Thank you for the reviews- they were awesome!

(Grin)

Anyways, thanks again... and to WarmTea for beta'ing!

Hope you enjoy it!


Dori found she had awoken what seemed like minutes later. She opened her eyes and saw her dad's laughing eyes above her.

"Up, up!" He ordered. "We leave for work in 10 minutes."

"10 minutes?" She squeaked.

"Yeah, sleepy head... it's 7:00."

She bolted out of bed. "I'll be ready by then."

Å

It was actually more like twenty minutes later when they left- Jack allowing her to cook herself a pop tart. The teen was excited. As much as she liked Cassie, the initial newness had worn off and she had found it... well, boring at times.

As they entered the mountain, Jack handed her a card. "It's your I.D card so don't lose it."

She grinned, feeling very much like a kid in a candy store. "Yes sir."

And she didn't.

The weeks flew by for Dori. Keith had been very fond of his daughter and been extremely protective of her. Something she had complained of a lot. When she lived with Sara, it had been a lot better but her mother had a job and her grandfather was busy.

But Jack... he had time for her.

Even in the middle of a briefing, he would stop if she called for him but still gave her space.

She often sat in on SG-1's briefing and debriefings, listening with fascination at their exciting adventures. She saw the wistful gleam in her father's eyes and pitied him. It was hard on his to have a desk job after all he had done.

Carter gradually spent more time with them, at first just helping Dori with her homework the few times Jack was really busy, and then moving to her being invited over for dinners Friday's. Saturday day outings followed and then all weekend camping trips as the month turned to February.

Å

Dori was desperate. It was the last day of January and Sam and Jack still hadn't declared their feelings for each other.

Movies were so misleading.

She called the one person she knew could help her...

Cassie.

Å

Cassandra Frasier looked at her friend. "What is it you want me to do?"

"Help me get Jack to tell Sam he loves her."

The adult-nearly-a-woman's eyes sparkled. "Okay!"

Dori pulled the car door opened and plopped onto the passenger seat. "I'm in massive trouble. What can we do?"

Cassie shrugged. "First I need to take this to Uncle T. He left it at our house so I thought I'd bring it back."

Dori looked with surprise at the syringes in the box. "What is it?"

"Tretonin."

"What's that?"

Cassie hesitated. "What do you know about Teal'c?"

Dori bit her lip. "I know he's an alien."

"This is what he takes," She explained. "He was a Jaffa." Dori looked puzzled so Cassandra just shrugged. "Ask your dad."

Dori nodded. "Do you know there is another alien on Earth?" She asked. "Dad says he or she has to tell me their self. Do you know the
person?"

"You could say."

The non-committal answer made Dori sighed. "I was just curious. Don't aliens have antennas on their heads or three hands?"

Cassie burst into laughter. Dori frowned. "What's so funny?"

"You!" Cassie giggled. "Antennas."

"Does this person look normal?" Dori questioned.

"Yes!"

"You know this person well?"

"I suppose."

"Is it female?" Asked Dori.

"Oh yeah."

"A freak?"

"I should say not!" Cassie said indignantly.

"Smart?"

"Brilliant."

"Ugly?"

"No. Beautiful actually."

"For an alien." Dori supplied.

Cassie bristled then realized the teen really didn't know. "More then any old human."

"Nice?"

"Of course!"

Dori thought for a minute. "How old?"

Cassie considered. "Under 20."

Dorothy sighed. "It must have been weird, meeting her I mean. I can't imagine 'hanging out' with one."

The 'teenager' choked. "You get along with Teal'c just fine!"

"I know, but dad said he had a snake in him.I mean, if aliens have snakes in them- and they can be bad, Jack said so- what if-"

Cassie, most impolitely in Dori's opinion, burst out laughing again. She waited haughtily until she was done laughing before saying coldly. "What is it now?"

"It's just that you know this girl."

Dori stared at Cassie before understand dawned on her. "You're the alien girl!"

"Guilty as charged," Cassie hesitated. She had grown to really like Jack's young 'daughter' and would hate to see a break in their friendship. "It's like… okay, right?"

Dori pretended to consider. "Well… I don't know." To be honest, Dori was a little weirded out. To think her best friend was an alien.

Cassandra braked the car suddenly. "We aren't moving until you say 'yes'."

Dori looked appalled. "It's green!"

"No one is here," Cassie said reasonably.

She was right- the intersection was completely empty.

"Cass! Move!"

"Nope."

Dori looked annoyed for a moment then laughed. "Friends… now can we move?"

Cassie nodded. "Okay… now, we just got to figure out how to get Jack to do something to Sam. in two weeks."

"Yeah." Dori was quiet for a moment before asking, "Do you have any super powers?"

---

Jack looked up as his daughter barreled into his office and slammed the door closed. He raised an eye. Her red blouse was unbuttoned to what Jack thought was indecent and the bottom of her dark jeans were soaked. "What have you been doing?"

Dori looked down at herself and buttoned a button. "Nothin'. Just hangin' out with Cassie." She perched herself on his desk. "Is Sam going out with Pete again?"

A look of utter surprise and shock and hurt flew across his face before he put on his military façade. "Why would you say that?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Dunno… she wouldn't go home with us last week, Cass was talking to her about it- said something about emotions- She's been so busy… oh, and she was telling Siler that she was thinking about taking the two month job in the Alpha site… whatever that is."

Jack stared at her. "How do you know all this?"

She gave him a sweet smile. "So, you don't know whether she's going out with Pete?"

The General was too busy thinking to notice the cunning look of his daughter's face. "Uh, no, I don't know." He mumbled. "Uh, maybe… I…"

He tugged at uniform. "Is it hot in here?"

Dori shrugged. "Maybe, anyways, too bad you don't know. Cassie and I wanted to go shopping for a present! Well, see ya!"'

She slipped out the door and gave Cassie the thumbs up. Cassie spun on her heels and hurried down the stairs to Sam's lab.

--

"Aunt Sam!"

Carter lifted her eyes from her laptop as her 'niece' flew in. "Hey!" She greeted. "How've you been?"

"Awesome!" She exclaimed.

Sam looked at her. "Why so cheerful?"

Cassie shrugged. "Don't know… missed ya, I guess."

"I saw you three days ago."

"So?"

Carter smiled. "Well, it's good to see you. How's school?"

Cassie gave her a disgusted glance. "School… god, did you have to mention it?"

"Sorry," she 'apologized'. "Dominic?"

"He's fine, half the school is hanging over him."

The Colonel raised an eyebrow. "Dominic?" While the boy hadn't been unattractive, she couldn't imagine the female population of Colorado Springs High School in love with him.

"Yeah, Dom, god Sam, what do I do? I keep scre-"

"Watch your language young lady," Janet ordered entering the room, a salad in her hand. "Sam?"

"Mom, if you call that language, you should-"

Janet ignored her daughter and produced a bottle of water. Carter gratefully accepted both.

"So, what's going on?" The doctor asked curiously.

"Cass has competition," Sam said sympathetically. "Dominic."

Janet stared at her daughter. The teen stared back, a meaningful look in her eyes.

"Uh, yeah," Janet said between her teeth. 'What's going on?' She mouthed.

Cassie signed the word 'Jack' to her mother. The doctor raised an eyebrow but gave a slight nod, assurance she wouldn't say anything to hinder her young daughter's plan.

"Anyways," Janet said briskly. "I have to get back to the infirmary- Siler broke his wrist…gotta check on it. See you Sam… behave Cassie."

Cassandra blew a kiss after her mother then rolled her eyes once she was safely out of sight. "She is such a worry wart."

Sam nodded, once again reading whatever she had been perusing before she had entered.

"Sam, are you really going to take command at the Alpha Site?"

Carter's head snapped up. "Who said that?"

"I… heard it from someone."

"Who?"

"Dori."

"Dorothy?"

"Yeah… I think Jack told her, or she told him, something like that."

"Really?"

"Yah…"

She slumped against her seat. "Does the whole base know?"

"Well, the rumors spreading. I'll bet ya five bucks by nightfall, even the Airmen outdoors know."

"Great!" Carter hissed. "General O'Neill, you say he knows?"

"Yep."

"And I hadn't even talked it over with him," She mused.

"Yeah, that is the common curtsey Carter, talking to one's CO before transferring."

Cassie cringed. "Hi Jack."

Sam was on her feet. "General."

He ignored Cassie. "You weren't going to tell me?"

"I was," She said defensively.

"When?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"I had just finished talking with General Hammond," she mumbled. "As soon as I got the go-ahead."

"I am your commanding officer and I had to find out from Dorothy!"

"You did?"

"The entire base knows Carter! You never said a word to me! Ever! Even the guy who scrubs the ceilings every two months knows!"

"Oh."

He glared at her. "Oh? That's all you can say? Oh?"

"General, what is the problem? Once I had received conformation that I would be suitable for the job, I would inform you immediately."

Cassie decided it would be a good time depart as his face was now beet red.

Jack knew he was acting irrationally but he was pissed. "Carter… never could have mentioned it through out the past month that you were thinking about leaving Earth?"

"For TWO months sir! I didn't see a problem! If you need me, I'm only a gate away!"

She was trembling with rage. He didn't own her. That kiss seemed to be a distant memory. Since then, they had spent a lot of time together but nothing seemed like it would ever change.

She had decided a few weeks away would do her good then General Hammond had offered her post- provided she got permission from both the President and her Commanding Officer.

Permission it didn't seem like he was going to give.

Jack's shoulders sagged. "If I need you Carter… do you know how much I need you?"

She stared at him. "Sir?"

"Damn it Carter! Don't you know what I –" He turned away and stalked towards the doors. She closed her eyes then heard a 'thud'. She opened them and saw her CO striding towards her. A second later, he was cradling her face… and then he kissed her.

It seemed to go on forever… they were drifting far away…

Å

Dori and Cassie, in the security room, watching the footage exchanged smiles, Dori's rather forced.

For the past month she had been working towards this goal and now that it appeared it had happened she felt… jealous.

She knew Jack would always love her but the familiar feeling of wanting it to only be Jack and herself came back full force. Cassie saw the struggle on her face and squeezed her shoulder.

"Dori. I promise, Jack will only love you more for this."

"He better, I bribed General Hammond's secretary to tell me that information. I still owe her fifty bucks!"

Å

Carter was the first to pull away. "Sir," she said breathlessly. "We can't be doing this."

Jack stared at her, longing on his face. "Let's screw-"

"We can't sir," she said firmly. Taking a deep breath, she began, "Sir… I can't 'leave it in the room' anymore… I'll do whatever, retire, leave her if I have too… but I need to know."

Jack swallowed hard. "It's come to that, eh?"

She nodded.

"Oy," he said softly. "Well… it looks like it's time for me to send my ol' resignation letter in."

She looked at him, an incredulous glance on her face. "R-resign?"

"Yeah… never liked the desk job anyways."

"But why-?" She began. "Why did you?"

He gave her a pointed glance, which made her blush.

"Is this a proposal?" She asked.

He knelt. "Carter-"

"WE HAVE INCOMING TRAVELERS, IRIS IS NOT RESPONDING TO CONTROLS! ALL PERSONNEL TO THE EMARKATION ROOM PLEASE, REPEAT ALL PERSONNEL!"

"That's Walter!" Carter examined. "What's happening?"

"I don't know… let's go find out!"


Ooooh... wanna know what happens?

The next chapter is nearly complete so..

Please, please review?