fandomhigh | The Library (2/10/06)

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The Library (2/10/06)

Janet unlocked the door to the library, turned on the lights, and sat down behind the Collections Desk. She warily eyed the rather strange-looking romance novel with the centaur and the mermaid on the cover. It was just lying there on the corner of the desk.

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"Detention? I didn't even know we had cheerleaders here."

"No, and thank goodness for that," said Janet. "Because you know how I get around them. No, I might have brought Professor Skeeter's children up in class and mentioned the stress of divorce having an effect on them. She decided that was worth a detention." The gleam in Janet's eyes might have suggested she was plotting revenge.

"And I notice you're avoiding the subject of everything else we're talking about."

"Janet! I'm shocked!" She looked down at her hands, twisting them together. "Yeah, I guess I am. I don't like where we are now, but it's better than we were. I don't like having to drink heavily to talk to you." She chuckled, bitterly, "my head can't take it."

"I knew I had you fooled with my innocent facade," murmured Janet. "Think of how bad this would be if we were doing it at forty. And in all non-drunken seriousness, I hate this. So what do we do about it? Because really, you're not the only one who's avoiding a bunch of subjects."

"Janet," Sam whispered, "we are doing this at forty. And I don't know. If we were married, I'd suggest couples counseling."

"When we're physically forty, anyway." She was whispering too. "Ignoring it isn't the way to go. Look at what happens when we ignore things." Janet grinned wryly. "Couples counseling? Is Jack going to be jealous. But counseling might not be a bad idea. Dr. Pevensie seems nice enough. Also, she's not Mackenzie. This is a critical skill for any counselor."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Trust me, Jack O'Neill is not going to be jealous about not having to go to counseling with me ~~much as we may need it.~~"

"Sooo...do you want to go? Seriously?"

Janet laughed. "I know. Jack's the worst of any of us about counselors. ~~Problems?~~"

"What else are we going to do?" asked Janet. "Avoid everything by changing the subject whenever we start getting somewhere? Which we both do. So let's do this."

"Tell me about it. He's Jack O'Neill."

Sam nodded and looked up at janet. "Okay. So we'll do this. Because this can't continue or I'll lose my mind."

"I don't think you need to," said Janet. "I've heard the rants. ~~What'd he do now?~~"

"No one's losing their mind," said Janet firmly. "Given average life expectancies, we have at least sixty more years of friendship. At least. And neither of us is going to lose our minds during that time."

~~"He was Jack O'Neill. In all his glory."~~

"We've already lost them a few times," Sam said, "and given our average life expectancies? It'll happen again."

~~"Ah. That. Did you zat him?"~~

"What's a little insanity between friends?" asked Janet. "Our average life expectancies are a little more complicated than most people's, aren't they? I had a formula all worked out somewhere. I have to go to the clinic anyway. I can make an appointment then."

~~"No. Stupid weapons ban.~~

"They really are," Sam smiled slightly, "and that's probably a good idea."

"How did my life get to be this complicated?" asked Janet. "I think you'll need to call and confirm the appointment for you, though. Just so they don't think I'm pulling a prank. Which of course I would never do."

"You said 'Yes, I'd love to move to Colorado and work on a classified project'?" Sam nodded and made a note about calling the counselor, then put it in her pocket. "Why would you make an appointment for someone else as a joke? I mean, for me?"

"I might've turned around and ran, but my interest was piqued with that virus my first week. Talk about an absolutely fascinating microorganism." Janet shrugged. "It was worth the tradeoff. And I never would, since the clinic is on my list of 'things we never mess around with,' but someone might. If they were feeling particularly malicious, I suppose."

"I remember that virus well," Sam said, dryly. "The beginning of the end, as far as my life was concerned."

"The beginning of the end?" asked Janet. "Sam, your life's hardly over."

"The beginning of the end of my social life, then," Sam made a face, "not to mention a massive case of denial. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I'd never been hit with that virus ~~and if I'd never known how he tasted.~~"

"You had a social life? Lucky. I think I used to have one." Janet looked wistful. "Why wonder that? You'll drive yourself nuts. ~~Besides, I managed to fall for someone without even that much.~~"

Sam chuckled. "Okay, maybe social life was overstating things. I spent a lot of time going on first dates and wondering if I'd messed up by breaking things off with Jonas."

"I could have told you then that he was no big loss." Janet grinned. "Of course, my track record those days wasn't exactly impressive."

"He..." Sam fidgeted, "He wasn't always like that. Especially not the way he was, y'know, at the end. And at least you've been married."

"People change, sure," said Janet. "But he was going to end up unpleasant whether you married him or not. Trust me, I wish I hadn't been married--at least not to him. Those were the three longest years of my life."

Sam nodded and leaned forward on the counter. "There were some good times, they were just outweighed at the end. Turns out that I don't deal well with being ordered around if I'm not under fire."

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