Author's Note: Here is the next one. Another will follow on Thursday and again on Saturday. I would like to thank everyone who gave this story a chance and are still reading. I would also like to thank those of you who have come here from the MiniJack community, welcome.

Loss and Gain

Cassie lay on her stomach in her room at Sam's house, doing her homework. She was wearing Jon's hoodie that was left behind in the commotion. It made her feel close to him although he was far way still working in the logging camp.

In a few months she would be done with high school, and moving on to bigger and better things. She had a stack of letters, telling her she had been accepted to various schools, but to her, there was only one true choice and that letter was lying on the top of the stack. She hadn't shown any of them to Sam or Jack yet; she was waiting until she could share her news with Jon, when he would come for her birthday in a few weeks.

With a sigh she looked around the room. She would be sad to leave Sam and her little house, but it was getting crowded with Pete staying more and more. Soon it might be time to move in with Jack permanently, but that would mean leaving so many of her things. Her room at Jack's house had all new furniture, but there was one huge advantage to Jack's house – no Pete. Pete-free zone.

When she had moved from Janet's house, Cassie had brought most of her furniture with her, leaving only a few things which she thought too girlish/childish. In her old room she had always had a single bed, but now, she was flopped across a double. The walls were surprisingly bare for a seventeen, almost eighteen year old.

The only pictures adorned her dresser. There were a few of her and Janet, a few of SG-1 and Cassie in various mixes and then there was one of Jon. He had sent it to her soon after he left her with Sam and Jack at the cabin.

Putting her fingers beneath her math text book, she touched the stack of letters. He always sent letters to her; she had asked him once why he didn't just email her and he had replied he was an old-fashioned guy. He liked writing her letters, and he liked the thought she was touching something he held in his hands. The last one he had sent her was on the top of the pile; she couldn't help remembering her favorite part:

Cass, I miss you. I can't help remembering those days we spent at the cabin together and I can't wait to see you again. I hope to get back to Colorado soon but I can't make any promises. I promise I won't miss your birthday. I had my roommate take the picture for me. I didn't think you had one of me; please send me one of you in return.

Thinking of you always,

Jon

Just as Jon had promised Jack, he had kept his distance. Cassie had been annoyed by the decree, constantly arguing with Jack that she should be allowed to see Jon. She was still angry with him when SG-1 had left for their latest mission. Cassie felt bad about her childishness now, but she was still counting the days until she would turn eighteen. Once that happened, Jack really didn't have any control over her anymore and he wouldn't stop her from seeing Jon any longer.

There was the sound of someone coming down the hall, so Cassie quickly pulled the book over the stack of letters. Both Sam and Jack had been gone for a week or so and Mrs Miller was here watching her. Cassie hated that she needed a babysitter, but rules were rules; and until she turned eighteen, there would be someone here while Sam and Jack were off world.

She was just eternally grateful that Pete hadn't gotten his way and been able to move in with Sam as he wanted to or she would have been stuck here alone with Mr Potato Head. Yikes!

There was a knock on the door and Cassie called, "Come in." She turned halfheartedly back to the trigonometry equation, thinking it was Mrs Miller, who was strict about Cassie's homework being done before dinner if possible.

Sam stepped into the room, still dressed in BDU's; looking worried as she closed the door behind her. "Cassie, there is something I need to tell you. I'm sure you heard things lately and I wanted you to know that it's all over. SG-1 fixed it."

Cassie jumped off the bed, hugging Sam tightly, "Does this mean a party at Jack's? He always throws one when you guys save the world. When is it?"

Sam shook her head, tears spilling out onto her cheeks, "Jack's not here. He's gone."

"Gone, what do you mean gone, is he dead?" her voice was full of panic. Cassie breathed deeply, nearly hyperventilating, trying not to give into the hysteria that climbed up her throat.

"Jack still has the Ancient database in his head and we didn't get it out in time. He's in stasis in Antarctica. He wasn't in good shape when we left him in the Ancient Outpost. I don't know when or if anyone will be able to help him." Sam tried to hug Cassie, but the teenager pulled away.

Pounding on Sam, she demanded, "You have to help him! There has to be a way. Sam, you have to find a way, you always do! I mean he's Jack, you have to save him. You don't leave people behind."

Sam grabbed her by the shoulders. "I can't Cassie. There was nothing I could do. I just don't have the knowledge to understand what was happening to him. Some things are beyond even me. We're trying to contact the Asgard, but they haven't answered yet." Sam tried to keep the despair out of her voice, but the teen could hear it clearly.

"No Sam, you can't just give up on him, you have to save him. You need to find a way, you have to! I can't lose him too." Then her demeanor changed. Her voice when from panicked to accusing, "You're lying to me. He has to be here! Nothing could kill Jack." Cassie broke free of Sam's arms, running out of the house. Without looking back, she jumped into her car driving crazily down the down the street toward Jack's house, hoping to find that Sam was wrong; that he was there on his deck, burning steaks on the grill.

Pulling up in front of Jack's house a few minutes later, she raced up the front steps, throwing open the unlocked front door, calling, "Jack! Where are you? Jack?"

She went through the house but it was empty. Dejected, Cassie closed the front door and drove home, wishing for someone to hold her, but neither one of them were there.

When Jon arrived a few days later, he saw Cassie's driving away from Sam's house once more. Worried about her, Jon followed her in his truck. A few days before, Sam had called him asking him to try and help to get through to Cassie. She had spent most of her days at Jack's house, waiting for him to come home. Sam had tried begging, bribing and pleading but nothing worked. Cassie would come home to sleep and return to Jack's house to wait for him to get back. Nothing Sam had done had gotten her to stop.

Permission had just been granted for Sam and Teal'c to find the Asgard, to get help for Jack. She was leaving Cassie once more; and she needed Jon to stay with Cassie while they were gone. Also Sam thought he was the only person who might get through to the wall Cassie had built around herself in the last few weeks. Jon planned to stay at Jack's house hoping his "uncle" wouldn't mind him staying in the guest room for a while.

He lost Cassie as she drove too fast for him to follow her, taking shortcuts down some back roads that he didn't know. From the direction she was heading, Jon guessed that she was going for Jack's house. Worried about her, Jon hoped he had guessed her destination correctly.

In a daze Cassie stepped out of her car, heading toward the ladder that would take her up to the telescope loft. The wind was cold and it looked like rain, but Cassie did neither notice nor care.

Setting the telescope, she found the star that gave Hanka its light. Her memories of that day were a little foggy but Jack's was one of the first faces she remembered seeing. To that little girl he seemed so strong, like nothing could kill him. It was ironic that after all this time, it was knowledge that had brought down Jack O'Neill, but something just might have proved stronger than he was. She missed him so much and now he was gone, never to come back and make her laugh with his stupid jokes or when he poked fun at Daniel. He was someone who listened and didn't try to tell her how to fix her problems but guided her as she found the solution on her own. Cassie needed him and his loss hurt. She never had a chance to prepare for it, he was just gone, she lost everyone that way.

She collapsed, curling into a ball as grief and fear won. Tears streamed down her cheeks and sobs wracked her body as her legs failed to keep her upright. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her holding her close. "Cassie, you need to stop. He's not here but he's not dead. He's MIA, it will be all right." He was just as upset about Jack as Cassie was. All in all, it was a very strange feeling to miss and worry about Jack.

She had no idea where the strong arms had come from, but she was grateful that they were there. Locked inside them, she felt safe and protected. "He's gone. I can't lose anyone else. I can do this again not this soon. It hurts so much."

After a while she looked up, confused as though she just realized he was there, "Jon, where did you come from?"

Tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, he answered, "I showed up just after you tore away from Sam's house. I thought that you'd come here. Now do you want to talk about it?"

Cassie studied Jon, he'd grown taller and he'd filled out in the last few months as he continued to work up in the mountains with the logging company.

She sighed as she leaned into him, allowing herself to cry. Jon held her unsure just what to do so he kept talking as her fist clutched at his shirt. He was so strong; she would rely on him for a while. If she let him, he would help her through this. She could feel a new strength in him. He barely resembled that scrawny boy she had met almost a year ago.

Jon held her, unsure just what to do, so he kept talking as her fist clutched at his shirt. "We don't know that he's gone. He's just missing for now. Daniel came back, Jack might too. Cassie, you just need to believe."

Holding on to him tightly she whispered so quietly he almost couldn't hear, "I want to forget for a while that someone I love is lost." With Jon holding her tight for a while she was able to.

A while later, as Jon drove away from Jack's empty house, both of them were hoping to see the occupant once more.

Jon hoped now that Cassie cried, it would get better, now that he was there, but it got worse when Sam and Teal'c left for Orilla to speak with the Asgard. Daniel stopped by everyday, but Jon made himself scarce during these visits so he didn't have to explain his presence, or how he knew Daniel as well. Then suddenly, Daniel's visits ended as he headed out somewhere to save the world without a word to Cassie. Once that happened Cassie stopped responding to anyone or anything.

They longer time stretched out without a word from the SGC or SG-1, the more Cassie's nerves frayed. She became like a wraith floating through the house, existing instead of living. She ate only when Jon put food in front of her and even then she only picked at it.

It was then he tried to contact the SGC to speak to Hammond to find out if there was any news, but the operator had told him polity that Hammond had been reassigned and refused to put him through to the new CO of the SGC.

Having no other options, Jon decided to take matters into his own hands. Grabbing Cassie, he threw the girl over his shoulder and dumped her in the bathtub, turning the shower on cold.

The reaction was instantaneous as the water cascaded over Cassie. Screaming, she seemed to come to as she sputtered, "Jon what are you doing?"

"Trying to get you to wake up. What are you gonna do if they don't come back from wherever they have gone? Are you really going to let yourself waste away or live your life as a hermit?"

Cassie curled into a ball trying to hide from the water and her emotions, "It hurts Jon. Do you understand how much it hurts? They are my family. I already lost one family and Janet. Now they might all be gone too, Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c."

Shutting off the water, Jon climbed into the tub, pulling her into his arms. "I understand Cass. I understand too well." He pressed his face into her hair to hide his own tears at the loss of SG-1 he suffered less than a year ago. "But they wouldn't want you to stop living. We have to go on one day at a time. They will come back or they won't; and making yourself sick won't help anyone."

The dam broke as Cassie's tears spilled over her lashes. Pounding her fists on Jon's chest, she sobbed "I miss them so much. I never got to say goodbye to any of them. My last words to Jack were in anger, we fought about you." She suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt, "I want them all back. I want my family back. I don't want to feel anymore pain."

Jon pulled her close, brushing the wet strands of hair from her face. "To do that you have to stop living and I can't let you do that. I–" Jon stopped, unsure if now was the best time to say those words, so he swallowed them for now.

There must have been something in his voice, because turning her head she looked up at him. Tears cascaded down his cheeks. Reaching up, she caught one of them with her thumb, surprised to see them. "Who are these tears for?"

"For you, me and everyone else who I've hurt and lost… Remember Cassie, I know what it's like to lose those I love. I've lost more than you will ever know. I have seen friends die as well as loved ones. My life has been one of pain, but I kept living because the other choice was to die."

Placing her hand on his chest she asked, "What have you lost Jon? Do you trust me enough to tell me?" her voice was tentative.

Jon closed his eyes as he remembered his most recent loss. "I told you that I lost my parents a few years ago but I never told you what happened. They were killed by a drunk driver who struck their car running a red light. They both died instantly. I have two sisters and three-" he stopped, "No four brothers, but I lost touch with all of them. None of them would be happy to see me." saddened by is words her hold tightened on him giving him a small measure of comfort as well as herself. He'd made it through all that pain, so she would.

After a few minutes she looked up at him grabbing a fist full of his hair pulling his eyes to meet his. "Someday you are going to tell me everything, and I mean everything. One day soon we will have no more secrets Jon and then you and I will be free. Free to love each other, but then we will both have to stop hiding." Then she bent her head to his forcing him to accept her kiss.

Jon fought the onslaught as he tried to push her away but she demanded he respond. Soon he felt himself surrendering because he needed her as much as she needed him.

That was until her hands began roaming where they shouldn't. Finding the strength to stop her he caught them pulling back. "No Cassie, I told you before you don't have to do that. I care about you but we are not going there now. There are circumstances that I need to explain but not now not today. Neither of us are ready for that." Studying her, he sighed, "It's not because I don't want to because I do. It's just there is so much you need to know before we take our relationship there. Now we both need to get changed. And you need to eat something."

Cassie didn't fight him as he helped her to her feet. She kissed him lightly on lips, "Why don't you head out of here and let me shower."

Clambering out of the tub, Jon turned to exit the room, leaving puddles on the floor as he went. Cassie watched him go, hoping that the day of disclosure would come soon for both of them.

Her voice stopped him as he was about to close the door, "You're right." her smile was watery, but it was there. "They'll come home if they can, when they can, we just have to wait for them."

"Yes, they will," he smiled back, hoping his words were true.

There you go more on the way soon. Leave a review and make me smile. Kelleth