Title: "Waiting for the Dawn"
Copyright: © 2004
Author: "GateSeeker2"
E-mail: gateseeker2 "at" netzero "dot" com (For some reason this website isn't acknowledging my e-mail address. The ampersand key or isn't working - go figure.)
Status: Complete – but will be posted in parts
Sequel/Series: Twelve parts total. If there's enough response, there may be a sequel.
Summary: As dawn always brings the promise of something new, Cassie tries to cope with the loss of her mother, but Cassie finds that living with Sam brings many surprises. Sometimes what you want in life and what you get are two very different things. Who will Sam choose?
Season: Seven
Classification: Missing Scene – occurs between two Episodes: "Heroes Part II" and "Resurrection."
Spoilers: LOTS but mainly just vague references - Stargate the Movie, Children of the Gods, Broca Divide, First Commandment, Singularity, Into the Fire, Fire and Water, Seth, Divide and Conquer, Beneath the Surface, Rite of Passage, Ascension, Entity, Meridian, Redemption Part II, Smoke and Mirrors, Fallen, Full Circle, Fragile Balance, Grace, Evolution Parts I & II, Chimera, Death Knell, Heroes Parts I & II
Category: General/Angst/Romance
Characters: Jack O'Neill, Sam Carter, Pete Shanahan, and Cassandra Fraiser
Pairing: Sam/Pete and Sam/Jack – sort of
Rating: PG
Legend: Ellipses (...) - indicates a pausing or a hesitation in a person's speech as well as indicating unfinished sentences. Words in ALL CAPITALS indicates words that the character is attempting to emphasize.
Warnings: None.
File Size: 292 KB as a Microsoft Word Document
Archive: Reproducing or posting on other sites is not permitted.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Author's Notes: "Heroes" took place several weeks or months after "Chimera" and since the scene with Sam and Pete, in "Chimera," walking through the park appeared to take place in the late summer, I am setting this story in the early fall, possibly around October 2003 and the beginning of the professional hockey season. I assume Cassie is seventeen years old and a senior in High School. This story begins on the Saturday morning after Doctor Fraiser was killed in "Heroes." I kept wondering what happened to Cassie and how she felt having to cope with losing a second mother to the Goa'uld. And, in the episode "Resurrection," I questioned Sam's verbal hesitation and slight physical flinching to Agent Malcolm Barrett when she declined his invitation to dinner and said, "It's just that I'm seeing someone right now." She didn't seem too enthused with the idea of having a boyfriend (i.e. Pete). This is my attempt to answer several questions and frustrations that were running through my mind between the episodes "Heroes Part II" and "Resurrection."
Other Stories: If you like this story, check out my others posted to this website: "Worth It," "I Love My Life," and "Biggest Decision." Let me know what you think. Thanks, and enjoy!
Dawn had broken across the black sky. The early morning sun rays began to creep their way through the guest bedroom window of Sam Carter's house. As the room was slowly becoming flooded with the bright light, the morning was forcefully removing all shadows and any darkness that was attempting to hide within the room.
All during the night, Cassandra Fraiser had been anxiously waiting for the light to come and drive away the gloom not only from the night and her new room but from her heart. She was so grateful to stay with Sam now that her mother was dead, but she still felt alone, especially during the night. Cassie never liked feeling alone, or being in the dark - alone. In some ways, that was why this rambunctious teenager loved slumber parties with her friends so much. There was safety and comfort in numbers. Growing up on the planet Hanka, it was customary for families to sleep in one large common room. She would often be lulled to sleep by the snores of her father and the rhythmic breathing of her mother. Cassie hated sleeping by herself. She longed for the reassurance of knowing that someone was nearby in the darkness. She remembered when she had first arrived on this planet all those years ago and how desperately she had clung to Sam's arm because she did not want to be left by herself. Cassie was afraid to be unaccompanied, but she knew even then that being alone was something that she might now have to become accustomed - and she dreaded it.
Having actually awoken a long time ago while the night was still surrounding her, Cassie had briefly gotten out of bed and completely raised the mini-blinds of the large window facing east. Then she quickly jumped back into the warm bed. As Cassie laid in bed anticipating the dawn of a new day to arrive, she thought, and remembered, and cried.
She was lying on the bed and tightly snuggled into the pillow while her eyes were mesmerized by the light now streaming uninhibited through the window. The sky turned from a gloomy black that threatened loneliness to the most incredible shades of pastels and finally vibrant oranges and blues that promised hope. Now that dawn was in full bloom, she wanted to cry some more, but she couldn't. Her eyes had dried sometime ago. But inside, her heart was still aching, hurting, longing to be held by her mother – her adoptive mother. Oh, she missed her so much, especially in the morning.
Cassie had never been an early riser – even as a small child on Hanka. However, Janet Fraiser thrived on the morning and would enjoy every moment. Often Janet would take her coffee out on the front porch and watch the sun rise over the distant mountains. Janet would sing to herself while listening to the radio that she kept on the porch and read the morning paper as she relished in the opportunities that another day would bring.
This morning, Cassie continued to lie in bed and think of all the times and various ways that Janet would come into her room and awaken her. It was a morning ritual with Janet, one that Cassie wouldn't always welcome. After all, what teenager likes to be awakened at dawn by the most cheerful perkiest person in the world? As Cassie remembered several of Janet's antics and her persistent yet very effective ways of awakening her, she soon found herself smiling. Gosh, it had been days since Cassie had smiled.
At first Janet's sunrise antics had surprised Cassie. She had never experienced such morning habits. All Cassie could remember about waking on Hanka was hearing her birth mother saying in a loving yet calm voice, "Rise child, the day has begun." The personality differences between her adoptive mother and her biological mother were stark. Cassie thought of several of the ways that her mother, Janet, would come to wake her up. Some days, she would be so crazy. Janet seemed to especially prefer one specific type of morning greeting. Cassie giggled as she finally realized that Janet would use this method especially if Cassie had been in a bad mood the night before or was grounded. Janet would slowly and quietly enter Cassie's room and kneel over Cassie's head. Then, Janet would sing in the most off key operatic and loud voice, "Wake up, wake up little rose bud. Wake up."1 Janet tried to explain how it was from an old cartoon, but since Cassie hadn't ever seen it, Cassie just found it annoying. Now, what she wouldn't give to hear that warm loving greeting instead of a harsh cold alarm clock.
Cassie had been taught how to use an alarm clock quite early upon arriving on Earth and moving in with Dr. Fraiser. Yet, Cassie also quickly learned that the snooze mode was perhaps the best feature of an alarm clock. However, even with two alarms in her room, Cassie still managed to oversleep most of the time. Some times when Cassie was running late for school, Janet would knock incessantly and loudly on Cassie's door until Cassie had no choice but to get out of bed and forcefully open the door yelling, "WHAT?!" Janet would just smile sweetly and say oh so cheerily in an amused angelic tone, "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" This sarcastic approach really infuriated Cassie, but thinking back she realized that most of the time she had deserved it.
As Cassie was continuing to mull over her memories, she thought of how one of her favorite ways to be awakened by her mom was really pretty silly. Janet would come into Cassie's room before the alarm was scheduled to ring and sit on the edge of her bed. Then Janet would gently begin to rock the bed up and down until it got more vigorous then she would say in this really strange old woman toothless sounding country accent, "Come on Missy. Hee hee. You're burnin' day light. Get a move on Missy. Yee Haw!! It's time to hit the trail." Then Janet would proceed to tickle Cassie until they both were giggling and lying in the bed snuggled together under the covers until the alarm sounded. But, that hadn't happened in a long time though. Janet mainly did that when Cassie was younger and had first come to live with her. Now that Cassie had grown up and gotten this "I'm a teenager so I know more than you do" attitude, Janet hadn't used that good morning greeting in quite some time. Oh how Cassie missed those early morning greetings.
Janet was definitely creative. Of course, Cassie would have hated to have admitted to her mom then how much she actually liked the way she was awakened, but now Cassie would give anything to have Janet wake her up just one more time so that she could thank her mom for everything that she had given her and meant to her. Cassie vowed to be sure to continue the Fraiser family tradition of early morning greetings with her own children.
Pulling her pillow closer to her and hugging it as tightly as she could, Cassie sighed and spoke quietly to the picture of Janet placed on the night stand near the bed, "Mom. I miss you so much. I hope you know how much I loved you – do love you – will always love you. You are and forever will be my mom." Cassie found tears once again were streaming down her cheeks. Her voice was strangled and tight from frustration, fear, loneliness, and deep sorrow. "I know that you were doing what you had to do, and you wouldn't have ever wanted to leave me, but you did...and you're gone...and I'm alone...again." She didn't even try to wipe away the tears as she now sobbed heavily. "OK, I have Sam, but I don't have you! I love Sam so much too, but she's not you Mom." Cassie was so upset, the odds of Janet dying off world were not very high, but the chance was always there. Sam traveled through the gate several times a week and faced numerous dangerous situations. The odds of loosing Sam were even greater, but Cassie refused to think about that now. She strained to see the picture clearly through her tears. "I want to be just like you, you taught me so much, Mom. I just wish I could have said good-bye...or just hugged you one more time...or just have you wake me up...one more time." Cassie cried for a few moments more then added. "But, know; I'll never forget you...and neither will your grandchildren...I hope to give my children the same type of wonderful memories that you gave me." She sniffed a few more times then closed her eyes as she hugged her pillow one more time imagining that it was her mother, "I love you Mom, thank you for everything."
Cassie had continued lying in bed until there were no more traces of dawn. The early morning had clearly given way to the full brunt of the day. She heard the shower running in Sam's master bedroom/bath and knew that Sam was now awake. Sam's shower was just on the other side of the wall to which Cassie's bed and back were touching. Every morning this week, Cassie would already be awake and waiting to hear the now familiar sound of water running.
Sam was an early riser but not necessarily a true "morning person" like Janet. Cassie loved Sam, but Sam wasn't her mom. Sam was her aunt – honorary aunt – big sister and friend. Giving that Cassie wasn't attending school this week since Sam picked her up on Monday afternoon due to Janet's death and subsequent memorial, Sam would simply allow Cassie to wake and progress through the day's activities at her own pace. However, in the few short days that Cassie had stayed with Sam since her mother's death, Cassie had already learned of Sam's morning routine: shower, coffee, paper, quick breakfast, check her e-mails, more coffee, and then an awkward attempt at conversation. Both of them were missing Janet so much that neither was really able to talk about it with one another yet. But today was Saturday, maybe the two of them could go to the park, or mall or just do something so that they could spend some time together. Perhaps, they could even play a couple games of chess.
Just then Cassie was brought out of her thoughts when she heard whistling. "That's strange," Cassie said to herself. Sam's shower was still flowing strong, but there was definitely whistling coming from the kitchen. And now, the smell of coffee, and what was that...bacon and eggs? Cassie was very curious and proceeded to get out of bed.
She opened her door slowly and stepped hesitantly into the hallway heading toward the kitchen and the insipid whistling. Cassie stopped just before rounding the corner that would take her into the kitchen when she heard the whistling stop and a man's voice beginning to sing with the radio that was now playing. This was definitely strange to Cassie. 'Who is that?' Cassie thought to herself. 'What is a man doing in Sam's kitchen? A burglar wouldn't break in at the crack of dawn to fix breakfast. Who would be here this early? It's morning for cryin' out loud!' These thoughts quickly raced through her mind. 'Wait – it couldn't be Jack could it?'
To Be Continued...
Footnotes:
1 This is a quote from "Olive Oyl" in the cartoon Popeye. Sorry – haven't found out the title of the actual TV episode yet.
NOTE: If you liked it, or if you didn't like it, please let me know. Thanks for reading.