked as she pulled her to her feet. “And I couldn’t resist. It was such a BIG target!”

Jennifer glared at Tammy, then grinned. “Oh, I dropped my comm unit. I think it went under the couch.”

“Nope, must have bounced over here.” Sam said as she leaned down and picked it up. She tossed it to Keller, and she dropped it in her pocket.

“So if you two are out here, who’s cooking dinner? It smells delicious. I...” She glanced over at Sam, and noticed that she was wearing a nose filter. “Oh, a little strong, huh?”

“The first half hour wasn’t too bad, but then she started crushing garlic, and I didn’t have any choice.” Sam laughed. “I already apologized, but she blew me off. She said it was okay, but I think her feelings are hurt.”

“Oh, I’m fine Sam.” Andi said as she stepped out of the hall, wiping her hands on a towel. “I didn’t take it personally. And the fact that you kept coming back for samples tells me that you liked it. But dinner is served ladies. I wasn’t going to wash dishes three days in a row.”

They followed her into the kitchen, and gasped at the spread she had laid out. One counter was filled with hot dishes, lasagna, spaghetti, various pastas, sausages and grilled vegetables, while the other side was laid out with breads, salads, cold pasta dishes, fruit salad...

“Good lord, Andi! There’s no way we’ll be able to eat all that!” Jennifer said. “That’s enough food for twenty people! We’re going to be eating italian for a week!”

“No, we’re not.” Andi said with a smile. “Whatever we don’t eat, I’m taking down to the marines over in barracks two. Those boys get every tough job that comes along, and never complain. I cook them up something nice every couple weeks, and they’re about due. I’d do it more often, but Sgt. Wilkins won’t let me. He says they’re fat and lazy for two days after I bring them a dinner!”

Carter stared at her, barely able to hold back her tears. She stepped over and took her in her arms, hugging her tightly. When she released her, she looked at her again. “That’s a really nice thing to do, Andi. Thank you.”

“I can’t help it, my father and my husband were both marines. It’s in the blood.” She smiled. “Now come on, eat up! I didn’t spend hours slaving over a hot stove so you could stand around looking at it!”

Everyone filled their plates, but knowing where the leftovers were going made them take just a taste of everything.

“Oh, come on, don’t be shy, dig in and eat all you want.” Andi laughed as she watched them. “There’s only twelve of them, and even they won’t be able to eat all this! So come on, enjoy it, that’s why I made it.”

Soon plates were piled high with food, and they sat laughing and telling stories as they ate. Andi passed around bottles of wine, telling them to drink up, because the marines couldn’t have any.

As they finished, Andi sat back and looked between Sam and Tammy. “So what were you two talking about in your office, Sam? There’s no audio, but I’m pretty sure it had something to do with that book Tammy was looking at. And the way you were pounding away at that keyboard, I’m betting you’re showing a new talent.”

Sam and Tammy looked at each other, then Sam looked at Andi. “Yeah, apparently my ancient is improving. The book is something Daniel Jackson gave me, he rewrote it and kept the new version. I was using it to figure out some of the markings around the city, then when I found this place, and got into the terminals, it came in handy.”

She shook her head as she took a sip of wine. “I hadn’t realized that I had made that much progress. I’ve been using it to help me get around in the cities systems, and just didn’t notice that I was relying on the book less and less.”

“I don’t think it’s anything to be concerned about. Being smarter probably can’t hurt you that much, it’s not like you’re growing another head...”

She stopped when both Sam and Tammy burst out laughing, then sat looking between, waiting politely for them to calm down.

“Sorry.” Sam said after a few moments, “But that same subject came up earlier!”

“I’m not even going to ask,” Andi said. “Just let me add that I want to include an EEG in our testing schedule, maybe every other day or so to start.”

She stood up and looked around the kitchen. “If you’d be kind enough to cover these dishes, I stole a cart from the mess, and have it parked downstairs. I’ll go get it, and we can load it up so I can take it over to my boys.”

 

 

Interior-Tammy’s Suite

2130 Hours

The lights were dimmed, and the fireplace was lit, filling the room with a soft, warm glow. A saxophone solo was playing in the background as Sam and Tammy lay back against pillows in the pit.

“What’s this?” Sam asked, reaching for a small plastic box.

“Don’t,” Tammy said, moving the box out of her reach. “That’s my korathis. I probably should have done it earlier, if I was going to do it at all, instead of leaving it out like that.”

“You’re going to it with me, the korathis? That’s sweet of you.”

“I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea now. I mean, after what happened this morning.” Tammy said as she took a sip of wine. “And I’m not sure if swapping spit with you while I’m doing it is that smart either. What if you have another reaction to it?”

“We could ask Andi, or Jennifer, see what they think.” Sam said, getting to her knees. She looked at Tammy, her eyes glowing in the firelight. “Come on, let’s call them.”

She pulled Tammy to her feet, then led her into her office. She saw the comm unit on the desk, and went over, pressing two buttons at the same time. “Anybody home?” She asked.

“I’m here,” Keller said immediately. “Is there something wrong, Sam?”

“I’m on too.” Samuels said a moment later.

“No, I’m fine. I just have a question. I want Tammy to use her korathis, and she’s worried about...”

“Secondary exposure. Jenn, I’m just not sure what effect that might have.” Tammy said.

“I don’t think it’s anything to worry about, Tammy.” Keller said. “I’ve been looking at Sam’s blood work, and the levels of korathis in her blood steam are still increasing. She’s producing elements of it on her own, so if you keep what you ingest to a small dose, I don’t think it will be a problem.”

“I think it’s a good idea too, Tammy, for a couple of reasons.” Andi added. “It will do Sam good to see how another woman reacts to it.” She paused. “How long has it been since your last dose, Tammy?”

“A little over three days. I had some the night before I came onboard.” Tammy said quietly. “I’m thinking the same thing, Andi. I’m starting to feel...a little off.”

Carter looked at her, and Tammy smiled, mouthing ‘later’, as she listened to Andi.

“Just keep the dose small, and spit out the chew before you start...exchanging fluids...and keep a headset handy, just in case.”

“Oh, you’re such a romantic, Andi!” Carter laughed. “But thank you, we’ll call before we go to bed...to sleep I mean.”

She closed the link, and turned to Tammy. “Do it, it’ll be okay, I promise.”

Tammy opened the box, and poked at the buds with her finger. Picking up a small one, she broke it in two and popped the smaller piece in her mouth, and put the other one back in the box. She sat the box on the desk and took Sam’s hand.

“It takes a few minutes to kick in.” She said as she chewed the bud slowly, moving it around in her mouth. “Let’s go get another bottle of wine, it should be working by the time we get back to the living room.”

“What were you and Andi talking about?” Sam asked as they entered the kitchen. “You said you were feeling ‘off’. What did that mean?”

“I’ve been using korathis on an almost daily basis for three years.” Tammy said as she got a bottle opener from a drawer, and started opening a bottle of wine. “I had some concerns about withdrawal, and it looks like I may have been right.”

Pulling the cork out, she sat the bottle and the opener on the counter, and took Sam in her arms, holding her lightly. “I don’t want you to worry about me. I just need a small dose, every few days, so it’s not a problem. Okay?”

She pushed her away, and turned to the sink, chewed a few more times, tipped her head back and swallowed, then spat the chew into the drain. She ran water behind it for a moment, then filled a glass with water, swished some around in her mouth, then swallowed. She repeated the process twice, then turn back to Sam.

“Come on, woman. Tammy said, holding her hand out. “Take me, and have your way with me!”

Sam laughed and grabbed the bottle of wine, then took Tammy’s hand and led her into the living room. She stepped down into the pit, but turned and put her hand on her stomach as Tammy started to follow her.

“Wait,” She said as she sat the wine down.

She turned and looked up at her, reaching up and opening the top button on her shirt. She moved down slowly, opening each button in turn. When she reached her waist, she undid the snap on her jeans, and eased the zipper down slowly, then opened the last button on her shirt.

Tammy sighed as she watch her spread her shirt open, running her hands lightly up her sides as she leaned in and kissed her softly, her lips brushing gently across stomach.

Sam’s lips moved slowly up over her as her hands worked her jeans down over her hips. Tammy moved her legs, helping her get them off, then stepped out of them and kicked them off over her feet, pushing them aside with one foot. Sam’s hands came up, pushing her shirt off of her shoulders, and Tammy let it drop off her arms onto the floor.

“You’re so beautiful.” Sam whispered, stepping back, but keeping her hands on her hips. Tammy’s skin glowed in the light from the fire as Sam let her eyes roam over her body.

Taking her hand, Sam pulled her down into the pit, guiding her down onto her back. She pulled her gown off over her head, tossing it to the side as she knelt beside Tammy. One leg moved over Tammy’s, settling between them as Sam straddled it, her upper body easing down, and pressing against Tammy’s. She rocked back and forth lazily, making their breasts brush against each others, the nipples scraping across soft skin.

Tammy purred, and her arms came up, wrapping around her as she spread her own legs wider. She pulled Sam down onto her. Their lips met and Tammy let her tongue dart out, lightly caressing Sam’s. Sam moaned and pressed her lips to hers, and they kissed, gently at first, then more hungrily.

They ground together, each if them moving against the others leg as they kissed, then Tammy rolled over, and began moving down Sam’s body. Sam stopped her, rolling them over again, smiling down at her as she slid slowly down over her, planting soft kisses on her breasts, then the soft skin of her tummy as she moved down slowly.

“Tonight is for you.” She whispered as she whisked her face back and forth through the soft curls of her pubes, inhaling the musky scent of her. “Lay back, let me, I want to...mmmm.” She moaned, as her head dropped between her legs.

 

 

Interior-Dr. Samuel’s Suite

2240 Hours

Her marines had been overjoyed when she showed up with a load of food for them, and they had torn into it eagerly. Andi had gone into Wilkins’ office with him, as she usually did when she made her food runs. She smiled as she wondered if they knew what they did in there while they ate.

Her pipe and Thumper were sitting on the desk, and she picked up the pipe, loading it as she read through the file she was working on. She made a note, then brought up Jennifer’s medical logs. She lit the pipe and took a long, slow hit off of it, then sat back, holding her breath as she tabbed down through the records.

She made another entry on her notes, transferred them to her tablet, then picked up her laptop and went into her bedroom. She sat the laptop on the nightstand, started a movie, then pulled off her gown, tossing it across the foot of the bed. Dimming the lights, she laid down, feeling the Thumper starting to hit her, and a happy smile spread across her face.

She started masturbating lazily as she let her mind drift back to her time with Wilkins earlier, her fingers were still moving between her legs as she drifted off into sleep.

 

 

Interior-Bedroom

0010 Hours

“Jennifer? Are you on?” Tammy said as she stood next to the comm unit.

“Yes, Tammy. I was getting ready for bed.” Keller replied a moment later. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes, I just wanted to tell you that we’re home, and that everything is fine. We’re going to bed too.” Tammy said. “I just didn’t want you to worry.”

“How did it go? Did you have a good time?” Keller asked.

“It was wonderful, you little perv.” Tammy laughed. “I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow if you want...well, some of it.” She paused then said, “Have you heard from Andi? She’s not answering. I didn’t really need her but...”

“I know, she’s not answering me either.” Keller said, sounding irritated. “It’s okay, she’s like that in the evening. She probably just went to bed early. We’re all doing that lately.”

“Okay, we’ll see you in the morning. Kisses.” Tammy said, then closed the channel.

“Did you have to put that thing in here?” Sam asked as she held her arms out.

“Yes, there’s one in every room of the house now.” Tammy said, yawning as she slid down the bed and lay her head on Sam’s shoulder. “Help is only few steps away now. I’m not leaving you again like I did this morning.”

“Okay.” Carter said, kissing her lightly on the forehead. “I’m happy right now. I think I’m going to sleep good tonight.”

“Mmmmmm, me too.” Tammy purred. “You wore me out you little vixen!”

“Good, now go to sleep.” Sam said softly as she reached up and turned off the light. She looked down, smiling when she saw that Tammy was already asleep, a small smile on her face.