(A/N Alright, finally got through that writer's block. Here's chappie 7. Hope you like it as much as I do.)

Can't Deny

Jake showed up early for the meeting. He was pleased to find Cassie was already in the barn.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

Cassie jumped, turned. "God, Jake, you're gonna have to stop doing that."

Jake just stepped forward and pressed his lips to hers. "That too," Cassie said as he pulled back.

Jake chose to ignore that last request. "Do you want to go out tonight?" he asked her.

"Go out tonight?" Cassie asked. "Jake, don't we have a mission tonight? Hence, this meeting?"

Jake looked down. "Actually, we're going have to go on the mission a little earlier than planned."

"How much earlier, Jake?"

Jake cleared his throat. "Um, we probably need to get going right after the meeting. We're, um, gonna need to be a little more careful than previously anticipated."

Cassie frowned. "Jake you're scaring me a little. I thought we were just checking out a new Yeerk pool entrance. I thought we weren't going to have to do any fighting tonight. You said we were just going to scope it out and leave."

Jake looked up. "I know, Cassie, but...I heard Tom on the phone earlier. He said something about a thing happening this afternoon. He didn't want to say what it was, but they're meeting at the new entrance. Soon. So, it could be more dangerous than we thought."

"Then maybe we shouldn't go today. We're not really prepared, and we have no idea what's going to happen." Cassie reasoned. She sat down on a bale of hay.

"No, Cassie, you don't understand," Jake told her, sitting next to her. "Tom is definitely gonna be there. I know it's not safe or smart to do this, but I need to; I might not get another direct chance to save Tom for a while." He took her hand. "I know that you know this might not be helpful against the Yeerks in the big picture, and I wouldn't ask any of you to go with me for this. But if there's a chance to save Tom, I need to do it. So, I'm just gonna tell the others when they get here that I'm-"

"Jake, stop it," Cassie cut in. "You know that none of us is going to let you go alone. We all want to save Tom, and we're going to do everything we can to set him free. Okay?" She looked him straight in his eye.

"Yeah." Jake squeezed Cassie's hand. "That means a lot to me."

Just then, Cassie caught that glint in Jake's eye, that I'm-about-to-lean-in-and-kiss-you glint that she'd already begun to recognize and anticipate. As he leaned in, she pulled her hand away. "Jake, you can't keep doing that just because-"

"Just because what? Because of last night?" Jake demanded.

"It doesn't have to mean anything," Cassie said. "It was just..." She looked away, unable to look him in the eye when she said it. "It was just a kiss," she said, quietly and without conviction.

Jake tipped up Cassie's chin with his forefinger. "It was more than just a kiss, Cassie, and it already means everything." When Cassie remained silent, he went on. "Why are you afraid of this?"

"Because it's scary, Jake. For me. I - I'm feeling things for you that I'm to young to feel."

"We're too young for a lot of things we do, Cassie," Jake replied. "And yeah, out of everything we've done or will do, I'd put this on the short list of most scary things. But I can't forget about that kiss, and I can't stop kissing you, or being close to you. Because the fact remains that in the last two years, I can count the times that I've been really, truly happy on one finger. And that moment when we kissed, and you looked at me the way you did, Cassie - that was it."

Jake took both of her hands in his. "I can't let go of that, Cassie. I won't."

Cassie felt tears stinging at her eyes. She let Jake pull her into his arms. "Jake, don't you see that this is going to change everything? Nothing will ever be the same."

"I realize that, too, Cass," Jake replied. "But you can't deny that this is the right thing. And you're right. Things will be different. But I say they're going to be even better."

Cassie felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "You just told me what my heart's been saying all along. And how do I argue with that?"

Jake leaned in. "You don't," he whispered, letting his lips brush hers. "So back to my original question. Somehow I don't thing we'll do much good today. And I think I'm gonna need you with me tonight. So how about it? Pick you up at seven?"

Cassie took a deep breath. "It's a date," she said, losing herself in his answering kiss. It was longer, even more incredible than before. Yes, this was definitely right.

"So, did we come at a bad time?" Rachel called form the door.