i spent the entire day off dusting. i had to take a break from typing thee times to sneeze and blow my nose. but i still kept going... i must really like you people.
"Hon, you need a ride home?" Jack bumped Cassie's shoulder as they tossed paper plates away, keeping his voice low he continued, "Or is Carter coming for you?"

"Uh…"

"Stop," Jack had a sudden sinking feeling in his gut. He couldn't believe he'd spent the entire day with Cassie and it hadn't occurred to him that she hadn't told anyone where she was.

"Jack, I'm sorry," she grabbed the front of his t-shirt and tugged, like she used to when she wanted his attention and she was three feet shorter than he was.

"You should have called Sam; you know she's worried about you now," he pointed out, picking up his phone. "Call her now. You can stay for as long as you like, as long as you call Carter and tell her where you are."

"Can't have the dangerous alien out of sight right?" she smirked, well aware that some people where still suspicious of her.

"Kinsey's an ass, still can't believe anyone voted for that guy."

"Unfortunately," she agreed, "It'd be so much easier if I could use my deadly alien powers and spontaneously burst him into flame."

"You having problems with his guys?"

"Jack… where am I going? What am I doing? I was only allowed off base because mom adopted me. I'm not even a legal resident of Earth, let alone the US. I'm not old enough to be on my own, I don't even have the excuse you do. If anything I'm probably younger in real life than on paper."

"First off, you've got refugee status. That's valid as residency. Now what were you going to do? I know Janet was bragging about you going to doctor school." He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, letting her head drift to his shoulder. She buried her face in his neck and shuddered.

"She never gave up. Even when she was sure she couldn't help you, she wouldn't stop," she muttered, "I wanted to be like her."

"You are like her. You are loyal and funny and beautiful," he paused when she smiled and then leaned back to look her in the eye. "And if you came near me with a needle I swear I'd run away."

"Jack, you've known me forever it seems…"

"And?"

"And you're prejudiced on my behalf," she smirked. "They won't let Sam be my mom, she's not on world enough to keep and eye on me. Same for the rest of SG-1, and someone has to be in charge of the alien, Jack, you know that."

"Screw them." He paused as he heard Jared in the hallway. He walked into the kitchen, not seeming to notice them; and started rustling for a drink in the fridge. Then he looked up at the two, twined neatly around each other. Blushing a brilliant scarlet, he apologized and hurried away with a root beet clamped in his hand.

Jack chuckled and pulled away from Cassie, handing her his wall phone. "Call Carter, apologize and tell her where you are."

As she took the phone and started dialing, Jack decided to "find out" what Jared was flustered about.

"Jack," Cassie warned.

"What?"

"Be nice," she admonished, but chuckled when he glowered at her and turned away muttering under his breath.

"Ruin all my fun."


Sam hesitated briefly before knocking on the door, she'd been frantic with worry when Cassie finally called, and now she just wanted to grab her and run away. It wasn't that she didn't like Jack, all the evidence pointed otherwise in fact, but she was unsure how to treat him in his clone form. He still was, for all intents and purposes, her superior officer. But he was, in practical terms, a newborn teenager. For gods sake, he was shorter than her, and that was just odd. She breathed a sigh of relief when Cassie answered the door.

Then she did a double take, it wasn't Cassie.

"Oh, hi, you must be Carter. Cassie was just telling us about you," she held out a hand and waited and smirked at the dumb expression on Sam's face.

Sam got over the shock quickly, and accepted the hand shake.

"I'm Carli, JJ's friend, we're just finished eating but there's still pizza left if you want any," Carli stood aside so Sam could enter the house. All her nerves disappeared when she saw the poster on the wall.

Bart Simpson was telling her not to have a cow.

"Carter! Hey," Jack entered into the family room from the kitchen and spotted her, a cookie in his hand. He waved the cookie at her and grinned his patented, it's all right, got this one under control, grin. It took her every bit of control she could grab not to call him "Sir".

"JJ," she nodded as his grin widened. He knew, of course he knew, he always knew. It was hard enough for her, but he was having a hard time not busting into laughter. She scowled at him and his twinkling eyes.

Jared was watching the byplay with much interest. Jack was a mystery, one he was determined to crack, and he knew there was something heavy going on behind Jack's manic smile. He shifted his attention to the statuesque blond, military bearing and a snazzy haircut, she stood in the room as if she wasn't quite sure how to proceed.

"Cassie is putting away the last of the pizza, unless you want some?"

"No, thank you Jack," Carter decided to act as if she were just picking up her niece from her friends house. Which was basically true, and if she could keep herself from "sir'ing" Jack, she could pull it off with minimum fuss.

"So, you met Carli, this is Jared," Jack pointed and Jared waved. "They go to school with me; I really wouldn't have made it with out them."

"Nice to meetcha," he noticed Sam relaxed a bit at Jacks qualifying statement.

"So, Carter, we were going to watch a movie, if you want to join us?" Cassie stepped out of the kitchen as Sam opened her mouth to answer.

"I think Sam and I need to get going Jack, we've got some stuff to go over," Cassie bent over and kissed Jack's cheek before moving over and accepting Sam's arms in a tight hug.

"Yes, we do."

"Well, keep me appraised, I want to know what's going to happen," Jack crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, one eyebrow cocked in emphasis. Sam nodded.

"Of course sirrrr… oh crap," she blushed brilliantly as Jack snickered. She felt a suspicious shaking in her arms, and was aware of Cassie, desperately trying to hide her chuckling.

"Cassie, darling," Jack waited until Cassie controlled her pig snorts and caught her eye.

"You're always welcome here. You come over any time, all right darling?"

"Yes Jack." She dutifully nodded and gave him on last hug before returning to Carter. As Jack walked them to the door Carter hesitated and looked back at Jack.

"Just out of base curiosity, which movie are you going to watch?"

"The Wizard of Oz, of course," Jack smirked and waited for the inevitable Carter moment. She processed the information, remembered each time she told him his fascination with that movie was odd (for a straight man) and then she bit her lip to keep her grin controlled.

"Huh," and noticing that the other two were out of hearing range, but still watching them, she reached up and ruffled his hair. As he scowled and tried to think of proper retribution he watched her walk away. His head tilted to the side, she was wearing those jeans again, and heard a soft, "Good night, Sir."


so, yes i introduced sam in this chapter, i hope i did it all right. i'm thinking of the best way to introduce daniel... seriously i've had this part in my head since i started this story, but i was rereading what i had and now it seems too contrived... so i'm going back to the drawing board. wish me luck. (btw- thanks for the recent reviews, i do really like you people!)