(A/N- Please don't hate me for taking so long, I've had so much going on, on top of a major case of writer's block. Believe me, from now on I'm gonna try and keep on top of this. It's really encouraging that so many of you like my story, seeing as I've never written one before. Anyway, if I haven't groveled enough, I'll say again that I'm really sorry!)

ps- RasberryGirl, I love your fics, too!

Okay, on with it, then-

Can't Wait

Rachel smiled from the doorway of the barn as Jake and Cassie pulled apart like they'd just been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"Hey, don't let us stop you," Marco said, smirking as he walked in. "Guess you got luckier than I did last night, Jake," he remarked, eyes twinkling.

"Shut up, Marco," Jake said blushing crimson to his ears.

Cassie had developed a sudden and furtive interest in the empty cage on the counter. "We need to talk," Rachel said, grabbing Cassie's arm and pulling her into the surgery room.

"And when were you gonna tell me about this?" she demanded.

"Rachel, it just happened last night," Cassie replied.

"Cassie, last night was over twelve hours ago. You should have called me the second it happened. This is major, and I'm your best friend!"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Well, no offense, but I wasn't really thinking about you at the time," she replied. But she felt a little guilty. "I was gonna tell you," she muttered. "Eventually."

Rachel snorted. "Like when, sometime before the wedding?" But she was smiling. "So," she said, prodding Cassie with an elbow, "when's your first date?"

"Tonight," Cassie replied, blushing a little. "But it's not a big thing, okay, so don't get all-"

"Not a big thing?" Rachel interjected. "Of course it's a big thing, Cassie! How could you make a date on such short notice? We don't even have time to go shopping, Jesus, it's already noon!"

"Wait-shopping?"

"Well, yeah, Cass. If you think you're going on your first date with Jake in that, then I'm gonna have to correct you. As your best friend, I feel honor bound not to let you leave the house in those overalls." Rachel paused. "But wait a minute, how are you guys gonna go out tonight when we have a mission?"

"There's been a change of plans," Cassie told her. "Which you could find out, if we could get back to the meeting and out of my lovelife-"

"Ooh, listen to Cassie, talking about her lovelife!" Undaunted, Rachel teased a mortified Cassie all the way out the door to meet the others.

********************************

Jake said nothing as Rachel pulled Cassie into the next room.

"So, last night went well, did it?" said Marco.

Jake couldn't quite contain his grin.

"See, I told you to go for it, man. Was that so bad?"

"Okay, Marco, you were right," Jake conceded.

Right about what? asked Tobias, who fluttered in alongside Ax.

"Jake got some play last night." Marco said, grinning.

"Marco, it wasn't like that," Jake protested, the blush creeping back.

"Come on Jake, don't be modest."

"Shut up, man," Jake definitely did not want to go into the finer points of last night with them right now, especially not when Cassie could walk right in any second.

"What, not even a little over-the-sweater action?"

"I'm not even gonna answer that, Marco."

What sort of actions are you referring to? asked Ax.

"What do you mean?" Marco replied.

Those actions which are carried out over a sweater. What sort of things are you talking about?

Marco smiled. "Oh, wonderful things, Ax-man. But we'll get into that when you're older."

he turned back to Jake. "So what happens next?"

"Well, we're going out tonight," Jake said nervously. "I don't really know where to take her, or what to do when we get there."

"You're not going to have a lot of time tonight, after the mission, right?" Marco said, puzzled.

"Yeah- about that..." said Jake as Rachel and Cassie came out of the surgery room.

Cant wait until tonight, he thought, watching Cassie, before he shifted into leader mode.