Ties That Bind pt 9
Arriving at my house, I told Cassie and the Colonel that I was just going to pick up a couple of things and I would be at his house before they knew it. I waved bye to them and walked in. I checked my answering machine and found a message from Maggie Janet's neighbor asking me to please call her shesaid that Cassie had not come home and that Janet hadn't called.

I went to my room and started to pack some clothes. I made sure my plants were watered and picked up my laptop so I could work on some of my projects while I was staying at Jack's house.

Looking around, I wondered how safe Cassie would be when she came to live with me. Could I protect her from people who would try to hurt her and use her as a lab rat? I walked around and made sure all the doors and windows were locked. I was glad that the Colonel would be sending over someone he knew to install a security system. It would give me some sense of security, and would be a first line of defense. I had always felt my home was safe, but if this threat to Cassie became reality, then I would do everything in my power to protect her. Janet would expect nothing less.

Putting my bag and laptop in the trunk of my car, I put the large envelope with all of the documents on the passenger seat. I pulled out and headed over to the Colonel's house.

Arriving at Jack's house, I parked behind Daniel's car. I picked up the envelope and other papers and went to retrieve my bag and laptop from the trunk. I walked up the steps and opened the door.

No one was in the living room. "Where is everybody?"

"Outside on the deck, Sam. Come on back," the Colonel called out.

Dropping my bag, laptop and the papers I'd been holding on the couch, I walked through the patio door. Daniel was sharing a lounge chair with Cassie and it looked like she was about to nod off.

It would do her good to get some rest since she'd had a long day. Daniel smiled at me and pulled Cassie back so that she would be more comfortable. Teal'c was standing next to the Colonel, who was talking on his cell phone. I took a seat next to the Colonel's empty chair.

I wondered whohe was talking to the General. Maybe his contacts had gotten back to him with new information about Cassie.

I whispered to Teal'c if he knew whom the Colonel was talking to. Teal'c said he believed it was General Hammond and he had been speaking to him for quite sometime.

My stomach started to twist in knots. It must not be good news since he had his back turned, as if he didn't want us to hear what was being said. I got up and stood next to him. I lightly placed my hand on his arm. He turned and put a finger to his lips. He was answering yes and no, but saying nothing that would give me a clue as to what was being said. I was getting anxious and he could see that I was losing my patience.

He took my hand and turned around so the others couldn't see him holding it. He started to caress it softly. It had a soothing effect on me. I started to breathe deeply and began to calm down.

After he was done talking, he led me off the deck and motioned for Teal'c to follow us. Daniel looked like he wanted to come, but we pointed to Cassie who had fallen asleep on his shoulder and shook our heads no. I whispered to him. "I'll tell you everything later."

Daniel nodded as we walked into the living room.

The Colonel sat on the couch and pulled me next to him. Teal'c sat on the chair opposite us.

"Well, that was General Hammond. One of his sources got back to him and it's not good news. The NID has been keeping track of Cassie for some time now, but they can't find any of her medical records because Janet always kept them under lock and key. Now, with her gone, they might attempt to take these files from the SGC. The General said he was going to have the file room locked down until he retrieves the files himself. Also, she might not be the only target. He looked at me and said since I had the lovely experience of being blended with a Goa'uld, I was under the microscope also. They have just been waiting for the right time and if Senator Kinsey appoints one of his backers to oversee the NID, then there would be real trouble."

I looked at him. "Medical files! Wait a minute. When I took Janet's documents out of the safe, Cassie's medical files where in there too. I have them right here." I got up and went to where I had left the envelope and other papers and pulled out her files.

"That's just like Doc not to keep her kids records in an obvious place. I better call the General to let him know we have them. He'll be relieved to know that," Jack said with a smile on his face.

"Indeed, this is good news O'Neill. You are correct in assessing Dr. Frasier would have the insight to keep Cassandra medical records secret. She was very clever in concealing this," Teal'c said.

After the Colonel called General Hammond, he sat back down next to me. I was starting to sort the rest of the documents in the folder.

"Carter, what are you doing?" he asked.

I looked. "I want to separate out all of these papers. These are the guardianship papers. I want to put them in a safe place: the letter to her lawyer appointing me as the executioner of Janet's estate, her life insurance and financial records, Cassie's adoption papers and her birth certificate."

I stopped what I was doing. "So how bad is it really? Do I have to be looking over my shoulder all the time and wonder if I'm going to be taken? I thought we were safe? What do they think they could find that Janet hadn't already found?"

"I don't know what to say Sam. I was just as surprised as you were when I spoke to the General. It's going to be fine. I wont let anything happen to you. Like you said earlier, we've finally admitted to how much we care for one another, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let anyone take you from me."

I smiled at him and took his hand. "I wont let anyone take you away from me either. You're too important to me Jack. I'd do anything for you."

He smiled. "I like you calling me Jack. Keep it up; it makes my day." He picked up the envelope with my name written on it. "What's in this one?" "I don't know. I haven't had a chance to open it yet. I want to get this organize before..."

We all heard a shout from the deck. Jumping over the couch, Jack bolted out the back door with Teal'c at his heels. I ran right behind him.

Cassie was shaking and Daniel was soothing her. It was another bad dream.

"Cassie, its okay. It was just a dream. Nothing to worry about, your safe," Daniel said.

Cassie shook her head. "No Daniel! You were asleep and I heard a noise and saw a man. He was standing by that tree. At first I thought I was dreaming, but he raised his arm and he had a gun in his hand. I couldn't help but scream."

Jack and Teal'c ran to the tree while Daniel and I grabbed Cassie and went inside. I locked the front door and looked outside, wishing I had my gun with me. Daniel looked at me, wanting answers that I couldn't give him yet.

Outside Teal'c crouched down by the tree. "Someone was here O'Neill. These are footprints and the path on the grass leads to the side and out to the street." Getting up, he wiped his hands on his pants.

"This just got really personal, Teal'c. If they're willing to try something like this during the day, they must be desperate to get their hands on her."

"I agree O'Neill. Wouldn't it be safer for Cassandra Fraiser if we stayed at Cheyenne Mountain?" Teal'c asked.

"No. They have lost the element of surprise. We will have to be on our toes. But it's time to bring in the heavy artillery," Jack said while dialing his cell phone.

Teal'c came inside to see if we were okay. I asked Cassie if she wanted a glass of water. Daniel volunteered to get her one while Teal'c started a room-to-room search of the Colonel's house. When Daniel got back, I made my way out to the deck to see what Teal'c and the Colonel had found.

The Colonel was informing General Hammond about the incident and was requesting airmen to guard the front and some for the back. He also asked if he had heard anything from my father. I kept my eyes on him and watched him listen to what the General was saying. "Sir, I know I'm going to regret doing this, but can you send another message and tell him I need Starsky's help on this. Jacob will understand. I know Sir, but we have to use every resource we have. Sir, when he comes through the Stargate, please don't shoot him. We need him to help locate whoever is responsible for this. I have also contacted people that I haven't spoken too for years. I want to know what those bastards have in mine. No one comes to my home and tries to shoot someone I care for."

After he finished his call, he stood with his back to me. I walked over and put my arms around him. He turned around and held me close. I could feel his anger. I spoke softly and tried to soothe his nerves like he'd done for me. But I knew that it wouldn't work. He fed on his anger, making him a more dangerous man to deal with. I had seen him use this tactic on our enemies and it frightened me. I almost felt sorry for the people who had attempted to hurt Cassie. Jack would hunt them down and not feel any regret if excessive force was necessary. This kind of anger was reserved for anyone who tried to hurt someone he held dear.

He pulled back and stared into my eyes. Suddenly, he kissed me with an intensity that left me breathless.

After the kiss, he smiled at me and took me by the hand as he led me into the house. I was still in a daze wondering if the kiss had the same effect on him as it did me. He locked the door behind him and we walked into the living room. Daniel had Cassie in his arms. She looked scared. Teal'c informed the Colonel that the house was safe and he had made sure all windows where securely locked.

The Colonel asked me to sit opposite of Cassie and Daniel. He elected to stand, but didn't let my hand go. He knew that we had to let Cassie know what was going on. We could not keep this hidden any longer.

"Uncle Jack, what's going on? Why was there a man in your back yard with a gun?" Cassie asked.

"Cassie, I'm not going to keep anything from you. I am going to tell you the truth. You're in danger, as is Carter. A group of very bad men want to take you away. It has something to do with the Naquada in your system and you not being from this zip code. Carter is also a target because of her experiences with the Tok'ra. Your mother kept your medical records out of sight, and now that she is no longer here, they want to get they're hands on them and you. It's not going to happen. You know that we will not let anything happen to you. Cassie, trust us to keep you safe. We made a vow to your mother and were making one to you now. That you will never be taken by them."

"Is this why you two were arguing in the briefing room?" Cassie asked.

I spoke up. "That was part of it, but there was other stuff too. Cassie, you heard what the Colonel said. We will not let anything happen to you. You do believe us, right?"

"I do believe you, but I don't want to be a burden. Mom said something like this might happen someday. She was always careful on what she told people about us. I just never took it seriously. Seeing what happen today, I'm going to have to keep my eyes and ears open."

"Cassie, you could never be a burden to us. We're in this together. We won't let any harm come to you," Daniel reassured her.

Getting up from the couch, she stood in front of the Colonel. "Uncle Jack? Do you think you could show me some self-defense moves? Or how about you Teal'c? Any Jaffa warrior moves that I can use? I think they could come in handy if someone tries something on me."

Teal'c nodded. "We can start today if you like Cassandra Fraiser. I will show you some basic moves. O'Neill. May we move your couch to have more room available to us?" Teal'c asked

"That sounds like a good idea, Teal'c. General Hammond is sending over some airmen to guard the house out front. I asked for some weapons that we could keep in the house. I want each of us to take shifts keeping watch. We can't let them have the element of surprise. So it's up to us to figure out what their next step is going to be."

We set up a watch schedule and when the airmen arrived, the Colonel assigned them around the house. He also gave each of us a Zat gun.

I was in the kitchen making coffee when a thought came to my mind.
If they wanted to experiment on Cassie, why would they want to shoot her?

I asked Daniel to come into the kitchen and asked him again what had happen.

He said that he had felt Cassie move and then stiffen in his arms right before she screamed.

"What did you do then, Daniel?"

"I pulled her towards me and held her tight, trying to calm her down. You guys came running through the door right after that."

"You pulled her towards you?" I asked him.

"Yeah. What does this have to do with the guy with the gun?"

Walking into the kitchen, Jack spoke up. "Have to do with what, Carter?"

"It's just strange that who ever was out by the tree would want to shoot Cassie. I would think they would want her alive. Sir, what do you think?"

"You have a point Carter. Let's go check the backyard again. Danny, stay with Teal'c and Cassie. We'll be right back."

Walking through the door to the backyard, we walked to the tree and recreated what Cassie had seen. The Colonel stood by the tree and I laid on the lounge chair. Suddenly, something caught his eye. Walking towards me, he went to the chair and pulled out a tranquilizer dart that had embedded itself on the cushion by my head.

"You're right. They weren't trying to kill her; they wanted to sedate her. Come on Carter. We've got our work cut out for us."

Taking the dart from his hand, I said, "I'll take this to the SGC and have Janet analyze…" Stopping in mid-sentence, I looked at him. "Did I just say Janet?"

Looking at me, he nodded. I let out a sigh. He pulled me close to him and held me.

"I can't believe I said that. I guess it's going to be weird for a while. I'll have to remember that she's no longer there to help me with problems like this."

"It's okay, Sam . I was going to say the same thing right before you said it. It's going to take time for us to realize our loss. Why don't we go back to the SGC and see what we could find out about the dart, and if the General has any news for us?"

I nodded in agreement. We walked inside. Telling Teal'c, Daniel and Cassie what we found and where we were going, we left.

On the way to the SGC, I was contemplating what had happen, and found myself wondering what I could do to keep Cassie safe. I turned and looked at Jack. He looked like he was thinking the same thing. We had not said a word since we left the house.

I finally broke the silence. "What would happen if Cassie and I just disappeared? Right after the burial, we could go off somewhere and take up new identities. Maybe go to Canada or Mexico and just vanish. Or better yet off world?"

Jack looked at me in surprise. "No! Get that idea out of your mind right now Sam. It's not fair to you or Cassie to be living on the run like that. It would be worse than staying here and facing these cowards. And I'll be damn if I'm going to let those bastards manipulate our lives. We've given so much to this program and to our country. It's time for some payback. I want you to promise me that you won't run Sam. I know it seems hopeless right now, but put your trust in me. I will find a solution, one way or another."

I didn't answer him. Instead, I just turned and looked out the window. I was lost in my thoughts when the truck stopped. I looked up to see we had arrived at the SGC. I went to get out, but Jack put his hand on my arm.

Looking into his eyes, I could see that he wanted an answer. "Jack, I trust you with my life. I know you will do everything in your power to keep us safe. But I can't promise you anything if I feel that Cassie's life is in danger. If there's no other solution, I will leave. You're more than welcome to come with us since you're apart of this also. You have to remember that I promised Janet to keep her daughter safe, and if it means going on the run for the rest of our lives, then so be it. I'm sorry. I know it's not what you want to hear, but I have to put Cassie's welfare above my happiness. I know I said things earlier that don't really work with this possible scenario, but I know you'll understand if it comes to that.

"No, I don't understand. The Sam Carter I know wouldn't run away; she'd stand beside me and fight. Don't let them win, Sam. Don't let them chase you away from me. Please promise me you'll talk to me before you make any decisions. It's not just your life were talking about. How do you think Cassie would feel, always on the run? It's not the life either of you want to live. I promise you Sam, we will find a solution."

We walked back to the SGC and went first to the lab and asked the technician if he could analyze the dart, and what he could find out about the maker of it. We then went to General Hammond's office and were surprised to see two NID agents with him. I tensed up, but the Colonel acted detached, though secretly keeping a close eye on them.

After the agents left, we went into the office and asked the General what they had wanted.

"It seems we've become popular with the NID again. They were here for a "surprise visit " to see how our day-to-day operations are being performed. I asked them if we could reschedule this for another time since it would interfere with Dr. Fraiser's service, but they wouldn't budge. I have a real bad feeling about this Jack. Have you found anything yet? Do you think I should send more airmen to your house? I was thinking of asking Cassie to stay here until this blows over, but with these agents running around here, I don't think its wise."

"I agree with you, Sir. It would be better if we keep her at my house. She won't be left alone. One of us will always be with her. Any word from the Tok'ra?"

"No, but I've been here most of the afternoon answering redundant questions about SGC policies. I think they were just trying to keep me occupied until they managed to retrieve Cassie' s medical files. It must have been a surprise to them when they came up empty handed. Speaking of medical files, here are yours and Major Carter's. Janet had given them to me to sign off on last week and I hadn't had a chance to give them back. I think it would be wise if you kept these out of sight as well."

I took my file from the General and noticed it was rather large. Every bump, scrape, concussion and anything else that I had ever gotten up to this point working for the SGC was in this file.

"Sirs, I think we should send another message to my father. Colonel, if you asked for "Starsky's" help, then wouldn't he be coming with my father? If the NID sees him strolling down the ramp, they'll shoot and ask questions later."

"Good thinking Major. I'll send a message right away. I wouldn't want to give the NID anymore ammunition to use against us."

The Colonel spoke up. "General Hammond, I'm getting a feeling that we might have a mole working here again. The NID got the news of Janet's death pretty fast. Their sudden surprise inspection and knowing where Cassie was. It's just too much of a coincidence. Permission to go through all new personnel files to see if I can come up with any leads."

"Permission granted Colonel. Major let's go send that message. I wouldn't want to miss your father if he's about to send back a reply."

Walking to the Gateroom, we saw the two agents that had been with the general earlier. They were now talking to the staff. I looked at the general and asked, "What should we do, Sir?"

"Follow my lead, Major," the general said.

"Excuse me," General Hammond said, addressing the agents. "Is there a problem with my staff here in the Control room. I do not remember giving you permission to question them. If you need any answers regarding the Stargate, I suggest you talk to Major Carter. She will be more than happy to answer your questions about how it operates. Major, why don't you escort these to gentlemen down to your lab and show them what you've been working on?"

I smiled. "Of course, Sir. I'll explain the ribbon theory that Daniel and I have been talking to you and the Colonel about. It's quiet fascinating and it will only take me a little while to get them up to speed."

Taking each agent by the arm, I started to throw my techno babble at them, even making up words that I knew didn't really exist just to get them out of the Control room. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the General suppress a smile as he ordered the one of the technicians to dial the Tok'ra.

To be continued.