A/N - Sorry it's taken me so long to update. Real life is a Real Bitch sometimes. I hope you're still enjoying it.
Cassie woke briefly when Sam climbed into bed. Her emotional exhaustion pulled her to return to the reprieve of slumber, but she resisted and managed to mumble, "Sam?" as she felt a warm body spoon against her back and an arm wrap her in the comfort of an embrace.
Sam's voice whispered soft and low in her ear, "Shhh, Honey, go back to sleep. I'm here."
The desire to return to oblivion was strong, but Cassie forced her eyes to open and focus when she felt callused fingers brush hair from her face and stroke gently along her cheek. "Uncle Jack?"
Jack was crouching next to the bed. His heart heavy with sorrow for all the loss Cassie had experienced in her young life. "Yeah, kiddo, I'm here and I'll be here in the morning. Get some sleep."
A faint smile broke across Cassie's face. "Is that an order?" It was a game with them and had been since she'd been adopted by Janet and Jack had given Cassie her dog. Jack was heartened to hear it.
"You betcha. I'll see you in the morning." Jack stroked Cassie's brow once more and leaned to place a soft kiss on her temple. He wanted more than anything to climb into bed and hold them both until morning. Since Cassie's arrival, he'd treated her much like the daughter he'd never had. Her sorrow was his sorrow and the need to help her bear her grief was as strong as his need had been to protect Charlie. Jack let out a soft sigh as he reflected upon how much he'd changed over the years; how he'd been changed by his team and the bonds they shared. He was no longer the husk of a man who'd accepted a suicide mission to Abydos after Charlie's death. Between them, first Daniel and then Sam and Teal'c had guided and sustained him during his slow return from the brink. Jack had regained the capacity to support his family through their own grief and pain, as well as deal with his own.
He made to stand, but Cassie caught his hand before he could move toward the door. Jack turned and Cassie's eyes sought his. "Stay, Uncle Jack. I want you to stay too."
Jack was startled, "Cass . . ." but he trailed off as he saw the almost pleading look Cassie gave him. Her pride was too much like his own to allow her to beg, but he could read her clear enough, even in the dim moonlight. Jack glanced over Cassie's shoulder. Sam nodded almost imperceptibly and Jack's heart leapt with something suspiciously close to muted joy and abiding tenderness.
He looked back down at Cassie and nodded his assent. "I've got to change, kiddo, but I'll be right back, okay?"
Jack left and made a quick job of changing into sweats and an old AF Academy t-shirt before satisfying nature's call and brushing his teeth. Within five minutes he was climbing in behind Sam, spooning into her back as she spooned Cassie and wrapping his arm around them both.
The deep contentment of the needed and the needy spread over the three and sleep claimed them in its healing embrace.
Cassie was the first to awake the next morning. Bright sunshine washed the room, bringing out the rich tones of warm wood. Her first night of restful sleep, without nightmares or tossing and turning had done a world of good. Cassie felt, if not fully refreshed, at least peaceful for the first time since Janet had died.
She slipped quietly from under Sam and Jack's arms to stand beside the bed looking down on the couple. She smiled - a full ear to ear smile that didn't quite change to a smirk. Jack had Sam pulled tight to his chest, his legs followed the curve of hers to tangle somewhere under the blankets. His head was tucked into Sam's neck. Sam had clasped Jack's hand and drawn it to her chest, just under her chin. They looked for all the world as if they'd been sleeping together for years. Cassie'd been waiting for them to wake up and smell the coffee ever since she'd known them. She'd almost despaired the closer to Sam's wedding they'd come. The thought of them finally getting their act together was a bright spot in the dim landscape of her emotional turmoil. Cassie's smile broke to a full-on grin at the sight. She turned and slip out of the room, closing the door behind.
Cassie walked down the hall, fresh from a shower and wearing an extremely large and impossibly loose pair of Jack's sweats, since her bag was in the room with him and Sam and there was just no way she was going to barge in and wake them. She followed her nose and the enticing smell of pancakes, coffee, bacon and eggs, to the kitchen, finding Teal'c in a glaring, garish apron, presiding over the stove.
"Mornin' T. That smells great."
Teal'c inclined his head in acknowledgement of her compliment and intoned, "Good Morning CassandraFraiser. Are you well this morning?"
Cassie was feeling better than she had in so very long. She knew the happiness bubble would burst, but she was going to ride it for as long as possible. So she really couldn't stop herself from nodding back with a solemn, "Indeed," followed by "Nice apron, Big Guy," before bursting into a fit of giggles when Teal'c merely tilted his head and raised his eyebrow in response.
Cassie was still trying to stifle the helpless giggles when Daniel came stumbling down from the loft, bleary eyed and glasses askew, in search of liquid alertness. Teal'c silently poured a rather oversized cup of coffe and placed it in his hands. Daniel dropped down on a chair and chugged half the cup before coming up for air to acknowledged Cassie and Teal'c with a much more focused gaze. "Morning." He paused for another long swig and continued, "Hey Cass, how ya feelin'?"
Cassie considered, there was no point in maintaining a façade and she really didn't want to. "At this moment, I'm okay. I can't say how I'll be in the next few hours or days, but right now, I'm okay, thanks."
Both Daniel and Teal'c nodded and Daniel thought it was a good beginning. Before he could say anything more, Cassie looked around to the hallway leading to the bedrooms, leaned in and with a smirk plastered on her face, asked, "So, how long have they been together?"
Daniel sat, nonplussed for a moment before he glanced at Teal'c. Their silent exchange left it to Daniel to explain, "Ah, well, umm . . ." For a linguist, he was at a stunning loss for words.
Teal'c rolled his eyes. "CassandraFrasier, O'Neill and Colonel Carter began . . . a more intimate relationship shortly after we arrived. That would be -"
Teal'c glanced at Daniel, who had gathered himself as he looked back at Teal'c ". . . a few days." Daniel turned to Cassie, "Yeah . . . a few days."
Cassie's smirk turned again to a grin, her suspicions confirmed and sat back in her chair. "Well it's about damn time."
"About time for what?" Jack entered, hair sticking out at mad angles as he stretched and moved toward the coffee. Cassie noted he made two cups, one black for him, the other with one sugar, as Sam took hers.
Daniel and Teal'c turned to Cassie, matching eyebrows cocked toward their hairline. Teal'c's considerably higher and more arched than Daniel's.
"About time you and Sam got together."
Jack's face was a blank mask as he stared at Cassie, coffee cup halted midway to his lips. "Huh?"
Oh, the dumb act was sooooo not going to work. Not now, not this time. "You heard me, it's about time you and Sam got together."
"Oh." Jack acknowledged the same way he'd done when Sam had told him they weren't Za'tarc's, but they'd lied and he'd need to tell the truth about why he wouldn't leave her on Apophis' ship.
"Oh, what?" Sam came down the hall and took the cup of coffee Jack offered as she came into the kitchen.
"Ah, Cassie, ah . . ." Jack gestured between the two of them, before glancing to Cass and then back to Sam. It was no surprise to anyone that he was at a loss for words.
After years of interpreting the silent communication between them, Jack's hand gestures and the discomfort in the set of his shoulders took only a second to decipher. Sam turned to Cassie, a red stain started under her t-shirt and spread to her hairline. "Yeah, ummm..."
Cassie was smirking and it spread like wildfire to Daniel. Teal'c maintained his dignified air, but his eyes sparkled and the faintest of twitches could be seen at the corner of his mouth.
Cassie's bubble was expanding and, taking on her best imitation of Janet in Doctor Napolionic Power Monger mode, she waited until Jack had taken a sip of coffee before saying "I assume you're using protection?"
A shout of "Cassie!" burst from Sam at the same time as the coffee he'd just drank shot out of Jack's nose. The two looked at each other and then at the remainder of their team before, tension broken, everyone but Teal'c burst into laughter. Teal'c merely maintained his air of pleased geniality.
Sam's complection had gone from flush to beet red. To cover, she reached for a paper towel for Jack's nose as he coughed and choked. His eyes were watering as he wiped coffee off his face, his shirt, the counter and the floor. "Good one, Cass. Good one." He turned to Sam, "So much for waiting to tell her."
"Well, we did all sleep together last night, and she left us there this morning." Sam's answer was pragmatic and she again resisted the urge to tack Sir to the end.
Daniel was still snorting, as much at Jack shooting coffee out his nose as anything. "Ah, Jack," Daniel gestured, "you missed a spot."
Sarcasm dripping, Jack cocked his head and grimaced, "Thanks, Danny, thanks a lot."
Daniel snorted again. The dig was so worth the hated nickname.
Cassie again adopted her best Janet impression, saying in a warning tone, "Boys!" before she got up and gave Jack a hug, who, with is face hidden from Cassie, stuck his tongue out at Daniel.
Sam and Teal'c exchanged a look and rolled their eyes before Teal'c announced "The morning meal is ready for consumption."
Jack smirked as he let Cassie go, "Breakfast is served, T."
"Indeed, O'Neill, I believe that is what I said, was it not?"
Jack hesitated before patting Teal'c's shoulder, "Yep, buddy, that's what you said." He turned and rubbed his hands together, " Let's eat!"