Authors Notes: This story is essentially a prelude, missing scene, and epilogue for Meridian, as well as missing scenes for Fallen and Homecoming. A look at Meridian through to Homecoming from Janet and Cassie's POV's, and little bit of Daniel's. Please note that the Category and Warning cover the entire series.

Filia

"Capto?"

Daniel peered over the top his glasses at Cassie's puzzled expression, and letting out a despondent sigh, cleared his throat, and said with a touch more authority, "Cassandra… again."

"It's not right? Sure? What am I saying, of course you are." With a huff, Cassie narrowed her eyes. "You're sure?"

Arching an eyebrow at the cheeky comment, and tapping the cover of the book he was nursing, Daniel decided that continuing to argue with a frustrated teen was brave at best, stupid at worst. "Ah, am I sure? Cassie, now we have been over this, you know it's all in here." Tossing the book in the air, he grinned. "Via Latina never lies!"

Catching the book in one hand, Cassie frowned at the cover, twisting her mouth into a grimace. "Uncle Daniel, why don't we face it? My Latin sucks big time!"

Whilst he would never openly agree, Daniel was close to conceding that taking on Latin might not have been one of Cassie's wisest curriculum choices. Janet had reluctantly signed off on her decision to pick up the language in her junior year, knowing she was only doing it to impress her adopted uncle. Still, to be fair, they had been sitting around in Cassie's overly teen-pimped bedroom for hours now, and both were starting to feel the strain.

Sprawled on her bed, nestled in amongst an army of soft toys and ridiculously over-stuffed cushions, Cassie heaved a disinterested sigh and buried her head in her pillow, ignorant of the study notes perched on top. "Can't we finish this later?" She whined in a muffled voice, "Like, maybe in a few days?"

Yeah, Daniel thought grimly, Jack would so impressed. "I won't be here in a few days, you know that. Now come on, you're so close."

Flipping onto her back, Cassie dragged the mangled notes out from under her head and held them up. "It has to be capto," she said, her lack of interest obvious.

Listening to Cassie mangle another exercise, Daniel fought the urge to sigh. "Okay, that's close," he breathed, reaching under his glasses and rubbing his tired eyes. "Your tenses are straying." Smiling at the eye roll he received for his efforts, Daniel explained the rules once more.

"We're talking about a complete action here."

"Ohhh," Cassie whimpered and dropped her hands to the bed, the paper falling to the floor. "I'm never going to get this, am I?"

"Sure you will."

"Two weeks! I can't believe exams snuck up on me this quickly."

Snagging a chair with his foot, Daniel slid in next to Cassie and gave her a quick hug. "It's not that bad, really." Reaching over and rifling though papers scattered over her desk, he plucked one out and turned it to show her. "Here, look, you know the answer to this already. We went over it last weekend. `Simple, Incomplete, and Complete.' Capto, capto and… what?"

"iPod?"

Daniel gave her a questioning look. "iPod? And that has what to do with Latin?"

"It sure beats doing it?" Cassie suggested hopefully, twirling a lock of hair.

"Well, your iPod won't give you a good end of year pass mark, will it?" Daniel teased. "So have at it again, bright eyes. Capto, capto, and?"

Cassie grumbled, rolled onto her stomach and clucked her tongue loudly. "Captavi?" she offered with little enthusiasm.

"Yes! See!" With a quick kiss on the top of her head, Daniel stood up and stretched. "I knew the answer was lurking in there somewhere."

"I was right?' Cassie blinked her astonishment.

"Yep, now every time that exercise comes up, just think of S.I.C – Simple, Incomplete, and Complete and you should fly through your exam."

"Lurking! Cute, Uncle Daniel."

"I thought so," Daniel beamed, "and on that note, it's almost dinner, can't keep your mother waiting."

"Already?" Cassie checked her watch and eyed the mountain of paperwork on her desk. "There's so much to work through."

"And we've still got next weekend," he said tapping the stack of papers and waggling a finger at her. "Plenty of revision you could be doing between now and then."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes." Pinching a fluffy pillow from Cassie's bed, Daniel tossed it at her on his way out the door, poking his head around the corner just in time to see her fend it off, smiling as she batted it away with a disgruntled "nggh". Lightly rapping his knuckles on the door jamb, he smiled gently and whispered, "Filia meus pectus pectoris."

"Filia meus pect... what?" Shaking her head, Cassie had no idea. "Daniel?'

~oOo~

Juggling the roasting dish in both hands, Janet nudged the oven door closed with her hip and slid the chicken onto the bench. "Perfect!" She beamed, shrugging off the oven mitts and pushing them to one side. "Falling off the bone, just how I like it."

"Smells delicious."

"Oh!" Janet's head shot up, startled at the unexpected intrusion. "Finished already?"

"Oh, yes." Daniel hopped up on a bench stool and sniffed appreciatively, reaching out to pluck off a piece of meat. "She was starting to get distracted so I thought we'd call it a night. Perfect timing from the looks of it."

With a half-hearted scowl, Janet tapped the top of his hand and tutted, "You can just wait till it's served like the rest of us."

"Mom!" Cassie's voice drifted down the hall and out into the kitchen.

"Yes, honey!' Janet called out over her shoulder.

"Is Uncle Daniel…?"

"What? Staying for dinner?"

"Uh-huh."

"How's that bedroom looking, young lady?"

"Umm…."

"What? You didn't think I noticed the mess?" Janet called out, and then leaned over the bench to pat Daniel's hand. "Don't tell her I'm bringing in earth moving equipment in the morning. How I let you in there without the proper vaccinations is a worry, but I'm sure I can cure any disease you might have picked up."

"Well," Daniel snorted, "it didn't look that bad to me."

"Should I be worried about your housekeeping skills?"

"Oh good!" Cassie walked into the kitchen, pulling her hair into a pony-tail and flicking the fringe out of her eyes. "You did stay," she said with a smile, taking up an adjacent stool.

"No, I was lying," Janet scoffed, eyeing her daughter critically.

"Mom!"

"Well, I wouldn't have said Daniel was staying if I didn't mean it."

"Are you two always like this?" Daniel asked, his gaze drifting between the two women.

"No, Uncle Daniel." Cassie wriggled her butt to get comfortable. "We only put on this routine for you. Anyway," she said, watching with interest as Janet carved up the chicken, "are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"Oh, I don't know, how about what `Filia meus pectus pectoris' means?"

"Nope," Daniel answered with a shake of his head, "you're a clever girl… you work it out."

Cassie scowled and punched him lightly on the arm. "I hate it when you do that!"

"What?" Daniel rubbed the spot with a feigned pained look on his face and laughed. "Making you learn something?"

"It's not fair," she pouted, leaning over the chicken and ooh-ing appreciatively, "you've got a head start."

"True, but we all had to learn at some time, and you did elect to take up Latin."

"Only because I knew I'd have you to help me."

"Ahh, insider information, huh?" Janet laughed lightly, enjoying the happy banter between the two as she served out dinner. "Aren't you going off world early tomorrow, Daniel?"

"Yeah," he moaned, looking up at the clock on the wall. "Even with our oh-four-hundred hours start, we'll still be arriving mid afternoon their time."

"Oh, the joys of gate travel."

"Chronological nightmare, more like it," Daniel said with a hint of a smile, "get's Jack every time."

"I can imagine," Janet agreed. "So these people are… who?"

"The Kelownan's."

"Sounds Canadian," Cassie chimed in, juggling a hot carrot and blowing on it at the same time.

"Cassie!"

"Well," she scoffed, dropping it on the bench, "it does. I'm sure there's a place in Canada with the same name."

"Young lady," Janet flashed a mixing spoon at Cassie and winked, "with your last geography mark, I'm surprised you can find the bathroom without getting lost."

"Mom," Cassie dragged out the word with an exaggerated sigh, "I so aced that exam."

"If you call a `D' acing it."

"Ladies!" Daniel broke into what was becoming a heated debate. "I don't think the Kelownan's much care about Canada."

"Right." Janet smiled and handed the chicken platter to Cassie. "Take this over, please," she said, nodding towards the already set table. "So, Daniel, these Kelownan's?"

Daniel slid off the stool, snagged two bowls of mixed vegetables and headed to the table. "We don't know that much about them really except their technology level is about equivalent to the United States in the 1940's. The dialing computer lifted the address from the Abydos cartouche and we hit pay dirt on the first dial."

"Well, I'll just be happy if you all come back not needing my services."

"Famous last words, Janet."

"I'll try not to remember you said that."

To be continued in part 2…