I had been a month since Cassie said goodbye to her mother. Every day seemed to make it easier to breath and walk around without feeling as though there were a vice around Cassie's chest.

At her graduation, Jack and Daniel held up a giant sign with her name as she walked across the stage to receive her diploma. They had given her a car as a graduation present and that night the whole team took her out to dinner. Others from the base had showed up but Cassie left early to meet her friends at an all-night grad party.

She couldn't help but laugh as she tried to leave, first Daniel gave her 60 bucks just in case she needed a cab in the middle of the party, then Sam reminded her to be careful and not to drink anything if it was opened before she got it. And right before she reached her new car, Jack ran out and caught up with her.

"You're still my little girl—you know that right?" He asked as he bear hugged her.

"I know."

"I don't care how old you get."

"I know Jack—but I really have to go." She pulled back and reached for the car door.

"Ok, have fun and uhh…call me if you need anything." He said as she rolled down the window and started the car.

"Call you?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah…" he pointed to the cup holder in her car where a cell phone had been strategically placed.

"OH MY GOSH!!!!! JACK!"

"So—no excuses about not keeping in touch…ya hear?"

She held the phone and smiled up at Jack. "Thank you Jack—for everything."

"Go on, don't want to miss any of the festivities." He waived her off and soon she was watching him in her rearview mirror as she drove away.

The party went as expected. Under age drinking mixed with lame music and crappy food always made for a party worth escaping from.

Her friends had ventured for their usual hangout spot but Cassie opted for a lonely ride out to Saint Mary's Memorial Cemetery.

The full moon lit up the night as she walked through the damp grass to the clearing where her mother's head stone sat surrounded by fresh flowers. As though she were leaning on her mother's shoulder, Cassie sat beside the headstone and rested her head on the side.

"Hi mom." Looking up to the stars Cassie smiled as she felt her mother's presence envelope her. "I miss you so much. I wish you were here, I wish I could just talk to you one more time—tell you I love you." Brushing away the tears from her cheek she looked back to the inscription on the head stone. It was simple and elegant, just like her mother. The words were fitting of her last moments, saying that she gave her life so that others might live. "I've been thinking a lot lately about what I remember about my parents. I now my dad was tall and he worked in the fields a lot and my mother made a dress for me shortly before she died. But one thing my mother told me sticks out. It was a story that my Mother told me when my best friend died. She said that when our loved ones pass on in this life that they don't leave us behind, they only move onto a place where they can look over us until we are reunited again. I never believed it before—and when I was brought here I thought I was leaving my Mother and Father behind. But now, I want to believe it. I want to believe that when I wake up in the morning you'll be there watching over me even though I can't see you. So please, if you can hear me, please stay with me…I need you."

She stood from the ground and looked down at the head stone. She still had on the dress she bought for graduation, a long blue dress with short sleeves and glitter all over. Now it was covered in grass and Cassie had to laugh as she could have sworn she heard her mother sighing at her recklessness with the garment. "I know…I know…I should act more like a lady, I'll try--I promise"

Six months later…

Cassie had moved off to school and left most of her things at Sam's house after the closing of her mother's house. Everything was better, better than better—it was…normal.

It was after her math class that the world tipped on its axis. She had ran back to her room for a book she forgot and the phone rang…

"Cassie? It's Sam—I was wondering if you could come home this weekend…" Sam was happy. Her voice was…well-- Cassie had never heard that tone in her voice. And so by Friday afternoon she had resigned to make the short road trip back to Sam's house.

By mid afternoon Cassie had pulled up in front of Sam's house. First on her list of observations was the truck parked out in front of the house—it wasn't Jack's.

She walked to the front door and knocked hard twice before walking in.

"SAM!?" She yelled as she walked through the hall. "Sam?! Hello?" She called out as she reached the kitchen and still saw no Sam.

"Right here!" Sam came walking up from the hall—wearing a dress.

"Okay—what's the news?" She asked as Sam hugged her.

"Uhmm, well—I've met someone." Sam said beaming as she smiled.

"You "met" someone? As in you met Brad Pitt or as in…" she pulled back from Sam and saw the goofy grin on her face. "You have a boyfriend!?"

"His name is Pete."

"Pete? Whoa…wait a minute—where did you meet him?! What's he do!? Have I met him before?"

"No…but uh…he's in the bath room—he'll be out in a second."

"What?!"

"Hey, I'm Pete." Pete said as he walked up behind Sam.

Pushing Sam aside, Cassie took Pete's out reached hand.

"Hi, I'm Cassie…the last one to find out about you I'm sure."

Cassie didn't like Pete. There was something about him that made her want to--punch him.

Sam had fixed dinner and Cassie made sure to keep her comments few and short while Sam was in the room.

At last, Sam went into the kitchen and Cassie was left alone with Pete.

She stared at him for a moment and he leaned over to her. "You know, Sam told me all about the Stargate and that you are…" He couldn't bring himself to say the word.

"An alien?" She was trying to freak him out and it had worked. The look in his eyes was perfect but she had to push the envelope. "Did she tell you that I can shoot lasers out of my eyes?" His eyes grew two sizes larger and he sat back in his chair as Sam sat back in her seat. Smiling back at Sam Cassie said, "So what's for desert?"

Pete left and Cassie took the opportunity to change into her pajamas.

As she came out of the back room Sam was waiting for her. "Lasers that shoot out of your eyes?"

"I couldn't resist."

"Cassie, I like him…"

"Yeah…I noticed." Cassie didn't want to own up to it, but he wasn't as bad as she originally thought. "It's just that-" They walked into the living room and flopped on her couch as Cassie continued.

"What?" Sam was thinking that there was something really bothering her.

"I always expected you to end up with…Jack." Cassie knew this was tender ground to walk on and the expression on Sam's face changed—showing that she was right about her expectations.

"Cassie—he's my commanding officer, it's not even close to being like that."

"Right—and you run to him every time something happens because…he's your commanding officer."

"I do not."

"So when you drove to his house out of the blue when you thought he was going to die from that Asguard head sucker thing—you went there to what? Give him a weekly report?"

"Cassie—"

"Hey, if this guy makes you happy—by all means, get married and have lots of babies—"

"Cass--I'm not talking about…having babies. I'm just talking about actually having…a life."

"Ok—have you introduced him to Jack yet?"

"They met…in passing." Sam was dodging the subject as best she could.

"In passing?"

"Well, Osiris shot Pete and we took him to the infirmary—"

"You took him to the base?"

"He was shot Cassie, what was I supposed to do? That's not the point."

"Fine…so you have me all weekend, what are we going to do?"

Sam hesitated for a moment and then jumped from the couch. "Ice cream!"

Cassie leaned into the couch and flipped on the TV. She wanted to call Jack and ask why he hadn't done anything about this Pete guy…but her better judgment told her to stay out of it—until it was absolutely necessary.