"Cassie!"

She turned at the squeal and smiled when her friends came rushing up to her locker, one of them holding a small envelope in her hand.

"What's up, guys?"

"Do you want to see my dress?" Angela asked.

"You finally got it?"

The blonde girl nodded, and opened the envelope, pulling out Polaroid snapshots of herself dressed in a midnight blue formal gown that was almost as revealing as the one Cassie was intending to wear that night.

"Oh, it's gorgeous!"

Angela preened.

"My mom wouldn't let me go strapless, or I would have got this bright green one that matches my eyes perfectly. But this one is pretty, too."

"You told Rod he couldn't wear jeans and that horrible t-shirt with the tuxedo drawn on the front, didn't you?" Cassie asked.

She laughed and nodded.

"He said he was only joking when he said he was going to wear it."

"What about that Ian guy?" Crystal asked. "Is he wearing a uniform or a tux?"

"A tux."

"Not that it matters," Angela said, giving her friend a sidelong glance that was positively naughty. "He's not going to be in it for long, is he?"

Cassie blushed a brilliant shade of red as she smiled, embarrassed. Ever since she'd told her friends that Ian was taking her to the Formal, she'd been getting teased almost nonstop. They had both seen him at the movies with Cassie during Thanksgiving break, and while they both thought the blonde guy she'd been with had been sweeter, there was no denying that the dark-haired Cadet had been sexier. Dark and mysterious, and definitely someone they'd allow to take them to the dance if Cassie came down with the flu suddenly.

It didn't help that her friends could tell that Cass was completely head over heels for the guy, either. They were constantly teasing Cassie one minute, and making all sorts of suggestions for the rest of the evening – once the dance was over, or if the two of them left early – the next. And Cassie would blush and smile, and deny that anything was going to happen. But she had to admit, privately, that the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of something happening with Ian.

And then she'd start considering that, and would find her cheeks getting even redder, and her friends would see it and smile knowingly, well aware of what was on her mind. And then they'd start in with the advice – although Cass was certain that neither of them had any more experience in bed than she did. They were probably just getting their information from cable.

Rather than allow them to really get started on teasing her, Cassie took her books from her locker. She was already so excited about the Formal that night that she was highly strung, and she didn't want to make it worse with their speculations and naughty looks.

"I'd better get to class."

They both grinned, knowing they'd gotten to her again – that's what friends were for, right? – and nodded.

"We'll see you at lunch."

"Okay."

She closed her locker and headed for class, but behind her she could hear Angela and Crystal both giggling.

"Children…"

Despite herself, though, Cassie grinned. And she was still smiling when she entered her next class.

OOOOOOOOOO

"I am not a happy camper…"

The six of them had just emerged from the Stargate to find that sometime during their absence from the planet, it had started to rain. Not a gentle rain, either. It was cold, and hard, and coming down in buckets.

Jack looked down at Jaffer, who didn't seem to mind the rain at all and then over at Daniel.

"Who was in charge of forecasting?"

Daniel looked up at the cloud-heavy sky, taking off the sunglasses that he'd been wearing and putting them in his pocket.

"Maybe it'll taper off," he said, hopefully. "It could just be a summer storm."

"Or it could be a monsoon."

Ian looked around, hoping that Jack would call it a day. Who wanted to walk in the rain?

"That building had a roof on it, right?" Jack asked.

Daniel nodded.

"Then let's go."

There wasn't any sense in going back with nothing to show for the trip, Jack decided. If they did, they'd just be sent off to do other things around the base, and for Jack, that meant paperwork. And he'd rather walk through raining cats and dogs before doing paperwork that could be avoided. As long as they weren't big cats and dogs.

Ian sighed, and stepped away from the gate, his hand going to his side. It ached quite a bit, and since there wasn't really any way to make it feel better – it wasn't like he could ice it or put a heating pad on it out here in the middle of a rainstorm – he simply massaged it lightly.

"Stay close, Ian," Jack said, watching Jaffer – just to make sure the lab wasn't smelling anything different today than he had the day before. Jack didn't like surprises, and he'd already had one this morning. He didn't want another one. The big lab simply wagged his tail and trotted a little ahead of Jack; occasionally looking back to make sure he was following with the others and wasn't hiding from him.

Ian fell into step beside Jack, his clothing already soaked through, and water dripping off his hat brim while Teal'c and Jack (the dog) took the left flank, and Daniel went to the right. They knew where they were going, though, so aside from watching the ground for more snares like Jack had been caught by the day before, they pretty much walked with a purpose.

"So…"

The Cadet looked over at Jack, who was looking almost uncomfortable. Even more uncomfortable than the heavy rain and wet clothes could make him feel.

"Yeah?"

"Cassie and Fraiser came over for dinner last night. I heard all about Cassie's new dress." Way more than he'd wanted to hear, since that had been the subject of the dinner conversation – as well as a conversation between Janet and Cassie that had been very close to being classified as an argument.

"Oh, yeah? I haven't seen it."

He groaned, inwardly. He'd been hoping that the lecture wasn't going to come until afternoon at least, but it was looking as if Jack was ready now. And was taking advantage of having Daniel and Teal'c both out of earshot.

"It's…" Jack shrugged. "… a dress."

"That's good. I'm sure she'll look great in it."

Which was the exact opening that Jack had needed.

"She'd better stay in it," he told him, looking over at Ian with a definite scowl on his face. "I don't have to explain to you what I mean?"

Ian shook his head. Well, that had been blunt, enough, hadn't it?

"I'm not going to do anything, Jack."

"I'd be very pissed off if you did."

"I won't-"

"That includes no drinking."

"I don't-"

"Or smoking."

"I-"

"Or drugs or quiet walks alone or slow dancing."

"I-"

"Fine. One slow dance. But not too slow. And not too close."

"I don't do drugs, I don't drink and I don't smoke. You know that."

Jack nodded.

"I'm just reminding you."

"I won't do anything, Jack."

"Good."

He didn't say anything else, focusing again on watching for snares on the ground, but Ian had a sinking feeling this wasn't going to be the last he'd heard of the dance – or the rules.