Title: Domestic Disaster

Author: Terri D. Thomas

E-mail: topekaksterri@prodigy.net

Status: Complete

Archive: Heliopolis, The Sandbox and anyone else who wants it. . .just ask first (of course I'm not sure why you'd want it )

Category: Challenge

Spoilers: none that I can think of

Season/Sequel Info: 1st season, sometime after "Emancipation"

Rating: PG

Summary: Uh. . .I think the title speaks for itself.

Disclaimers: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are properties of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions and Gekko Productions. No copyright infringement is intended. This is just for fun, not for money. Original stuff is the property of the author and should not to be archived without the permission of the author.

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Domestic Disaster

By Terri D. Thomas

"Okay, that's it," Daniel said softly, his words encouraging in their tone. "Patience. Do it slowly. Don't rush it."

Sam held her breath, her muscles tense in anticipation. "I've never been very good at patience," she muttered.

"You're a scientist, Sam. Patience is part of the job." Daniel grinned at his culinary accomplice.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it, though," Sam replied, continuing the slow process of pouring the mixture into the bowl while running the beater with the other hand. "Why couldn't you do this?"

"Because, you need the experience. You said it yourself."

Sam shook her head. "I didn't mean now. . .on base." She looked around the empty commissary.

"It's Teal'c's birthday and we're only on stand down until the morning. There's no time to do this anywhere else," Daniel admonished.

Sam shook her head as she continued to beat the batter. "You could have done it. You're the experienced one. Hell, Teal'c probably doesn't even like cake."

Daniel shook his head. "Sam, this was as good a time as any for you to practice, and besides, it's the thought that counts."

"I hate this," the woman grumbled.

"No you don't. You're just intimidated by the process."

"Am not," she replied as she stuck out her tongue. "I've made cookies before."

Daniel chuckled. "Baking a tube of manufactured dough is not the same, Captain Doctor. A cake made from scratch will be a major kitchen accomplishment for you." He handed the woman two round baking pans. "Okay, just grease these down."

The woman stuck her hand in the jar and lopped a small lump of white grease into the pan. Her lips curled in disgust. "There was a reason I got the 'D' in Home Economics."

"Why? Haven't needed them so far." The woman held up her grease-covered index finger. "See this. It dials the phone and brings me food when I need it."

"But Samantha, it can do so much more."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "I think it's learned too much already."

"Nah. . .just wait. We'll trying sewing next weekend."

"Ugh. . ." Sam grimaced. She poured the batter into the waiting pans. "How did you learn all of these things, Dr. Jackson?"

"Well, I did a lot of the cooking with my last foster family. And as for the sewing. . .well, you learn how if you want to continue wearing clothes on archeological digs." He watched the woman scoop out the remaining contents into the pans. "Okay, we'll just slip these into the oven and then we can make the frosting."

Sam nodded. Daniel pulled the oven door open, the heat blasting his face. Sam carefully slipped the two cake pans onto the top rack. One of the pans slid to the side, near the oven wall.

Daniel reached in to tap the pan lightly to the center of the oven rack. "That wasn't so bad, was it. . .," the teacher said to the student. Before he could withdraw his hand from the oven, however, Sam's hand had pushed the door closed. Gasping, Daniel pulled his hand back. He wasn't fast enough and the door snapped closed on his hand, pressing the delicate skin covering the back of his hand against the sizzling hot ridge of the interior.

"Argh. . .," Daniel cried. Instinctively he pulled his hand back, but it was effectively pinned inside.

"Oh God!" Carter cried. Frantically, she yanked the door open, allowing her stunned and injured companion to remove his hand.

Daniel grasped the wrist of his seared left hand and closed his eyes against the flaring pain.

"It's okay. Just need to put some ice on it," Daniel mumbled.

"No, no ice. Doctor." Sam led the man into the corridor and guided him to the elevator.

The two sat in the infirmary for over forty minutes waiting for Janet to finish with another patient. Finally Janet entered the small room. "Sorry about that. Airman Rogers fell and did quite a bit of damage to his ankle. We're a little short staffed today."

"That's okay," Daniel whispered, trying to ignore the pain that was spiking through his fingers.

Janet held Daniel's left hand, gingerly inspecting the damage. She shook her head. "I'm almost afraid to ask how you did this. I thought SG-1 was on stand down."

Daniel glanced at Sam and then back at the doctor. "We are."

Janet grabbed an antibacterial ointment and applied it to the area surrounding the wound. "So, how'd it happen?"

"Uh. . .," Daniel grinned sheepishly and then the grin turned to a grimace as the doctor made contact with the wound itself. "You know what they say. Ninety percent of all accidents happen in the home."

Janet grinned slightly. "Okay, you might spend the majority of your waking hours here, Doctor, but I would hardly call the SGC 'home'."

"Well, yeah. . .but. . .," Daniel stalled.

"I was baking a cake," Sam finally blurted out.

Janet, startled by the outburst, turned to the blond woman. "You were what?"

Sam shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "I was baking a cake."

"You?" Janet's dark brown eyes widened in surprise. "You, you were baking?"

Sam, slightly offended at the astonishment showing in her friend's eyes, sat up straight. "Well. . .yeah. . .I was."

"And Daniel got hurt? How?" Janet's gaze shifted from the blond astrophysicist to the archeologist.

"It was nothing, really." Daniel tried to cover.

"I shut his hand in the oven."

"You shut his. . .while you were baking. . .," Janet's words drifted off. A smile flittered across her lips and she had to turn her back on the two SG-1 members.

"It's not funny," Sam muttered as she witnessed the doctor's shoulders jerking, clearly the result of laughter.

Janet didn’t turn around for a moment. Then she took a deep breath. "Sorry about that. It's just that. . .well. . .I've treated just about every injury imaginable since I joined the Stargate program. I never thought I'd be treating a baking accident. Of course, if I'd known Julia Child here was going to try her hand at cooking, I might have expected it." The petite woman lost control of her emotions again and the laughter exploded from her lips.

Daniel watched the woman. Despite the pain shooting from his hand, he couldn't help joining in the outburst when he turned and saw the distraught look on the Captain's face. "Yeah. . .if I'd have known she was that dangerous, I would have had Hammond bring the base to full alert."

Janet's laughter renewed at the comment.

"Not funny," Samantha growled, her lips pursed tightly together.

Janet held her side, gasping between breaths. "Yeah. And if I'd known that you, Dr.-I-Can't-Tie-My-Shoes-Without-Getting-Hurt-Jackson was gonna help, I'd have made sure I had a full medical staff on call."

Jackson's laughter suddenly stopped and was replaced by a wide-eyed look of shock and disappointment. He pushed up his glasses with indignation. "Hey. . ."

At that, Samantha lost control and burst into an uncontrollable chortle herself. "Might have even declared a state of national emergency, huh?" she added between giggles.

Janet doubled over, holding her side. "Oh gawd, stop. . .stop."

The laughter amongst the three renewed. Daniel, not thinking, dropped his injured hand against the table. "Ouch. . .ow. . .ow," he sputtered.

Janet recovered immediately. "Here, let me get gauze on that. We'll keep it wrapped to protect it."

Sam also quieted down. "I'm really sorry, Daniel. I should have been paying more attention."

"Hey, it's okay. I shouldn't have been sticking my hand where it didn't belong."

"Always a good rule for you to remember, Dr. Jackson," Janet chuckled.

She then returned to seriousness again. "So just why were you baking a cake?"

"Tomorrow is Teal'c's birthday. . .well as close to his birthday as we can figure, based on Chulak's calendar," Sam answered.

"We wanted to introduce him to one of our traditions," Daniel added. "And Sam had never baked a cake. . .so I decided to teach her."

Janet smiled warmly at the two. "That's really nice. I'm sure Teal'c will appreciate it." She finished wrapping the hand, gently placing adhesive on the bandage to hold it in place. "So how'd it turn out?"

Sam and Daniel's surprised eyes met. "Uh. . .Sam. . .," Daniel sputtered.

Suddenly, an alarm claxon blared through the facility. Startled, all three occupants turned to the intercom, waiting for the announcement. "Attention. All personnel. Smoke has been detected in the commissary. Fire control unit to the commissary. Fire control unit to the commissary."

-fin-