"What were you thinking??"

Cassie couldn't have hung her head any lower, and there was absolutely no way she could look Janet in the eyes, and she was in tears, both from embarrassment and remembered hurt at the way Ian had treated her as he'd denied her – which Cassie hadn't gotten into in details.

"I don't know… I… I wasn't, I guess… I-"

"Do you know how lucky you are that he didn't take you up on that?" Janet asked, trying to rein in her growing anger, because it wasn't directed at Cassie – no matter how dumb her little stunt had been – it was directed at herself, and Cassie would be a far easier outlet. If Janet allowed that to happen. Something she knew she couldn't.

"No. You weren't," Janet repeated. "Did you think of birth control?"

Cassie shook her head. "I thought Ian-"

"What did I tell you about that, Cass…?" Janet asked, sighing. It wasn't like they hadn't had a conversation about this a long time ago – with a follow up only the year before that had been a bit more detailed. "You can't rely on the guy… once things get past a certain stage, it's very easy to forget about the need for it, and if you haven't prepared-"

"It didn't get that far, mom," Cassie told her, tears dropping on the files that were sitting in front of her on the table. "Ian wouldn't have me…" She sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her hand, and Janet got up and came around the table and pulled her daughter into her arms.

"Cass…"

Cassandra sobbed into her mother's shoulder, glad that she hadn't turned on her, too, like Ian had.

"I just wanted him to love me…" she stuttered. "I-"

"Love isn't just about sex, baby," Janet told her, rocking her gently, and feeling her own heart breaking at the forlorn whisper that was normally her daughter's vibrant, cheerful voice. "I'm sure he loves you –"

Actually, she knew – more or less – what Ian thought of Cassie, now that Janet considered it. Hadn't she been there when he'd been doped up, listening to how he'd told them that he wasn't good enough for her, and that she deserved better? That wasn't something you said about someone unless you cared for them. As much as it had annoyed Janet back then, it was evidence of the feelings the boy had for Cassie, and Janet knew it.

"He hates me," Cassie said, shaking her head, fresh tears falling at that thought. "He won't ever talk to me again. Especially after this…"

Janet shook her head.

"Nothing's done that can't be undone, sweetheart."

"Yes it is… he hates me. He won't want to see me again, and I don't blame him. I was a skank and he-"

"You weren't a skank," Janet interrupted, pulling Cassie away from her shoulder and forcing her to look her in the eye. No matter how much she didn't like the thought of what her daughter had done, there was absolutely no way she'd allow her to continue feeling like that about herself. "You were confused… and after a night of dancing and being so close to him, I'll bet you just assumed it was the next natural step…"

Cassie nodded.

"It's another step," Janet told her. "But it's not the next one – and it's not a step that you take unless you've discussed it with your partner. You probably startled him more than made him angry, you know? That's not something you should spring on anyone…"

But, God, she was glad now that it had been Ian she'd approached, and not one of the horny little bastards that had been following Cassie around the last few years… There was no doubt in Janet's mind what one of them would have done in a similar situation.

"He was really angry…" Cassie said, shaking her head. "And now he hates me… and I don't blame him… I hate me, too."

She dissolved into another round of sobs and Janet pulled her close once more, cuddling her tightly and trying to figure out what the hell she was going to do to fix this one. Not only the mess between Cassie and Ian – which was obviously something that needed fixing, one way or the other – but also the mess she'd made when she'd over reacted to what she'd plainly seen as something Ian had instigated and now had found he'd been as innocent in the matter as anyone. Obviously that would have to be fixed as well.

But first, she had to take care of Cassie, because that was the matter that was nearest to her at the moment, and dearest to her heart. Then she could worry about Ian… He could wait until morning.

OOOOOOO

It had been a very long time since Jack had felt so uncomfortable with Sam. Years. They drove home in almost complete silence, broken only by him asking her what she wanted to do for dinner, and her telling him that she'd make dinner when they got home. Then she'd gone back to looking out the window and hadn't spoken again.

He knew she was angry with him. That much was obvious – even to him – and there wasn't anything that he could think of to say to make things a bit smoother. Fine; it had been petty to not stay and look for the gun, but they'd been getting rained on and they were cold – even Ian had looked cold, for crying out loud. It wasn't like he couldn't get another gun. Nate would probably send Ian one if he asked him to.

The thought of Nate made Jack wince, because that reminded him of the comment he'd made to Ian about his dad – and Jack knew that had been a bad one. He didn't even need Sam to tell him that. He'd just been mad, and tired, and frustrated, and Ian had been the target, because he deserved to be. It wasn't like the kid was blameless, after all. Even if Sam didn't believe it.

When they pulled into the driveway, and Jack stopped the truck, then looked over at her.

"I'm sorry, okay?"

She shook her head, opening her door.

"No, you're not."

He wasn't; she was right. He was sorry she was mad at him, and sorry that there was so much tension between the two of them, but he wasn't sorry he chewed Ian out – and he knew it as well as she did. Damn it.

She got out of the truck, and Jaffer waited until she was completely out and steady before he jumped down beside her. He whuffled her hand gently, and then headed for the door, turning around and waiting for the two of them.

Jack joined her on the porch while she was unlocking the door, and rested his hand lightly on the small of her back.

"I'll make dinner, Sam. You go rest."

"I took a nap earlier," she told him. "I'm fine."

"I don't mind."

"Me, either."

He sighed, silently, and held the door open for her.

"I'll help."

"Fine."

It was a start, he supposed.