CASSIE'S CHRISTMAS
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CATEGORY: Holiday, Christmas story.
SPOILERS: minor ones for Singularity, Rites of Passage
SEASON / SEQUEL: 5
RATING: PG (K+)
CONTENT WARNINGS: none
SUMMARY: Cassie doesn't want to spend Christmas with her family.
DISCLAIMER: This story is written entirely for entertainment and is not intended as an infringement against the copy written material that belongs solely to Showtime, MGM/UA, Gekko Films, et al. I'm only playing with their characters and will return them as soon as the story is finished. The following story is the property of the author and is not to be copied, or published without the express, written consent of the author.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: What do you do with teenagers with a mind of their own? Not that mine are that age yet, although they do have that mind-thing already, BG.
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"I don't want to go to Uncle Michael's," Cassandra yelled, desperately raising her arms up in the air. "Why don't you get that?"
"We are going there for Christmas, Cassandra. Uncle Michael has invited us and we've accepted. End of discussion," Janet Fraiser said firmly, glaring at her teenage daughter, daring her to object one more time.
"I'm not going." Cassie placed two hands solidly at her hips and threw a challenging look at her mother.
"Yes, you are. You'll love it, you'll see. Aunt Lauren is preparing a nice Christmas dinner for us. We can't disappoint her."
"I don't care. I don't want any fancy dinner." Cassie ran away, yelling over her shoulder. "They're not my family anyway..."
BANG.
Janet Fraiser blinked at the sound of the door being slammed shut by her teenage daughter and was about to run after her then tiredly gave up. She sank down on the chair by the kitchen table, leaning her head wearily in her hands. She sighed. For now she had no energy left to quarrel with Cassie, let alone think about what had gotten into the girl in the first place.
---oo---oo---
"This was not a boring mission, Jack," Daniel Jackson, the only civilian of the SGC's first contact team objected as the four team members walked down the ramp.
"Oh, come on, Daniel!" Jack complained, stopping to emphasize his point with some unnecessary body language. "There wasn't even a bug nagging us."
"I have never seen insects nagging, O'Neill," Teal'c said with a frown.
"Exactly," Daniel said, looking back at the team leader with a glow of enthusiasm still shining through in his eyes. "Leaving us plenty of time to examine the remaining structure. I think General Hammond is going to be pleased if he finds out..."
"Oh, puh...lease," Jack interrupted him. "As if Hammond wants to know all those details..." He was about to come up with more, but Major Carter looked back over her shoulder, stopping him in mid-sentence.
"At least we came back in one piece, Sir," she smiled.
O'Neill's face lit up. "I can go home tonight. Janet it so *not* going to keep me this time." The whining forgotten he led the team through the blast doors and they all headed to the infirmary for the post-mission check up.
Half an hour later Jack dressed himself, glancing at the female doctor. Fraiser normally made herself heard one way or the other; either in a good mood, rambling on or worriedly yelling orders at her staff. Now, she had been quiet through the whole procedure, efficiently doing her job without saying more than needed.
Something was wrong. He knew it. "Doc?" he queried, dragging her attention. "You okay?"
Fraiser looked up from the papers she was filling in. "Sorry Sir?"
Jack drew one knee up to fasten the laces of his shoe. "Everything okay? You don't seem yourself," he repeated.
His question startled her. "Fine, Sir," Janet tried to come up with something as she looked up at him, taking in the dark brown eyes examining her with concern. She couldn't just brush him off with nothing. He of all people deserved better. She threw her pencil on the table and sighed. "Cassie and I are having some trouble lately. She's..."
He lifted his brow and without losing eye contact with her he fastened his other shoe laces before standing up. "She's what?"
"I don't know," Fraiser apologetically shook her head then looked down. "She's driving me nuts."
O'Neill grabbed a chair, pulled it closer and sat down, leaning forward over the table. "So, what's it all about?"
"She's so stubborn lately. When I say yes, she wants no. If I need to go to the right she wants to go to the left. She doesn't want to come home anymore, hanging out with friends on the streets until after eleven. It's just... difficult," Janet tried to explain.
"Sounds like teenager problems to me," Jack shrugged.
Janet looked up. "I know. It's just that I have no idea what to do about it. What can I allow and what's intolerable, you know? Where do I draw the line and why? She is so persistent and won't listen to anything I say. She even..." Janet swallowed.
O'Neill grabbed her hand. "What?" he asked softly, taking in her hesitation.
"My brother wants us to come over for Christmas and I've said yes. But now, Cassie doesn't want to go. She said she's not going; that it's not her family anyway," Janet sniffed.
"Hey..." Jack squeezed her hand. "You're being too hard on yourself. She's being obstinate which is probably just an age thing and she's using everything she can think of to get to you."
Janet looked up at him. "You think so?"
"Yes," he said confidently. "You're a terrific mom and she's a terrific kid, being a bit difficult. Don't let her attitude get to you. You want me to talk to her?"
She sighed in relief. "Yes, please. If you want to do that..." For the first time that morning a smile appeared on her lips. "Sometimes I think she just needs a father, too. And she really looks up to you."
O'Neill rose to his feet. "Okay. I'll stop by tonight. Everything will be all right, don't worry."
---oo---oo---
Janet Fraiser sat in the kitchen, dinner prepared and ready. The table was set, too, the only thing missing was her daughter. She sighed heavily, then put dinner on the table and decided to start eating without Cassandra. No need to let it get cold, she thought angrily.
At that moment the door flew open and Cassandra stepped inside. "Oh, hi, mom. I didn't realize it was that late. What's for supper?"
"Where were you?" Janet demanded.
Cassandra threw her mother an annoyed look. "With friends. Nothing special. Does it matter?"
"Yes, it does. I was waiting for you, dinner was ready," Janet glanced at her daughter, expectantly.
"I already told you that I didn't realize it was that late. I'm sorry, okay?" Cassie burst out. "Now can we please eat?" She stuffed her plate full with rice and vegetables and started eating.
Janet sighed, giving up for the moment and followed her daughter's example. They were almost finished when somebody knocked on the backdoor. "Yo! Anybody home?"
Cassandra jumped up, a wide grin appearing on her face. "Jack!!!" She quickly opened the door and nearly threw herself into his arms, hugging him intensively. "Mom, it's Jack," the girl rambled on, pulling the older man inside.
"Wow, Cass, easy..." O'Neill protested, smiling widely. "I bruise easily."
Cassandra stepped back, examining the man in front of her. "What?" She briefly looked at her mom, and then looked back at him. "What have you done to yourself this time?"
"Nothing, Cass. Nothing," he assured her, spreading his hands wide out, turning around on his heels. "See? I'm all in one piece."
Janet giggled then pointed at a chair. "Hi, Sir. Why don't you sit down, we're just finishing up. You want to try this, too?"
"Nah, thanks. I've already eaten," Jack apologized, rubbing his stomach.
They exchanged casual questions and answers before Jack felt the situation comfortable enough to ask, "So, what are you two doing for Christmas this year?"
Cassie fell silent, and Janet inhaled twice. Without looking at her teenage daughter, she said: "We're invited over to my brother's."
Cassandra wisely said nothing.
O'Neill nodded. "Sounds like fun."
"And you?" Fraiser tried to keep the conversation going, as she felt the building of tension.
He shrugged. "Nothing special."
"Aren't you and the rest of SG-1 spending Christmas together?" Janet wondered, knowing they had the previous years.
He shook his head and looked down. "No. Not this time. They have been occupying me for the last four Christmases, which I'm very grateful for. But they have family of their own, so I ordered them to go and spend the season with them."
Although she understood his reasoning, Janet also knew it meant he was all alone for Christmas; alone with his bad memories. It made her realize once more how lucky she was to have a daughter and it seemed all the problems they've had lately were suddenly less important.
Cassandra's face lit up, totally unaware of her mother's silent thinking. "Can I spend Christmas with you, Jack? Then you won't be alone. Please???"
O'Neill was overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, but knowing of the earlier fight between mother and daughter realized it wasn't up to him to decide. "That's sweet, but I thought you were going to your uncle's, Cass..."
"I don't want to go to Uncle Michael's! I don't like it there! He's boring." Cassandra spoke up.
"Cassandra Fraiser," Janet warned.
"What makes you think I'm less boring than your uncle anyway?" Jack asked, his eyes twinkling. "I can be one hell of a boring old guy."
The young girl jumped up, punching him on his arm and chest. "No, you're not. You're everything but boring." Cassie now looked at her mother, pleadingly. "Please, mom? Can I stay with Jack? Please?"
Janet Fraiser glanced from her daughter to the Colonel, who helplessly shrugged his shoulders. She didn't want to give in to her daughter's demands after their latest fight, but on the other hand she didn't like the idea of her friend spending Christmas all by himself either.
Cassie, sensing her mother's hesitation, used her last trump, playing it out at the right moment. "Please, mom? Nobody should be alone on Christmas. You've said so yourself..."
Finally, Janet gave in. "Okay, okay. I'll let my brother know that you're not coming."
Cassie jumped up and down with excitement. "Yes!!! Thanks, mom! Great!"
O'Neill pulled a face. "Ya' think?" He smiled at the female Doctor, who was watching her daughter's enthusiasm. "I promise to take real good care of her, Doc. When do I pick her up?"
"I'm leaving tomorrow at noon. We'll be having a family dinner at Christmas Eve and I don't want to be too late," Janet said.
"I'll be here," Jack said, and then rose to his feet. He tapped with one finger at his temple as sort of a greeting, winked with one eye at Cassandra and headed to the door. "You better pack some warm clothes, because we're going to the cabin. See you tomorrow!"
---oo---oo---