Sorry it took such a long time to update. And thank you all for the nice reviews. Those are much appreciated. -Lia

-----------

General Hammond

-----------

She had come to see him right after the little girl had been brought back to base. One look to her face and he had known what she wanted, but he still asked her to sit down, to wait until he could finish his phone call.

It hadn´t been an easy decision for him to make when he had ordered the girl to be taken down in the abandoned nuclear facility and left alone in the darkness. Both Doctor Frasier and Captain Carter had objected, but it was a decision that had been made.

Captain Carter had disobeyed the orders and stayed with the little girl, earning a lecture from the colonel after they had returned back to base and left Cassandra in the infirmary once again. The three of them had left the infirmary after the little girl had fallen asleep, tucked tightly under warm blankets.

Both Janet and Sam walked in silence, only glancing at each other before separating. Jack offered Janet reassuring smile before following Carter into the locker rooms.

The locker room was empty, and he closed the door after him. He waited for a moment, wanted her to say something. "Sir..." She started, her voice tired after a long day.

"Damn it Carter." He interrupted. "I could have lost y... You could have died down there."

She nodded. He tucked his hands deep in his pockets and sighed, he was tired too. And the airman standing in the doorway let the door close quietly after him. He did not want to interrupt.

In the general´s office, Janet Frasier sat waiting for him to end his call. She ran a hand over her skirt, straightening the dark fabric. She held back a grimace as she thought about her hair she hadn´t had the time to fix. And she knew she looked tired, exhausted.

She sighed quietly.

"How is she, doctor?" Hammond asked when he placed the phone down. "I assume Captain Carter is with her now."

"No, sir. Doctor Jackson is there. Captain Carter... she´s with Colonel O´Neill."

"I see." The old general said and leaned back in his chair. Of course she would be with him.

"Sir." She started. "I want to adopt her."

"Captain Carter?" Hammond asked his eyes twinkling.

"No, sir." Janet chuckled and relaxed a little like he had expected her to do. "Cassie. I want to adopt Cassandra."

He didn´t say anything, letting her to speak, convince him that she was capable and willing to do that. That this was what she wanted. It wasn´t something she just decided, but something had just happened when she had attended the young child. She had been ready to fight for the girl, like a mother would fight for her child.

"I can´t promise anything." He said gently. "But I´ll do my best."

She looked surprised. "I... um, I... Thank you, sir." She said.

He nodded his head, and she stood up. "Thank you, general." She said again before leaving the room and returning back to the infirmary where Daniel Jackson sat next to the sleeping girl.

And some weeks later, when he had called the doctor in to his office to sign the official adoption paper, the look on her face proved he had made a right decision. And now, Cassandra had become legally a part of their big family.

Daniel Jackson had soon taken a role of a father, probably not even realizing it. The rest of them were aunts and uncles to the little girl who now proudly called Janet her mother.

But when Tok´ra Jolinar had possessed Carter, and threatened to kill her, Cassie had been afraid of the woman she had trusted from the beginning, it wasn´t her mother, or Daniel she had turned to. Only Jack O´Neill had been the one she had trusted enough. He had been the only one she had known who would save Sam.

Years had passed and she had soon turned fifteen. She was no longer a little girl who liked to sit on their laps, asking them to tell stories and play with her. She was now a teenager who sighed and frowned at them and dated boys, much to their annoyance.

Then she had fallen sick. And her mother had fought for her like no one else had. And after a long battle, she had won the fight and got better.

Hammond hadn´t been surprised to find out that Doctor Frasier and Daniel Jackson were dating. He knew probably everything that happened in his base.

Not even "We´re getting married" coming from Daniel in the middle of the briefing didn´t surprise him. He hadn´t known that, but he was expecting it. He had watched in silence as the rest of the team had congratulate him, Major Carter hugging him tight, whispering something that made him smile in his ear, colonel O´Neill and Teal´c both smiling, but giving him a pat on his back and more manly hug.

And then, without a warning, Janet had lost her life in the middle of the battle field, saving one life, and dying herself in the arms of Daniel who had loved her more than his life itself.

It just hadn´t been fair. Daniel´s life had been crushed cruelly, every dream and all their hopes they had had for the future now gone with her.

General had been in the infirmary, offering the last tribute to the woman who had been a part of the family. To the doctor who had saved the lives of the man and woman of the base so many times. And to the mother, whose daughter was now being brought to the base.

"We´ll take care of her." He promised quietly, fighting against the sorrow he felt.

Cassie was sitting in her own room, Major Carter next to her, offering her comfort and love. He nodded to the major who looked back at him, her eyes filled with unshed tears. She left the room to see O´Neill, to be with him because he was everything to her, everything she had.

Yes, he knew that. Had known for the longest time. It was obvious, no matter how hard they tried to fight against it. "You can´t fight against love," his wife had said once when she had watched them one warm night at their backyard where they stood barbequing.

But they owed their existence to so much. The air force did, the United States of America did, hell, the whole word owed them everything. It was only a small part of what they owed them to let them be together.

Cassie smiled sadly at Davis who had only come to offer her his regrets, even knowing it would not help her with her pain. Hammond sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

She started to cry. Heart breaking sobs shook her whole body and she clung to him, like there was no tomorrow. "Why?" She repeated over and over again. "Why her?"

He had no answer to her.

"Where´s dad?" She asked a little later when she was no longer crying and tears had dried on her cheeks.

"He´s fine, Cassie. Don´t worry about him." Hammond replied, knowing his words that were meant for comfort were lies because he did not know where Daniel Jackson was.

He felt her nodding her head against his chest. "Can I see her?" She asked with a small voice.

"Of course." He promised smoothing her long silky hair. "But first I want you to rest for a while, okay?"

She nodded again. She was too tired to argue back.

He helped her to lie down on the bed and pulled a shawl over her. She closed her eyes and a few fresh tears escaped from her closed lids. "I want her back." She whispered sadly. He sat next to her in silence, smoothing her hair until her breathing changed, became even, and she fell in a deep sleep.

He took her home later that night, after she had seen her mother. Daniel Jackson was too distracted, too lost to take care of her that moment. Colonel, even awake now, was still lying in the infirmary and Major Carter, too worried over Jack and too lost over death of her best friend.

His wife was waiting them by the door and she took Cassie under her care as soon as they arrived. She didn´t force her to eat, or talk, just sat with her, offering her what she needed; closeness.

The memorial service was placed a few days later, and his eyes followed worriedly where ever Cassie went. And he saw Jack walking to Carter´s side, his hand finding hers.

-----------

Now, months later, sun was shining bright even it was still early when he left his house. He leaned to kiss his wife on the cheek and she looked up to him, reaching to take his hand. "Tell him we love him." She said softly.

He arrived at the base, nodding his head to his staff who silently frowned at the almost sad look on his face. He walked in his office and closed the door after him. He had some time before the first meeting of the day.

Glancing around his office which he had occupied several years, he saw the framed pictures on the walls where he stood with the most important people of this world, and some others. On his desk were a picture of his wife and a few pictures of his children and granddaughters.

And next to those pictures, was a picture of young Cassandra Frasier. The girl who had come into their life some years ago and now had a special place in the old general´s heart.

He glanced at his wrist watch. SG-1 was probably waiting him in the briefing room. Major Carter and Teal´c at least. He suspected that Colonel O´Neill was picking up Daniel, like he had done so many times before.

Standing up his eyes settled on the calendar that was opened on his desk, the date was circled. No writing had been needed. It would have been hard to forget, he had thought. He had thought there would have been lots of talking and all those things women did before their wedding day. It should have all happen there in the base, to drive the men crazy.

But it never happened. Not to Daniel and Janet.

This was the day that would have been their wedding day.

-----------

If you have the time, please review. One more chapter to come...