Title: The Wonder of It All
Author: DizzyDrea
Pairing: Daniel/Cassie. If this makes your stomach turn, stop reading now. You have been warned.
Summary: We can't always help who we fall in love with. And sometimes, what we need most in life is the one thing we don't expect to find. That's when we find love. Or more accurately, that's when love finds us. And the wonder of it all is that they love you back.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Post-season ten (immediately following "Undending")
Author's Notes: Okay, folks, buckle up, 'cuz we're going down the rabbit hole. I'd never even given this idea a thought until my sister complained to me that there weren't any stories about Daniel and Cassie out there. I don't usually do requests, because I have to be totally in love with the idea to make it work, but this one just works for whatever reason, without my initial buy in. So here we go…oh, and by the way, this story assumes that Jack and Sam are seeing each other as implied in Season 9.
Disclaimer: Stargate and all its particulars is the property of MGM, Gekko, Double Secret, Acme Shark and a lot of other people who aren't me. I am doing this for fun and for practice. Mostly for fun.

~o~

For my sister. Because she asked.

~o~

Daniel Jackson strolled down the hallway of the SGC, tapping a long, slender, wrapped package against his hand. Turning the corner, he tucked the package into his pants pocket and stepped into the doorway, leaning his shoulder against the doorjamb.

He glanced around the SG-9 Ready Room, taking in the sight. Much like SG-1, which had their own locker room, the SGC's diplomatic team had their own team space where they could plan and strategize on upcoming missions as well as debrief in private after the difficult ones. At the back of the room, a large white board hung from the wall in front of two rows of captain's chairs, used as a briefing and strategy area. Near the front of the room, closer to the door, desks were scattered about along with a large array of file cabinets containing various mission reports and cultural information on allies and enemies alike.

It was at one of these desks that the object of Daniel's errand was seated, engrossed in the contents of a folder now spread across the desk. Second Lieutenant Cassie Frasier had joined the SGC right out of the Air Force Academy, following her mother into the military. But unlike her mother, Cassie had chosen Mechanical Engineering as her major, and had been selected to apply for the SGC immediately after graduation. She had just that week completed her six week orientation course and was spending the time waiting for her new team to return from a mission by reviewing past mission reports to familiarize herself with the team and what they do.

SG-1 had welcomed her to the SGC on her first day of training, and they had each stopped by briefly to say hi on Wednesday when she'd reported for duty. Today was Friday, and though he knew she'd still be busy, Daniel had decided she might need a break.

He took a moment to look at her, bent over a folder, brow furrowed in concentration. She was wearing blue utilities and had her light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. Though he saw her frequently outside the SGC, it took him a few moments to process that she belonged in that uniform, in this place. It was slightly strange, seeing her there, but she had earned this opportunity and her place on SG-9 by scoring high on the test exercises, and Daniel was very proud of her.

"Working hard or hardly working?" he called to her from his place by the door when he had finished ruminating.

Cassie's head popped up, surprise and then pleasure flitting across her face. "Daniel!" she exclaimed. "Working hard, of course."

"So what is it today?" he asked as he pushed off the doorjamb and crossed the room.

"The Vreen Friendship Ritual," she said, rolling her eyes. "I can't believe you sat through eight hours of that." She tipped her head, and then amended her statement. "Actually, you I can believe. It's Jack I have a hard time picturing sitting through this," she said, waving her hand at the report.

Daniel laughed. "Yeah, he wasn't too happy after that," he agreed, thinking back on the mini-tantrum he'd thrown while they had waited for the 'gate to dial. "Especially since he didn't find out until the end that they really had no technology they could offer us."

"I'll bet," Cassie rejoined. General Jack O'Neill had even less patience for that sort of pointless exercise than he'd had as a Colonel.

"But at least it wasn't the Vreen Mating Ritual. That takes three days," he said with an impish glint in his eye.

"I so don't want to know how you know that, Daniel," Cassie said with a laugh. "So, what's up?"

"I came by to give you this," Daniel said, producing the package from the pocket of his green utilities. He handed it over and watched Cassie's face light up.

"For me?" she asked, taking the package and turning it over in her hand.

Daniel nodded. "Open it," he said, jamming his hands into his pockets, a pleased smile on his face.

Cassie ripped the paper off and exclaimed "It's perfect!" Inside the wrapping was a new nameplate with her name and rank on it. She set it on her desk, facing out so everyone could see.

Jumping up, she ran around the desk and engulfed Daniel in a huge hug, nearly knocking him over in her enthusiasm. Her heartfelt "Thank you!" made Daniel's own heart do a little flip.

Stepping back, Daniel took in her flushed face and smiled. "I actually had an ulterior motive in coming down here," he told her. "I'm meeting the team for lunch today and I thought you might like to join us."

"Absolutely," she said, relief in her voice. If she had to read one more report, she thought her head might explode. It would be good to take a break and see some friendly faces.

"Then let's go," Daniel said, extending his hand to indicate she should precede him out the door.

They headed down the hallway towards the elevators, Cassie practically bouncing along beside him. "So, other than the Vreen, how are the reports coming?" he asked.

They arrived at the elevator and Daniel swiped his card through the reader to call the car to their floor.

"Very interesting, actually," Cassie said, excitement lighting her eyes. "Just the variety of cultures and traditions out there is amazing. They're all human, but they've been separated from Earth for so long that they've developed traditions and practices that are so different from those in Earth's history. I can't wait to get out there and start meeting these people."

As she spoke she became more animated. Her face lit up and her ponytail danced behind her. Daniel's first thought was that she looked like a little kid in grown-up's clothes. But as Daniel listened to her he became aware that, for all her youthful enthusiasm, she was a woman coming into her own, about to set off on her first great adventure. A lovely young woman whose enthusiasm only made her more attractive.

He wondered where that thought had come from as they stepped into the elevator and he pushed the button for the sixteenth floor, where the commissary was located. He'd known her nearly half her life and he'd always thought of her as a kid. But she wasn't a kid anymore, and he was suddenly becoming aware of that. Tamping down on that thought, he tuned back in to what she was saying.

"I just hope I get to go offworld soon," she finished. "I don't know how many more reports I can read through before my head explodes."

"I think you're going to find that all that excitement you're looking for is really just a brief break from a rather dull and ordinary job," he warned her.

"Oh, I don't know," she said as they stepped out of the elevator and made their way down the hall. "I think I'll take this kind of boredom over the ordinary excitement most of my classmates will have to deal with any day."

"Yeah, come talk to me in six months, when you've had a chance to be bored stiff at a Vreen Friendship Ritual. You'll change your mind," Daniel said, and winked at her.

They entered the commissary and proceeded through the line. When they had their food, Daniel led her to SG-1's table near the center of the room and they sat down across from each other to enjoy their meal. Just minutes later, Sam Carter came rushing over, dropping her tray next to Cassie's and plopping down into her chair.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized. "I got stuck helping Dr. Lee on a project of his."

"We just got here," Daniel assured her.

"Hey kiddo," she said, turning to Cassie. "How's it going?"

Cassie smiled and reached over to give Sam a one-armed hug. "I'm going cross-eyed reading all those mission reports, but otherwise things are great."

Sam hugged Cassie back and then grabbed her napkin to start her lunch. "You'll get through them," she told her young friend. "Ten years is a lot to catch up on."

"Tell me about it," Cassie said, rolling her eyes.

"Cassandra Frasier," the deep voice of Teal'c intoned as he joined them at the table, his tray laden with food. "Welcome to the SGC."

"Hey Teal'c," Cassie returned, pleased that he could join them.

She smiled contentedly, glad to have the chance to spend some time with her family and friends. She couldn't imagine her first assignment being anywhere else but the SGC. Having been born offworld, it had been her dream to work here. She was grateful beyond words that she'd actually get a chance to give back to the people and the organization that had given her a home and a family when she'd lost hers all those years ago.

Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell joined the group then, dropping his tray on the table next to Sam. He greeted everyone at the table, giving Cassie a friendly smile before he tucked in to his lunch.

"Colonel," Cassie returned, careful to maintain military protocol since she didn't know him as well as the others.

Cam's head popped up at the salutation, and he smiled again. "Call me Cam," he winked at her. "We're all part of the same family, after all."

Cassie smiled at the acceptance she'd been granted before she returned to her meal.

"So where's Vala?" Sam wanted to know.

Cam sighed. "Vala is spending some quality time with General Landry," he informed her. "Something about one of her father's schemes that never quite got shut down."

"Oh," Sam said. That didn't sound good. She'd have to catch up with her later to find out what the damage was.

"Cassandra Frasier," Teal'c called. "How are you finding the SGC now that you are assigned here?"

"Right now it's a lot of reading reports," she told him. "When the rest of SG-9 gets back, we'll probably start planning our next mission. I'm hoping things get more interesting after that."

"Tread with caution in your desires," Teal'c said.

Cassie frowned, her glance flicking to Daniel. Seeing this, Daniel translated. "Be careful what you wish for," he said, pointing his fork at her for emphasis.

"Ah," Cassie's face lit up. She glanced at Teal'c and caught his small smile. He was having one over on them again, she guessed, and smiled back. "Well, Daniel's already warned me. I'd settle for just being able to go offworld sometime before I die."

The group laughed at her exasperation. "You'll get there," Sam said. "Just be patient. It took me three years before I got the chance to go, but it was worth the wait."

"I read every mission report from every mission SG-1 ever took before I reported, Cassie," Cam told her. "It helps, but nothing beats getting out there and seeing it first hand, I'll tell you that."

"Exactly," she said, feeling vindicated.

They talked on for some time while everyone finished their lunch. They kept talking long after everyone had finished, until Cassie declared that she needed to get back to reading mission reports so she wouldn't fall behind. The group split up then, with promises to get together again the following week for another team lunch. Cassie thought it wasn't at all a bad way to end the long week by spending her lunch with her friends. But she still had a few reports she wanted to get through, and so with that thought she took herself back to the SG-9 Ready Room to finish what she'd started.

...continued...