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Women’s Murder Club – Off The Clock
by John O'Connor

Disclaimer: “Women’s Murder Club” and its characters are the
property of James Patterson and 20th Century Fox . This story
is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged
hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original
characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.

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"Yep, the hyoid is fractured."
Lindsay Boxer looked up at her friend, "So the vic was
strangled?"
Claire Washburn nodded. "It looks like it. The blood vessels in
her eyes are ruptured and the broken bone... Everything points
to strangulation except..."
Lindsay narrowed her eyes, "Except what?"
Claire looked at the homicide cop then at the thin, almost
emaciated body on the autopsy table. She shook her head and
replied, "It's just that... Well, normally when someone is
strangled, there are ligature marks or bruising from the hands
or... Her throat..." Clair gestured towards the vic's head, "...is
clear of all signs of violence. All except the fractured hyoid and
the damage to the windpipe."
"Can the hyoid break on its own?" ADA Jill Bernhardt asked.
The cop and the ME looked across the room at their friend
standing by the double doors, a woman who never had learned
the ability to stomach an autopsy. "I mean, she was old..."
"She did have advanced osteoporosis. It's especially common
in post-menopausal women," Claire acknowledged.
"Our vic is definitely that," Lindsay observed.
"With osteoporosis, bone density, among other things, is lost
and the bones become more brittle. It's why so many older
people can break a hip just falling to the floor. But with the
hyoid... That's a hard bone to fracture accidentally."
Jill pressed her thought, "But it has happened?"
Claire nodded. "If she collapsed and hit her throat just right
or..."
Lindsay interrupted her, "The victim was in bed, apparently
asleep. All indications show she had been there for some time
before she died." She held up a hand, stopping Jill, "And there
was nothing in the immediate vicinity that could've hit her there
and caused the damage."
"So it's a homicide," Jill conceded.
"Yeah. A really weird homicide."
“Maybe it was a judo master…you know, a martial arts
specialist?” Jill suggested.
“So you think the Karate Kid killed her?” Lindsay managed not
to add “Wax on, wax off.”
“Well, it is a possibility.”
With a thoughtful look, Lindsay nodded. It was possible.
“Claire?”
“Something thrust into her throat to break her hyoid and crush
her windpipe.”
"How's Cindy taking it?" Claire asked.
Lindsay shrugged, "Not well. She was pretty broken up about
this. The woman was her neighbor after all."
"But she's seen dead bodies. She's on the crime desk after all,"
Jill interjected.
"She may have a stronger stomach than you, Jill..." Lindsay
smiled at her friend as Jill got that annoyed look on her face.
Claire finished the thought, "But this is a lot closer to home for
her. All of the cases we've helped Linds on have been
strangers to her. To us. She could view them in an abstract
way."
"Has anyone checked on her?"
Lindsay nodded, "I called her just before the autopsy. I'll go see
her in a little while."
Jill rolled her eyes. When Cindy joined their little impromptu
crime-solving club, Lindsay was the most resistant. There were
times the cop's attitude was down-right belligerent.
Lindsay saw the look on her friend's face, "Hey! I've gotten
better. I…accept her now."
"Most of the time..." Claire added.
Jill chuckled, "Yeah, half the time you still treat her like a red-
headed step-child."
"I do not!"
"Alright, enough already," Claire spoke up again. "No fighting in
my lab. Take it out to the playground like good little girls."
"So, you want me to look in on her?" Jill offered. "If she has to
wait for you..."
Lindsay gave her a smartass smile, "Ha-ha. Benson caught this
case. Tom..." Jill voice was almost a snarl as she said the
name of her ex-husband, Tom Hogan, who also happened to be
chief of the SFPD homicide bureau and Lindsay’s boss. “In his
infinite wisdom, he thought it’d be a good idea if I wasn’t
involved. Something about my proximity to one of the parties
involved.”
"Involved?" Jill asked. “Is Cindy a suspect?”
“No. But she was the one who found the vic, hence a witness.
And Tom knows she’s my…uh, my friend.”
The other two women shared a discreet look as their friend
stumbled over her words.
Rather than mention it, Jill asked, “So, you here at the
autopsy… That’s not involved?”
"Not officially. But I wanted to be able to tell Cindy something."
Lindsay looked pointedly at both of her friends. "Not a word to
Tom that I was here. Okay?"
Both women nodded.
As she headed for lab exit, Lindsay said, "I'll call you guys. Let
you know how Cindy is."
As the big double-doors swooshed shut behind her, her friends
looked at each other. Jill finally said what both were thinking,
"When do you think she's gonna wise up?"
"Hopefully soon," Claire replied. "Alright Counselor, I have
another case outside so..."
"I'm so outta here."
* * *
Cindy Thomas was sitting on her old, comfortable couch, staring
out at the twilit city beyond her window and absently stroking the
fur of the short-haired black cat laying on her lap. She had
finally stopped crying but she still felt awful. And a little afraid.
If someone could get into Mrs. Packard's apartment and kill her
so easily...
A sharp three knocks on the door startled her. Cindy jerked with
surprise. The cat, with a little yelp, jumped off her lap.
"Who is it?" Cindy said as she stood behind the door. She
glared at the door, angry at herself for hanging a mirror better
suited for the bedroom closet door over the peep hole. “You
know better, idiot,” she grumbled. Realizing she missed the
words coming through the door, she repeated, “Who is it?”
This time, loud and clear, the response came, "Lindsay."
Opening the door, Cindy hugged the taller woman, "Oh thank
God! I..."
Suddenly realizing how weak she appeared and knowing how
much Lindsay despised weakness, she stepped back. "Uh,
sorry."
To Cindy's immense surprise, Lindsay kicked the door shut
and pulled her into a hug, "It's okay. This is a traumatic time for
you."
The tall brunette held the shorter, auburn-haired woman for a
long minute then let her go.
"Thanks. I...I've been..."
"My first homicide? I was in uniform. It was a car accident.
Drunk driver and a van of kids from a local school. I bawled my
eyes out that night."
Cindy smirked, "But you were off-duty right?"
Lindsay smiled, "Yeah. I was off-duty. On-duty? I puked my
guts out into the gutter."
Cindy laughed. For the first time that day, she felt like things
were going to be okay. Her Lindsay was on the case.
"I'm off-duty now too." Cindy quirked an eyebrow. "My ball-and-
chain ex told me to stay away from it. Thanks to you, I'm too
close to it." The last was said with a small smile that took most
of the sting from the words.
As if realizing they were standing in the near-dark, Lindsay
asked, "You forget to pay PG and E?"
Cindy quickly turned on a lamp next to the couch. Sitting on the
coffee table with glowing eyes was the black cat that had been
on Cindy's lap earlier.
"New friend?"
"This is Snowball. He was Mrs. Packard's cat."
The cat came over and wove around Lindsay's legs, purring
loudly. "Doesn't seem to mind Martha's scent."
"Very observant Detective. Actually, I don't think she's seen a
dog since she was a baby at the Humane Society."
Eyeing the rumpled slipcover. Lindsay sat on the couch. The cat
jumped up and began to nuzzle her face. "Affectionate too."
"Snowball doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She's very
un-catlike in many ways. Mrs. Packard said she was like having
a dog but with the benefit of a litter box."
"You took her in?"
Cindy nodded, "I couldn't let the animal control people get her.
She'd..."
"Okay," Lindsay sat up. "I have to ask this. Especially knowing
you..."
"I did not break in after the cops left. One of the patrolmen let
me take Snowball. He's an animal lover too." At Lindsay's look,
Cindy reddened and quickly added, "No. He was just a nice guy
who was giving me, and Snowball, a break."
For some weird reason, Lindsay found she was relieved to hear
that.
"Want a beer? Some wine?" Cindy asked as she glanced
toward the kitchen.
"Uh, beer sounds good. No...wait. I think I'll have some wine."
In a few minutes, Cindy came back with two glasses and an
opened bottle of a recent Napa vintage. She smiled as she
watched Lindsay stroke the cat.
"Should Martha be jealous?" she joked.
Lindsay chuckled, "No. Me and Martha have this
understanding..."
Sitting next to the older woman on the couch, Cindy handed
her one of the glasses.
"So what did Claire have to say?"
"Hey, I said I was off this case."
Cindy laughed, "Yeah. But what did Claire say?"
"Well, as you know, I spoke to Claire after the...uh…"
"You can say autopsy, Lindsay."
Lindsay nodded then explained what she and the other
members of their unofficial club had discussed. When she got
to Jill’s martial arts idea, Cindy chuckled.
“So didja find a Legion flight ring or…”

“A what?”
“Well, you know…with the Karate Kid and everything.” Cindy
thought for a moment then said, “Oh, you mean the movie…”
Cindy turned serious again. "So it was murder?"
"Looks like it. Benson's on the case. He's a good cop."
Cindy glanced out at the darkened city. She wrapped her arms
around herself, "Still, it feels creepy to know... Worse than
when Kiss-Me-Not was out there."
She fell silent. Lindsay resisted an urge to wrap her arms
around the younger woman. Instead she simply stated, “I don’t
think this is a serial.”
Finally, after a long silence, Cindy asked, "Even so, do you think
this is how San Francisco felt while the Zodiac was running
around? You know, how I’m feeling?"
"Hey! I may be older than you but I'm not that old. I wasn't
even born when it all started." Seeing Cindy smiled again was
Lindsay's reward. "My old man wasn't involved in that case but I
remember him talking about it when my parents thought I was
asleep. And from what the old-timers told me when I joined the
force, it was a pretty tense time. Worse than Kiss-Me-Not.
“But this isn’t Zodiac. It’s not Kiss-Me-Not,” Lindsay continued.
“Hell, he’s not even a serial,” she repeated. Cindy did note how
the word ‘yet’ was not mentioned.
“But why would someone want to kill Mrs. Packard? She was
such a sweet…” Cindy swore under her breath as she started
crying again. Wiping her eyes, she muttered, “I’m sorry…”
Lindsay did pull her friend into a hug, whispering to her, “It’s
alright. Go ahead and cry. It’ll help.”
Cindy cried against Lindsay’s blouse for a minute or so then sat
back. “Th…thanks. I…” She took a deep breath, “I’m sorry for
breaking down like this. For being weak…”
“You’re not weak. You’re one of the strongest women I know,”
Lindsay said. With a small smirk, she added, “Impulsive, rash,
a pain in the butt. But…”
“Butt but?”
“Quiet you.”
The two sat back and sipped some more wine. The cat moved
onto Lindsay’s lap and sat up. She put her forepaws on the
detective’s shoulder and started a rhythmic massage.
“What the hell…?”
Cindy laughed, “I think she’s sweet on you.” Lindsay just looked
at her in confusion. “You never had a cat. She’s kneading you.”
“Needing?”
“It’s a leftover sign of affection from kittenhood. Babies knead
their mother to get more milk. As they grow older, it becomes a
sign of affection.”
“O-oka-ay,” Lindsay stretched the word out.
“You can pet her. Snowball loves it when you scratch behind
her ears.” Lindsay’s fingers began to move in the ink-black fur
as the cat continued to knead her.
“My brother called it ‘making biscuits’ whenever one of our cats
did that,” Cindy added.
“Biscuits, huh?” Lindsay was relieved that Cindy was in
somewhat better spirits.
“You wanna tell me about Mrs. Packard? You know, what she
was like, how you two met… You know.” The detective
paused, “This is completely off the clock. I’m not asking as a
cop but as a friend.”
Cindy looked at Lindsay, “You sure?”
Lindsay nodded, “You’ll feel better.”
“Well, she was the first person I met when I moved in. She
came over with a plate of home-made cookies. I didn’t have the
heart to tell her I hate raisins.” They both shared a smile. “She
reminded me a lot of my grammy. You know what I mean?”
Lindsay nodded. “And like Grammy, she was a teacher…”
The younger woman talked for quite a while as the wine bottle
was slowly drained. A second came out as did more tears.
Snowball had nestled herself the two women, actually snoring
slightly.
Later, as the tears flowed once more, Lindsay found herself
consoling Cindy. When she felt lips softly brush her chin then
her cheek, she didn’t pull away. When Cindy kissed her,
Lindsay found it was surprisingly nice. When Cindy pulled back,
Lindsay was amazed to realize she missed those soft, warm lips
on her own.
As if reading the other woman’s feelings, Cindy kissed Lindsay
again. And again. Each close-mouthed kiss longer than the
previous. Finally, Cindy’s tongue slipped out and brushed
Lindsay’s lips. Instinctively, her mouth opened and Cindy
slipped in.
A part of Lindsay’s mind was amazed at how cliché the whole
situation was. The rest was on fire from the sensations of the
younger girl teasing and exploring her mouth.
Cindy pulled away, her eyes downcast. “I’m sorry. I didn’t… I
mean I do but…”
Lindsay smiled, saying, “Shut up.”
And, to keep the younger woman quiet, Lindsay kissed her. A
long, passionate, emotion-filled kiss.
* * *
The next several hours were a blur of sensations and pleasure
to the detective. Images registered to be remembered, and
savored, later. Cindy pulling her shirt open and her bra down to
suckle. Cindy frantically pulling her jeans off then settling
between Lindsay’s splayed legs, a happy look on her face like a
kid at Christmas. An orgasm-blurred view of Cindy licking her.
Then her first look at Cindy’s lovely center. The cute little russet
patch above the glistening opening… Her first tastes of Cindy’s
neck, shoulder, breasts and then… Salty and wonderful.
And, mixed in, were blurs of color as their clothes were tossed
aside in their haste to see the other naked.
The last image of that first time was the reflection of the two
lovers in a classic 69 Lindsay saw when she glanced at the
mirror across the room.
Later, Cindy stirred, her hair brushing Lindsay’s nipple. Lindsay
woke up and looked down at the younger woman dozing on her
chest. She could feel the warmth of the redhead stretched the
length of her body. This was always an awkward time for her.
She hated the post-sex nudity and closeness. Even with Tom,
she would get up and pull on her sleeping clothes.
But here, for some reason, she felt none of the unease she
usually experienced. Lindsay was amazed to find she
felt…comfortable. Even on this couch with the old slipcover.
She felt like she could sleep here all night.
Then…
A grumbling followed by Cindy’s giggle.
“Hey…” Lindsay said.
“Hey you,” Cindy replied. Another grumbling sound, “I’m sorry.”
Lindsay quirked an eyebrow, “When was the last time you ate?”
At Cindy’s wicked smile, she quickly added, “I mean food.”
“I had a bagel for breakfast. Then…’
Lindsay softly stroked her back, “You have anything to eat
here?”
“I have some deli corned beef and cheese.”
“Sounds good. You have any of that spicy mustard?”
“Yep.”
Lindsay smacked Cindy’s ass lightly. “Well, get cracking.”
Cindy slid off Lindsay and grabbed a shirt off the floor, buttoning
the bottom three or four buttons.
“Hey! That’s my shirt!” Lindsay protested.
“Wait a minute,” Cindy responded. Seconds later a light weight,
sky-blue robe sailed over the back of the couch onto Lindsay’s
head. “Wear that.”
Lindsay sat up and pulled the robe on. It barely hung below her
ass. Shrugging, she walked into the kitchen. Her apprehension
over the shortness of her robe was quickly forgotten when she
saw Cindy. The redhead was at the counter, Lindsay’s shirt
barely covering her shapely posterior.
“Beautiful,” Lindsay breathed.
“What?” When Cindy turned, Lindsay’s eyes widened when she
saw the shirt wasn’t even buttoned up to her bust, exposing a
lovely expanse of soft, white flesh. Lindsay loved cheesecake.
* * *
They sat silently at the small kitchen table, eating the
sandwiches and potato chips, sharing a large Arizona Iced Tea.
“Um…so…”
Cindy smiled, “Yeah.”
“So you okay with…”
“Yes! Uh, I mean, yeah sure. If you are…” Cindy’s eyes left
Lindsay’s face for the first time since they sat down.
“Well, it’s just that… I mean you were hurting…are hurting, and
I…”
Cindy looked up again. “Believe it or not, Linds, I am a big girl.
I can decide who I do or do not sleep with.”
“I…I know. I just…”
Cindy’s hand rested on Lindsay’s, “Are you sorry?”
“No. Not at all. You?”
Cindy laughed and shook her head, “Hell no! You really don’t
know how long I’ve wanted this do you?” Dumbfounded,
Lindsay could only shake her head, “You know, for a sharp,
miss-nothing cop, you… Lindsay, why do you think I worked so
hard to get into our informal club?”
“I guess… I thought so you could get exclusives.
Or…something like that.”
“Linds, I saw you once at a crime scene when I was new at the
paper and going around with one of the older, crime-beat
writers. I saw you and the rest of San Francisco …hell, the rest
of the world disappeared.
“Took some time to get into the local news team and then
getting a shot at the crime beat. I worked hard to get where I
was. I always wanted to be a good reporter and to be taken
seriously. I was going to be Frisco’s answer to Bob Woodward.
When I saw you, I knew City Hall and Fresno were a thing of the
past. Crime was it.
“Then I saw you at a crime scene again. And Claire and Jill. I
had to get into that little clique. Yeah, sure, I thought it could
help me get some inside scoops. But the main reason was to
be near you.
“Why do you think I ignored all those barriers you tried to erect,
the barbs you threw my way? I was willing to go through all that
just to spend time with you. And you know what? Even if
this…” the redhead glanced towards the living room, “…hadn’t
happened, I would still be happy. Cause you’re my friend. And
I love that!”
Teasingly, Lindsay asked, “So, if I got dressed and never let you
see me naked again…?”
With a smirk, Cindy replied, “Ain’t gonna happen, Detective.”
“Oh? And how are you going to keep that from happening?”
Cindy took the mustard-covered butter knife, smearing some of
the spicy condiment in the brunette’s cleavage. Then she
leaned over and licked it clean.
“Oh, that’ll work,” Lindsay moaned.
Licking her lips, Cindy said, “Let’s take this to the bedroom.”
Then she stood, turned and flashed Lindsay a quick shot of her
ass.
Lindsay knocked over her chair as she lunged after the smaller
woman. She finally tackled her new lover in the bedroom,
toppling the two of them onto the bed. There she smothered
Cindy’s face and neck with soft, wet kisses.
Cindy lay back as the shirt was opened by its owner who then
proceeded to kiss every bit of exposed skin she could find.
Sitting back on her heels, she repeated her earlier observation,
“Beautiful.”
The nude woman smiled, “Thank you. And so are you. So
beautiful.” Lindsay smiled, warmed by those words more than
any compliment she’d heard in years. “Now, loose the robe!”
Lindsay replied dutifully. She felt another rush of warmth and
passion when she saw the hungry look in the younger woman’s
eyes.
Teasingly, Lindsay said, “If we’re going to have an intimate
relationship, there have to be some rules…”
“Fuck the rules!”
With an arched eyebrow, Lindsay crawled onto the bed and
settled herself on all fours over the reclining woman.
“C’mere.” Cindy’s hand reached up and gently moved through
the dark mass of hair to caress the back of the detective’s neck
as she pulled her woman down for a long, deep kiss.
Cindy moaned into Lindsay’s mouth as she welcomed the warm
weight of Lindsay on top her. The feeling of this warm, naked
body lying on her – a body she had loved and desired for so
long – felt so good. So right.
Cindy’s hand continued to caress and stroke the short hairs on
the back of Lindsay’s neck while the other moved down to trace
the contours of Lindsay’s ass.
As Lindsay caressed Cindy’s tongue with her own, she thrilled
to the silky softness as she sucked the younger girl into her
mouth. Why had she waited so long for this?
Lindsay forced herself to break the kiss as she slid down
between Cindy’s legs. The wet jewel nestled there glistened in
the light coming in from the living room. So lovely…so inviting.
She didn’t resist its siren call any longer.
As Lindsay’s tongue stroked her outer labia, Cindy moaned
softly. When the woman parted those lips and began to caress
her inner core with her tongue, Cindy moaned more loudly.
When Lindsay forced her tongue into Cindy, the younger
woman groaned quite loudly.
Those moans and groans grew in pitch as Lindsay feasted on
her lover. The detective managed to keep her tongue buried in
the other woman as she massaged Cindy’s nubbin with her
nose.
That action turned the noises coming from Cindy’s throat into a
scream of ecstasy as she climaxed on the cop’s beautiful face.
Lindsay crawled up over her woman again. Cindy lay absolutely
still, a big smile on her face, her eyes closed tightly and her
russet hair was tousled from whipping her head around in the
throes of her orgasm.
Lindsay gently brushed a lock of hair off Cindy’s face and softly
kissed her. Cindy’s eyes opened slightly and her mouth
opened. The kiss deepened for several long moments.
“Boy, do I taste good!” Cindy declared.
“Yes you do,” Lindsay agreed as she lay next to Cindy and
pulled the smaller woman to her.
They lay together for a while as Cindy’s pulse returned to a
calmer state. Then she chuckled. “Come up here, Detective.”
Eager to obey, Lindsay crawled up and settled over Cindy’s
face. Looking into the reporter’s wide eyes, she laughed until
she was pulled down so her mound melded around Cindy’s
mouth.
Before long, the oral pleasures Cindy was giving her made
Lindsay fall forward to lean against the headboard as her entire
body shook in rapture.
* * *
Lindsay had only been asleep for a short time when she was
awakened by someone pushing against her face. Over and
over. Her sleep-fogged brain noted that Cindy's sleeping form
was still spooned up against her, the younger woman's breasts
cushiony soft against Lindsay's bare back.
Just as she opened her eyes, fear lanced through her. The
killer! The killer was here in Cindy's room.
When her eyes opened, she started to laugh. Laying on her
side, facing Lindsay, was the little cat, Snowball. She was
busily kneading the cop's face with a wide-eyed innocent look
on her furry face and a deep purr.
As Lindsay moved her head, the cat's paws slipped under her
chin and began the kneading actions on her throat. The
rhythmic pressure caused a partial blockage of Lindsay's
windpipe and that was all it took.
Sitting upright, she yelled, "That's it!"
Snowball let out a loud squeal and jumped over Lindsay,
landing on Cindy.
"Huh? Wha'? Lindsay...?" the sleepy form next to her
muttered.
"Cindy, I know who killed your friend!"
Suddenly Cindy was sitting straight up, her bare breasts bathed
in the moonlight coming through the skylight. "Who?"
With a big smile, Lindsay held up the cat, "Snowball."
"What?!? Are you nuts? What... How could... You're nuts!
Little Snowball? What makes you… How can you…"
Placing her free hand over the reporter's mouth, Lindsay said,
"Hush. It's Snowball. She was just kneading me and her paws
started to push against my windpipe. I'm sure the pressure is
enough to break an older woman's hyoid. Especially if she was
suffering from osteoporosis."
"Oh...poor Snowball..." Cindy cooed as she took the squirming
bundle of fur in her arms. Gently stroking the cat, she muttered,
"You didn't mean to do it. You were just letting your mom know
how much you love her..."
* * *
Lindsay burst Benson’s bubble when she managed to solve the
crime in less than twenty-four hours. Tom Hogan was more
than a little irritated that Lindsay had become involved with the
case.
“What involved? I was helping a friend,” Lindsay countered.
“Can I help it if my deductive skills are so good?”
She managed to keep from hemming and hawing too much
when asked how she determined the cat was the culprit. She
finally gave the credit to Cindy – far easier than coming out in
the squad room.
Jill and Claire managed not to laugh at Lindsay’s discomfort –
they had managed to read between the lines and knew how
Lindsay solved the case. And in what state of dress – or
undress. Tom was too preoccupied to notice any of that.
At any rate, Claire’s acceptance of the COD was sufficient for
Tom to close the case.
* * *
Lindsay went with Cindy to Mrs. Packard’s funeral. She held
the smaller woman’s hand during the church service and had
her arm around Cindy for support at the graveside service.
There were more in attendance than Cindy expected but she
learned how beloved Mrs. Packard had been when she had
been a teacher.
When they returned to Cindy’s apartment after the wake,
Lindsay was pleasantly surprised she didn’t have to do much
comforting. The number of students, young and old, who came
to pay their respects had buoyed Cindy’s spirits.
She only cried for a short time in bed that night. Fortunately the
woman she loved was there for her.
* * *
And so ended the case of the felonious feline. The killer cat
was not incarcerated but placed under house arrest. Said
house was Cindy’s apartment.
Snowball didn’t seem to mind. She had plenty of love and
attention. With two women to cuddle, she often insinuated
herself the middle of the lovers and got plenty of pettings and
scratches.
Until bedtime. Lindsay made a point of making the cat sleep
outside the bedroom any night she stayed over. As the number
of those nights increased, ‘poor’ Snowball got used to sleeping
in a multitude of other locations in the apartment - even the cool
bathtub during the heat of the summer.
And when Lindsay finally let Cindy move in with her, Snowball
found a new playmate – to the women’s amusement and Sweet
Martha’s bemusement.

The blonde moved slowly on the cot, the paper beneath her
crinkling. A hand idly moved across her face as if brushing
away an insect. She moaned quietly and her eyelids fluttered.

"Where..." Her voice sounded gravelly and alien to her, her
throat was raw. Clearing her throat, she opened her eyes and
glanced around the room. She was in the Medical Center and
there were wires hanging from her arms to monitors above her.
An IV tube lead from her right arm to a nearly empty bag on a
stand near her.

"What the hell...?"

The woman struggled to sit up as her memory came back. She
was Samantha Carter. A light colonel in the Air Force and a
theoretical astrophysicist. She was in the main medical facility
of Stargate Command where she served on SG-1. And she was
there because...

Sam shook her head, she couldn't remember. But, as her friend
Janet Frasier had told her several times, trauma can cause
temporary amnesia.

Trauma… Any wounds? she wondered. As she began to check,
she realized she was naked. And not naked under a hospital
gown or under sheets but stark naked on a paper-covered
mattress with nothing between her and the room but the
conditioned air in the facility.

"At least no one is in here," she muttered, thinking specifically of
her commanding officer, Jack O'Neill. Suddenly, she recalled a
memory fragment from another mission - she and her
teammates stripping out of their contaminated gear in the
Gateroom and both Jack and Daniel Jackson trying not to stare
at her. And she remembered Teal'c...

"Wow. Almost too bad I'm not..." Sam stopped as she recalled
yet another fragment, this one much more secret and personal.

Gingerly getting off the bed, she saw it was one of the standard
beds but with an air mattress and white, exam-table paper
spread over it. And the other beds were only bare frames.

"What the hell?"

Carefully walking across the cool concrete floor, she scanned
the room for people as she headed for a locker that contained
lab coats and surgical scrubs. Opening the cabinet, the sight of
bare shelves greeted her eyes.

"This is...odd." Shaking her head, Sam moved over to an
intercom. "Command, this is Colonel Carter in the medical
center... Command?" She adjusted the unit, "Anyone? This is
Colonel Carter. Is there anyone here?"

After trying different departments and then a general
announcement with no success, she decided to head to her
quarters. Just before leaving the Med Center, Sam grabbed the
wrinkled paper off her cot and held it in front of her as she
walked down the empty corridor. She pulled the paper around
her, one hand holding it just above her breasts and the other
reaching around back to hold the paper over her bare backside.

As she walked the distance from the Med Center to her room,
she kept glancing around for anyone. Relief at not being seen
naked warred with growing dread over the strangeness of the
situation. What the hell was going on?

Reaching her quarters, Sam quickly ducked inside and opened a
cabinet. It was empty! No BDUs, no dress uniform, nothing.
Even the drawers holding underwear and other clothes was
empty. Scanning the room, she realized that her bed was
nothing more than an empty frame like the beds in the Med
Center.

"Which level are stores on?" she asked herself.

* * * * *

After finding the main store room empty of anything that could
cover her bare form, Sam was tired, frustrated and worried.
Searching the major levels of the SGC led her to exactly
nothing. No clothes, no people, nothing.

And the passage to the upper levels of NORAD was locked tight.
That really worried her. What could be going on above
ground? Was Cassie alright? Was Janet? Her brother?
Everyone else?

Turning to the comm unit, Sam saw the face plate was dangling
by two wires with a standard repair kit open on the floor. What a
time to run a maintenance check, she thought.

Disconcertingly, there was a small pile of metal near the door.
There were rank badges, service award ribbons, and brass
buttons from every branch of the United States armed forces as
well as British, Russian and other participating national military
units.

Somewhat rattled by this discovery, she headed back down into
the complex.

She tossed the 'bedding' away after the first hour. The paper
was tearing and the creases and folds were irritating her skin.

For an hour after that, she craned her head around corners and
door frames to see if anyone was there before displaying her
charms.

Soon she didn't care if anyone saw her. Sam just wanted to see
someone. Anyone.

After another hour, she realized some secret part of her enjoyed
being naked. With no trace of conceit, Sam knew she had a
good figure. And now she was able to flaunt it. If anyone was
watching the security monitors.

Slowly coming to terms with her solitude, Sam also realized it
had been some time since she'd bathed. A side trip to the SG
Team locker room did help, even if she had to let herself drip
dry.

While washing, she became aware of the hunger that had been
quietly gnawing at her for the past few hours. Going to the
cafeteria, she happily devoured almost all the blue Jell-O she
found in the refrigerators.

As she scraped the spoon across the bottom of her last dish, a
thought struck her.

"The Alpha Site!" she yelled before hurrying off to the Command
Center.

* * * * *

Of course no one was there. And, from the jumble on the floor
near the back of Command, the comm unit by the main
entrance wasn't the only one undergoing maintenance. The
whole system was down. "That's why I didn't hear any echoes in
the Med Center. Damn it!"

The Gate was wide open but there were no readings on the
monitors. Glancing through the observation windows, she saw
the major power leads were no longer connected. Yet another
example of maintenance cancelled while work was still on-going.

"Guess I'll have to fix that..." Sam muttered, hoping the
capacitors hadn’t bled dry since being removed from the internal
power grid.

* * * * *

Sam threw the dead power lead down in frustration. The tools
had to be in one of the other maintenance bays. “Damn! Why
aren’t there any tools in here?”

Walking back to the base of the ramp, she stood in the middle of
the Gateroom, staring up at the Command Center a floor above
her. As she slapped her hands together in frustration, a voice
said, "Peek-a-boo!"

With wide eyes, Sam clenched her hands together between her
legs, her arms pressing her breasts up as she gave out a loud,
"Eeek!"

From behind, a familiar voice said, "Eek, Sam? Is that the best
you can do?"

Spinning around, Sam saw her best friend, Janet Fraiser,
standing on the other side of the Stargate. Janet’s dark hair was
hanging loose over her shoulders and she was wearing nothing
but her stethoscope which was draped around her neck.

The woman was...gorgeous. Large, firm breasts riding high on
her slender body. Short but sleek legs leading up to a nicely
trimmed...

"Is it cold in here or are you just happy to see me?" Janet said
with a big grin. Sam jerked her eyes away quickly. Still she ran
to her friend.

"Janet!" Sam exclaimed as Janet came around the Gate. They
hugged each other tightly, Sam all too aware of their mutual
nakedness and the soft, firm mounds pressing beneath hers.
And the warm breath washing over her erect nipples.

With a jerk, she pulled back. Taking a deep breath, she
managed to ask, in a fairly normal voice, "What's going on?
Where is everyone? Why are we naked?"

"Whoa... Slow down Sam," Janet said. Reaching up to place a
hand on Sam's forehead, she asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Other than being stark naked at work? Fine."

Janet smiled as she fitted the stethoscope in her ears. "I want
you to take deep breaths, okay?"

Sam stood there, completely nonplussed. It wasn't like she had
never been naked during an exam before but this was the first
time her doctor was naked too. And in the Gateroom, no less.
She had to admit it was a bit of a thrill.

After flipping the scope around her slender throat again, Janet
said, "Your heart and lungs sound good. That's a definite
improvement."

"If you call living a nightmare an improvement."

"Huh?"

"Naked at work? The only thing missing is everyone staring at
me."

"Don't worry. You and I are the only ones here. And there is no
visual surveillance active at the moment."

"But..."

"Come on, let's go upstairs and have a seat. I'll explain it to
you."

Going up two levels, Sam and Janet padded into the briefing
room. Sam noted the flags were gone and the carpeting had
been pulled up.

"SG-1 came back from PRX-33B with you in a comatose state.
After getting you settled in the Med Center, I was able to
examine you. It didn't look good and I was running several tests
to see what you might’ve picked up. I have to admit, I was very
worried about you," Janet added, shaking her head.

Sam sat in her normal chair and Janet sat directly across from
her. Sam tried hard not to look at the smaller woman's lovely
assets, capped by brown nipples as hard as her own.

And the temperature was quite comfortable.

"Okay, so I'm still in a coma and this is all a dream. Right?"

Janet shook her head, her hair shining under the fluorescent
lights, "No. This is all very real. Right after you got back, the
field gear you and the rest of SG-1 had worn began
to...dissolve."

"Dissolve?"

"More or less. Some microbes came with you that seemed to
have an affinity for fibers, natural and synthetic. And they're
hungry little buggers."

"So our clothes were eaten away?"

"And the carpeting, the bedding, bandages, napkins and
tablecloths in the commissary... Even the flags," Janet nodded
at the empty poles.

"Everyone was evacuated. They went through a total decon
procedure after leaving the SGC. I bet Jack O'Neill wish he had
stayed at the Pentagon this week..."

"General O'Neill was here?"

"Yep. Got here right after SG-1 left. And when everyone was
stripping out of their contaminated clothing, it was hard not to
laugh at O'Neill and Landry trying to maintain some dignity
while..." Janet laughed aloud. "Even Caroline was amused."

Sam chuckled too as she pictured her superiors in such a
predicament.

Janet added, "Vala wasn't fazed by the lack of clothing in the
least. No surprise there though. Especially if half of what
Carolyn has told me about her exams are true."

Sam nodded, she was pretty well acquainted with the alien
woman's less-restrictive morals. Then the thought came,
Carolyn and Vala?

Janet interrupted Sam's thoughts with, "Everyone seems to be
fine, they all went through a makeshift decon chamber before
they entered NORAD. Last time I talked to the surface,
everything was okay. I stayed behind to look after you. We
couldn't take a chance that whatever was affecting you might
spread." Janet shook her head, "After your bedding began to
go, I got an air mattress and some paper on another cot. I
managed to get you settled on there after some trouble."

"Trouble?"

"You may not look like you weigh too much but muscle is denser
than fat and... Oh, and I was distracted when my own clothing
started to be consumed."

Sam's eyes again drifted down to Janet's breasts before
bouncing up to her eyes again. Her dark brown eyes.

"So, why weren't you there when I woke up?"

Janet smiled, "I got tired. I'd been watching you for nearly
twenty hours before the monitors showed improvement. After
talking to them upstairs, I grabbed a spare air mattress and
headed to my room for a short nap."

"Short?!? I was wandering for hours."

Smiling again, Janet replied, "I planned on a short nap. I
actually slept for nearly over six hours."

"So what was happening to me?" Sam paused and added, "Or
is wrong with me?"

"Believe it or not, you had a really nasty case of the flu. You
must've gotten it just before your mission. The mission was cut
short..."

"...when I started to feel hot and cold spells," Sam finished,
suddenly remembering.

"Yes, but we weren't sure if the influenza strain had been
affected by your off-planet trip. When you went comatose, I was
afraid it had. Fortunately, not badly and not for too long."

"So you have a radio?"

"Yes, but the batteries are low so - things were happening fast
and we didn't have a lot of options - I call in every six hours."
Janet shook her head, "The comm channels were taken off-line
before... And, as part of a government cost-saving measure, all
other comm gear was undergoing tests, charging...whatever. So
I got a radio with only a minimal charge."

"So call them."

"I did. Just before I laid down and again when I woke up. They
aren't expecting to hear from me for another five and a half
hours. But, once we get upstairs, I'll get them on the line."

Sam nodded then looked up at Janet sharply, "And why were
you sneaking around the Gateroom? You had to see me when
you came in."

"Oh yeah..." Janet's eyes were fixed on Sam's own breasts.

"Janet?"

Brown eyes slowly lifted and Janet smiled. "Hon, I saw you. I
just wanted to enjoy it so I...slipped behind the Gate and
admired..." Her eyes shot down, as if looking through the table,
then up.

"My ass?" Janet nodded. "You were looking at my ass. You
were looking at my ass?!?"

Janet nodded again with a smile. "You have a very shapely
derriere, Colonel."

"Well Doctor, I try to take care of myself." Sam smiled in return.
Is it possible...?

"With a little help."

"Yes, a bit." Sam smiled then turned red. "So...you're... Umm,
you like..." She stammered, "M-me?"

"You never knew? You never thought I might be interested in
you too?"

"I hoped...fantasized. But I had no idea..." Sam hesitated
again, her eyes dropping to the table top. Slowly lifting them
and looking through her lashes, she quietly asked, "Are you?"

Janet smiled and rose. She walked slowly around the
conference table, her eyes locked on Sam's. Sam thought, I've
never seen anything lovelier.

"Wh-what are you d-doing?" Sam stammered, both excited and
fearful of the answer.

Janet knelt before Sam and said, "Something I've wanted to do
for a long time."

She gently pushed Sam's knees apart and moved her face into
the open space between the blonde's slim, muscular thighs.

Sam sat nearly frozen, her lower lip caught between her teeth,
as she watched Janet lean into her. Was it possible? Was her
greatest desire about to come true?

Or was she merely suffering some delusion brought on by a high
fever?

"No...please..." Sam whimpered.

Janet looked up at her friend in concern, "Sam? Did I... Do you
want me to stop?"

Broken free from her self-induced trance, Sam shook her head
vigorously. "No. Please don't stop. I..."

Tears filled her eyes as she found herself unable to go on.
Janet knelt upright and cupped her cheek. "Ssh, Sam. It's
okay. I won't do anything you don't want. I would never hurt
you. I only want you to feel good."

Sam nodded and Janet kissed her gently on her cheek. "Do you
want me to..."

"P-please... Yes. God yes!"

Janet smiled and wiped a tear away with her thumb. "I want
you, sweetheart. I want you to feel so good."

Janet sat back on her heels and lowered her face again. Sam
saw her take a deep breath and worried she might not
smell...appealing. When Janet smiled happily up at her, Sam
felt relief.

When Janet's tongue touched her, she squealed again, this time
in surprised glee and pleasure. When Janet stroked her sex
with her tongue, Sam felt herself melting. When Janet's tongue
slipped inside her, she nearly swooned. When Janet's tongue
lapped at her clitoris, she screamed as she came quickly...and
hard.

Pulling back and looking up at her beautiful 'victim', Janet licked
her lips. Sam opened her eyes to that and smiled at the sheen
on the little brunette's cheeks and chin.

"Sam. You little hair-trigger you..." Janet giggled. "Ready for
more?"

Sam nodded. She wondered if she'd ever not be ready.

"Do me a little favor. Sit on the table and I can use the seat.
This bare floor is murder on my knees..."

Sam leapt up and hopped onto the table, her bare ass right
where her files or notes usually lay. Janet sat on her chair,
ignoring the damp spot on the fake leather. Sam grabbed
Janet's head and pulled her close.

They stared deeply into each other's eyes as their breath
mingled and their noses gently touched. Slowly, they moved
closer until their lips meshed softly.

The soft, gently kiss went on for several long, exquisite
moments. Then Sam pulled back. "Is this real? Is this really
happening?"

Janet nodded as she pulled Sam to her. The doctor's tongue
slipped into Sam's mouth as easily as it had into Sam's core.
Sam responded with sensuous vigor.

This kiss went on and on. They let up slightly to inhale but
never to relinquish the other's lips. And as soon as the need for
fresh oxygen was sated, tongues began to dance together again.

Janet broke away this time. She smiled, "I want you again. I
want to taste you..."

Sam felt shivers flowing up and down her spine as she heard
those words from her friend. And now lover, she thought
happily.

Sam leaned back on her hands, her feet propped on the arms of
the chair Janet sat in, opening herself for Janet. She watched
Janet lean into her.

Janet nuzzled Sam's dark blond curls as she looked up. "You
smell so...spicy!"

The doctor's tongue was soon busy with other things than words.
She licked Sam's flat stomach then down through the furry patch
into Sam's wet heat.

This time Sam tried to watch as Janet ravished her, occasionally
throwing her head back and moaning as the doctor tongued her
clit or slipped into her, that supple tongue connecting with her
special sweet spot.

"God Janet! Oh God..." Sam's word degenerated into
inarticulate moans. Those moans quickly rose into a scream as
Janet brought her to another, explosive climax.

"AAAAIIIIEEEEE!!!"

Janet smiled into Sam as she heard her new lover echoing
around the briefing room. And, with a wicked giggle, she
continued to lap away at Sam's now-sopping heat.

Sam began to squirm on the table as Janet maintained her
unrelenting pace. The blonde didn't even bother to try and
watch her lover. It was impossible to bring her head forward
much less open her eyes as wave after wave of exquisite
pleasure flowed through her.

After bringing Sam to two orgasms already, Janet knew it would
take some doing but she was determined to take advantage of
the situation.

When the first finger entered her, Sam's eyes snapped open.
She was looking at the reinforced concrete ceiling but not seeing
anything. "Janet!!!" she gasped loudly.

Janet sat back, a smile on her wet face and two of her fingers
inside her friend, as she replied, "Yes?"

"Janet..." A weaker gasp.

With a Cheshire Cat smile, Janet lowered her head again and
resumed her enjoyment.

A third finger slipped into her as Sam marveled at her friend's
unsuspected ability. That magical tongue was everywhere - on
her labia, her clit, her perineum, and inside her along with those
slender, insistent fingers. And that was all it took.

"EEEEEeeeeEEEE!!!"

Sam fell back onto the table as Janet sat back, admiring the
sweaty, overheated form lying before her.

With shuddering breaths, Sam tried to talk, "J-j-janet...th-that
wassss...incred-ible... I n-never im...agined yoooo..."

Pulling the taller woman into her lap to cuddle, Janet chuckled.
"Why do you think I'm divorced? Or why Daniel never even got
to first base?"

"Have you always...?"

"Wanted you? Yes. I think, once we became friends, I wanted
more. Caroline told me I should go for it but...Air Force regs
and all."

Sam leaned back to look at Janet, "You and Lam?"

"A couple of times but...nothing serious. She knew, from her
first day, how into you I was. Anyway, she's got a thing for
black-haired rebel-types. Something to do with irritating her
father."

"Why did you wait so long?" Sam asked, her eyes locked on the
other's dark brown ones.

"I needed to be sure you were ready."

"And...I was?"

"Nope! But, given the circumstance, I had to chance it."

Sam smiled, "I'm glad you did but why chance it now?"

"Cause I always wanted to take you on this damned table!"
Janet laughed.

Sam smiled at the smaller woman. "Well, I guess we better
move to the Med Center."

"Why?"

"I've wanted you too. And I always wanted to see you in those
stirrups..."

Janet hopped up, her breasts jiggling happily in Sam's eyes, and
took the colonel's hand. She led her lover out of the conference
room and down one of the deserted corridors.

The two held hands the entire way to the Med Center. While
they were in the elevator, Janet pulled Sam to her and they
shared a long, deep kiss as their bare bodies pressed against
each other.

In the Med Center, Sam led Janet to the examination table and
had the smaller woman lay down. Guiding the doctor's petite
feet into the stirrups, Sam pulled a small stool over and sat
between Janet's splayed thighs.

"Oh, you are so...wet," Sam stated, gazing at the woman's sex
open before her.

Sam lowered her mouth and began to feast on her lovely
partner. She smiled as she heard Janet's moan at the moment
her lips just kissed the open lips before her. When she
deepened the kiss and probed inside Janet, the doctor moaned
even louder.

Wanting to show she was also skilled in practices other than
astro-physics and defending the Earth, Sam proved she was a
skilled lover as well. And she enjoyed what she did.
Thoroughly.

Janet's moans filled the room as Sam's tongue traced every
contour before dipping within. The moans only ceased when
Janet was forced to take a shuddering breath.

Those moans scaled up into a loud screech as Sam traced a
pattern around Janet's clit.

"AAAIIIIiiiiiiieeeeEEEE!!!" Janet screamed when Sam started to
suck on her nubbin. Sam's fingers moved into the wet heat and
the combined sensations sent Janet over the edge.

After Janet recovered, she sat up and asked, "God, Sam… I
had no idea you were so…good."

With a wicked smile, Sam asked, "How long 'til you have to
check in again?"

Glancing at the clock on the far wall, Janet replied, "About four
hours." She smiled evilly and added, "What did you have in
mind?"

"I was just wondering how blue Jell-o would taste in you..."

"Sam, you kinky little explorer you." Janet hopped off the table,
"Let's go get something to eat. And to eat you with..."

Laughing, Sam walked with Janet out of the room, "So what do
you want to try?"

"I was thinking of a hot fudge Sam. With whipped cream and
nuts."

"And a cherry?"

"But of course."

Sam dashed off, yelling over her shoulder, "Last one to the
cafeteria is the main course."

Liking the sound of that, Janet didn't even try to keep up with her
lover.

The End

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