- Disclaimer see Chapter 1.
- Thanks for all of the reviews, and all of the hits these later chapters are receiving.
- Now on with the show:
Chapter 6
Twenty minutes and several curse words later, the two patients were settled in their new room and ready for their visitors.
Stepping outside of the infirmary doors, Sarah motioned to her husband and the young teen. The older nurse had decided that before she let the young girl see her moms that she needed to try to prepare her somehow. Taking Cassie in her arms, she gave her a reassuring hug. "Cassie, honey, you hanging in there?"
If felt good to be hugged in her Aunt's arms even if it wasn't as good as one of her moms. She returned the hug, as she continued to struggle to be very brave.
At 2 am, she and a half dozen other young teens at the Morrisons' house had just stretched out on their sleeping bags as Janice popped the last movie that they had rented into the DVD player, when the doorbell began to ring… and ring… and ring once again.
Years earlier when the Morrisons had agreed to let Janice begin having sleepovers, one of the rules that they insisted on was that none of the teens were allowed to answer any of the doors after dark. Instead, they were to wait for Fran or Paul to come down and answer it. And if for some reason they didn't hear the unexpected visitor knocking then one of them was to come wake them up.
After a few minutes, the bath-robed clad couple came down the stairs to answer the door. Of course all of the teens were now wide awake. Impatiently and fearfully the teens waited to find out who was there. They all knew if someone was coming to the door this late, it could only mean one thing: trouble. The last time someone had showed up at the Morrison's door unexpectedly it was Molly Peterson's father. Her beloved grandfather had died suddenly from a stroke and he had come to get her.
The wait was over when a concerned Fran appeared in the doorway and called to Cassie.
A feeling of dread flooded her entire being as she stood. Janice quickly followed her, and Cassie was so grateful to have her best friend with her. She felt sick to her stomach when she saw an uncomfortable Daniel and Vala sitting at the kitchen table.
Hesitantly, she walked over to them. "Uncle Daniel, what's happened to Sam?" Out of her two parents, it was the blonde scientist/soldier who the one always getting hurt one way or the other.
Standing, Daniel pulled her to him for a quick hug before gently pushing her down into his vacated seat. After kneeling beside of her he began to explain. "Cassie, Sam wanted me to tell you that they are okay; that Sam and your mom are so proud of her; and that you are very brave."
As Daniel was speaking, Fran Morrison moved closer and squeezed the young girl's shoulder in reassurance for she cared very deeply about her daughter's friend. Over the years, she and her husband had come to realize that both Dr. Fraiser and Colonel Carter had very dangerous jobs, for this was not the first time someone from the base had come to their home to tell Cassie one or the other had been injured.
Now, Cassie was really scared. First, he said both were okay, and then she was told to be very brave. That always meant they were hurt, they were in the infirmary, and they wouldn't be coming home anytime soon. After swallowing against the bile rising in her throat, she bit her cheek as she asked, "Uncle Daniel, what happened? Mom was at home when I left, and Sam's email said she would be home this evening… it would be late but she would be home tonight after she fixed one of the computers."
The archeologist struggled with his own feelings as he tried to "be very brave" as well. It was really tearing him up after seeing those that he considered to be his family in so much pain.
Before he could speak, Vala slid out of her chair and joined him kneeling on the floor. She considered Sam and Janet to be good friends but not family like Daniel and Teal'c did. Seeing him struggling so, she decided to step in. "Cassie, you are right. Your mom and Sam were both home, and there was a burglar, but he didn't realize they were there. Sam and your mom fought him off, but ended up with a few bruises. Your Uncle Jack insisted they be taken back to the base to be checked out. Sam and your Mom sent Daniel and me to come tell you that they were okay before you tried to call home and have some stranger answer the phone. Okay?"
On the ride over she and Daniel had discussed what to tell Cassie, especially when people who didn't have a security level to know more then the minimum would be listening to their explanation. For once, Daniel hadn't talked down to her, nor had he tried to give her some silly order like to not speak at all. Vala thought that Daniel was finally starting to accept that she did really did care for his friends – and now her friends - and their feelings.
The story she told Cassie was the simple one they'd come up with. To be honest that is all they really knew at this point anyway: an asshole broke into the house; first Janet and then Sam fought back; and the asshole was finally stopped. The only things they didn't tell her were that the asshole was known to all of them, and that the same asshole was dead… not major things that needed to be shared at this time, or in this household. Besides, if the General wasn't able keep a lid on this situation, a tawdry version of what happened in the Carter-Fraiser household would probably be hitting the airways and the internet soon enough. So, they decided not to add to it.
Although many of the people on the base had a problem accepting her - deep down inside she could understand their reasons especially after the stunt she pulled on the Prometheus - Cassie had always been friendly to Vala… after she set the ground rules that is. She had told the dark-haired, flirty, alien woman that if she ever hurt her family again, she Vala wouldn't have to worry about what the Air Force might do to her. She had better worry about what she Cassie would do because she was alien too, and could be very sneaky when she needed to be. The young teen had expected Vala to laugh at her, but instead Vala had nodded seriously, held out her hand to shake on it, and said that she understood completely.
Cassie intensely stared first at her upset uncle, and then at Vala. She could tell that the story Vala gave her was a whitewashed one, but she also knew she would have to wait until they got in the car to get the rest of the story. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "Give me five minutes, and I'll be ready."
"Cassie, are you sure?" Fran asked in concern. It was just a feeling she had, but the schoolteacher was very good at reading emotional people and volatile situation, and in this particular situation and with these specific people she was very sure that these friends of Sam and Janet weren't telling them everything. For that reason she wasn't sure if this young child needed to be dumped in the middle of it… whatever "it" might be.
The young teen nodded vigorously. "Yes, Ma'am. I'll feel better once I have seen them for my myself. Besides, until they know what the burglar was really after, I'm sure Uncle Jack will want me to be where he can keep an eye on me as well." Besides, no one was going to keep her from seeing her parents… no one, Cassie thought to herself.
Paul Morrison stepped forward and hugged his wife and daughter back against his chest. Having worked for the military for many years, he recognized from the cover stories that were given, the questions that were always sidestepped, and the stories about Colonel Carter's intellect that still floated around the Academy that both women had to be involved with some highly classified projects. The burglar could have been just that a smash and grab type burglar, or it could have been someone after something else entirely and very classified. If General O'Neill was involved, then it probably wasn't a "simple" burglary. But he also knew his wife and her legendary "momma bear" mode, which she displayed whenever she felt one of her "kids" were threatened. He knew he had to step in and reassure her before it became a real struggle to get Cassie and her friends out to the house any time soon.
He released her and stepped around to where he could make eye contact with his wife. "Hon, I agree with Cassie. You know she won't feel better until she sees them for herself." At first it looked like his wife was going to protest but then she sighed and nodded her agreement.
Turning to the young girl, he encouraged, "Go on, honey, and get dressed." Turning to his daughter, he added, "Janice, you go with her. You can help Cassie get her things together and make sure that she doesn't forget anything important."
"Sure, Dad." Janice hugged her friend close, before they left the room and went upstairs.
Seeing the other young teens peeking out of the living room, he told them, "Girls, Cassie's moms were hurt when someone broke into their home, but they're going to be okay. Cassie is going to see them so she can be sure of that for herself. Go on back into the living room, and try to get some sleep. Janice will back down in a few minutes." When he saw none of them moving, he added, more firmly, "Go on now." Finally, they complied.
Cassie was pulled back to the present when her Aunt Sarah began to speak again.
"Cassie honey, they are going to be okay, I promise."
Looking first at her uncle and then aunt she asked, "Now that we're here on the base and we're all safe, will someone please tell me what went wrong. Daniel and Vala both told me to ask you." Before her uncle could interrupt, she continued speaking. "I am almost 16, Uncle Jack, and I have a right to know at least some of the details." She back away from the two adults, and crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at them.
Jack looked at Sarah, and she looked back at him and shrugged. Rubbing his hand over his face, he had to agree that the little girl from Hanka was growing up and acting more like her mom every day… even if he didn't like it. When his glare didn't seem to intimated her like it did so many Airmen twice her age, he began to speak. "To be honest, Cassie, we are not really sure of all the details. Dr. Franklin had been running a few tests…"
"Which have all come back fairly okay," Sarah interjected.
"That's right. Dr. Franklin told us the same thing," Jack agreed. "Anyway, Major Thompson and SG-15 are at the house checking everything out, and from what we have been able to piece together, a man…?"
Cassie interrupted and asked, "Do you know who it was? Is it someone from here on the base? Do I know him, Uncle Jack?" These were the questions that she most wanted the answers to. Could it have been someone that they knew and trusted that had hurt her moms?
O'Neill could see his niece was getting more and more agitated with each passing moment, and knew he had to try to reassure her. "Cass, did Sam tell you why she and Mark aren't talking any more?"
The young teen wondered, Where was Uncle Jack going with this? What did Uncle Mark have to do with this? "Yeah, she was pissed because Uncle Mark kept trying to break her and Mom up. Right before their wedding he sicced another one of his lame cop friends on Sam. That's just so not cool. Sam called and told him so. Man, he was pissed. I could even hear him yelling over the phone."
"Right… well, it was that lame cop friend, a Pete Shanahan," he told her. "He bypassed the alarm on the window in the den, snuck up on your mom, and knocked her out. When Sam got home, he knocked her out, too. He tied them up, but before he could really hurt them, Sam escaped and took him out."
Cassie scrunched her forehead in thought before saying, "So you're saying she had to kill him?"
This was not the first time that he knew this kid was too smart for her own good. He nodded.
"Good," she said angrily and added a vigorous nod.
"Honey, I know Dr. Franklin gave you the medical explanation of their injuries. What that means is that they fought back and fought back hard. So, they are bruised and banged up pretty good, but give it a few weeks and they'll be as good as new. Until then you are going to have to hug them carefully, understand?" Sarah reached out and ruffled Cassie bangs, and the young teen smiled at the gesture for her aunt was always doing that.
"Well, I've had to give Sam enough gentle hugs in the past so it's all good," Cassie said with a laugh. Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, she gabbed her uncle's arm and said, "Well, General, ready to forge into the breach?"
Nodding smartly, Jack tucked her hand into the bend of his elbow, bowed deeply and ordered, "Lead on, milady, lead on."
Before Sarah could follow, one of the other nurse's called out to her. "Go on. I'll be there in a few minutes."
Entering the darkened room, Cassie thought she was prepared for what she was about to see but she had been wrong… very wrong. Over the years with her new family, the young teen had become use to seeing Sam, Jack, Daniel, and even Teal'c bruised and battered but not her mom. As a matter of fact, she couldn't remember her mom ever looking so banged up. When she suddenly stopped walking her uncle almost pulled off her feet. When he looked back at her, Cassie saw the unspoken question and deep concern reflected on his face. Nodding that she was okay, he stepped back to her side, draped his arm around her shoulders, and gave her a gentle squeeze of encouragement.
After stepping close to the both of both of their beds, she took a closer look. Her mom's face was very bruised and swollen. Her wrists were wrapped with gauze. Sam's face was red and swollen especially on the right side. Their beds had been pushed together and the middle rails had been lowered. Her parents were lying on their sides facing each other and were holding hands as they slept. She hated to do it but she really needed to hear their voices. Moving over to her mom, she gently shook her shoulder, while calling softly, "Mom?"
Slowly, Janet rolled onto her back as she forced opened swollen her eyes. Smiling slightly, she greeted her daughter. "Hey, baby. You doing okay?" She reached out for her hand. Taking it in hers, Janet squeezed it reassuringly.
"I'm okay, Mommy," Cassie said in a very soft voice that was clogged with emotion. Now, that she could see her moms, it was getting harder to keep her tears under control. "You doing okay?"
"I'm okay… really," she added when she saw the skepticism in her daughter's eyes. While maintaining eye contact with her daughter, Janet tried to see how Cassie was really doing. From her assessment of her young daughter, she could see that her daughter was struggling to remain brave for them. A lone tear escaped Cassie's control and rolled down her cheek. It was quickly wiped away as Cassie fought for control. Once again, Janet gave her hand a squeeze.
In the meantime, Janet was once again struggling with her own tears, but this time they were happy ones. No one but possibly Sam could possibly understand how glad she was that Cassie had been staying at Paul and Fran's. "Were okay, Cassie really we are? It's just a few bruises and they'll heal in a little while." When Cassie still didn't say anything she asked, "Did you get any sleep?"
Unsure if she would be able to keep her tears at bay if she spoke again, Cassie shook her head as she bit her lip instead.
Seeing the fragility of her daughter really made Janet's heart ache. Making a decision that she would never let one of her patients get away with, but what the hell, she looked up at the General and asked, "Sir, could you let the rail down for Cassie?"
Realizing what his CMO and friend was suggesting, O'Neill frowned in disapproval. He looked around and saw that they were alone for the moment. The rest of the staff must have decided to give them some privacy. Looking back at Janet and seeing the pleading look she was giving him, O'Neill found that he just couldn't say "no". Sighing, he lowered the rail after saying, "You're taking the heat for this, Doc. My wife is going to kill me."
She nodded her acceptance and understanding.
At first Cassie was scared. "Are you sure, Mom?" The last thing she wanted to do was to cause her mom or Sam any more pain.
Reading the uncertainty on her daughter's face, Janet nodded. "Right now, Dweetie, the best medicine for me is to have all of my family right here and within arms' reach." She glanced over and saw that Sam was still sleeping before adding, "Just take it easy and we can snuggle under the blankets together."
When her mom turned her puppy dog eyes towards her, Cassie knew she couldn't resist… just like her uncle. Sighing, she said, "Okay… as long as Dr. Al says it's okay. But if I lay down with you guys it will be for the long haul and not for a few minutes. I'm just too tired." And to prove her words, she yawned widely. After seeing her mom nod her agreement, she told her, "Okay, I'll go change into some of Sam's sweats, and be right back."
"This is my infirmary, and if I say it is okay then it is okay," Janet groused.
"That's not what Dr. Franklin told us a little while ago," O'Neill teased.
"Did I just hear someone say my name," came through the doorway ahead of the young doctor.
"Hey, Dr. Al," Cassie said before she walked over and gave her a tight hug. "Listen, Mom was wondering," and she stressed "Mom", "if it would be alright if I lay down with her and Sam for a little while."
The young doctor looked at her boss incredulously. She could not believe what she was hearing. "Boss…"
After a moment of debate as to how to explain her request, Janet turned her gaze to her colleague and friend. "As I told Cassie, the best medicine for me right now is to have all of my family right here and within arms' reach. I really need this, Al." She even sent her her best puppy dog look as well.
Sighing, Althea nodded her consent. How could she say "no" to that look? "As long as it doesn't cause you any distress… and only for a little while," she stated firmly. Pointing to the other side of the room, she added, "There is a perfectly good cot right over there for her, boss."
To be honest, Cassie needed to snuggle with her parents as much as her parents needed to snuggle with her. She just didn't expect to get to do it this soon. Interrupting the fight that seemed to be brewing between the two doctors, she said, "Okay. I'm going to go change into something I can sleep in and I'll be right back." Cassie walked back to her mom's side and leaned over to kiss her forehead, before she whispered into her ear, "I love you, Mom."
"Love you, too, baby," Janet whispered back.
"Cassie, why don't you send the rest of SG-1 in so they can visit while you are gone, and then when you get back, everyone can leave," Althea called after her.
"Yeahsureyoubetcha, Dr. Al," the teen told her before she walked away.
After being sure that Cassie had truly left, Althea turned back to her patient. "Seriously, Janet, are you sure about this? She is going to shake that bed a lot before she gets settled." However, the look of emotional pain on her boss' face nearly broke her heart and caused all of her fight to fizzle.
Take a few deep breaths to get her surfacing emotions under control before speaking, Janet forced her eyes open once again. "Any other night and Cassie would have been there… in that house. Every time I doze off, and start to dream, Cassie is there, and he begins... let's just say I've had to stop myself several from screaming as I jerk awake." Meeting both of their gazes, she told them, "I need Cassie here so that I will know for sure that she is alright. I will take all the pain medication that I have to so that we can make this happen, okay!"
"I second that." A quiet voice came from the other side of the bed.
Janet turned her head to look over at her wife. "Did we wake you, Sammy?" Slowly and carefully, she reached out and stroked her wife's face.
"Not really," she said after yawning. "I heard Cassie. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't imagining it."
"No, Sammy, you didn't. She went to steal a pair of your sweats from our quarters, and then she's going to lay down with us. Is that okay with you?" From the way Sam was grimacing, Janet could tell that her wife was really feeling the effects of not only her concussion but all of her bruises as well. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. The last thing she wanted to do was to add to Sam's pain.
Sam barely opened her eyes to look at her wife. "Of course she can, Jan. Right this moment, I wouldn't want her any other place… even if it's a cot right here over there." Looking over Janet's shoulder she could just make out the General. "Sir."
"Hey, Carter. Hanging in there?" From the pained look on her face Jack could tell that his friend was feeling pretty rough. He really hated to see the people he cared about hurting so much. Once again, he wished that bastard was still alive so he could kill him his way: really slow and as painful as possible.
"Yes, Sir." Glancing towards the door, Sam noticed the rest of her teammates. From what she could see, they were all looking as tired and stress as she was feeling. "Hey, guys," she whispered.
At her acknowledgement, the members of SG-1 moved closer with Teal'c and Mitchell moving to stand near General O'Neill at the foot of the beds, and Daniel and Vala moved stand near Sam's side of the beds.
"Hey, Sam," "Colonel Carter," "Hey, Carter," "Hello, Samantha," "Dr. Fraiser", "Janet" came in response.
Even though both of them had been cleaned up and looked to be a whole lot more comfortable, it just made their bruises even more pronounced… and was something that fueled each of their rage towards Shanahan and the damage he had inflicted. It was easily seen in their eyes and in their stance.
Sam hated seeing her friends so upset and wished there was some way she could ease their pain… but between the drugs and the concussion she wasn't thinking too clearly.
"Feeling any better, Samantha?" Vala finally broke the uncomfortable silence that had fallen. All the silence and uncomfortable looks was made her nervous. In the past, Vala had seen Sam look a lot worse, but never had she seen the petite doctor look so… damaged. She couldn't understand why she felt worse for Janet than Sam but she really did.
From the very beginning, the redhead had always been able to see through all of her bullshit, but was never harsh when she called her on it… unlike some of the other people at the SGC. Any time she was hurt – be it physically or emotionally - Dr. Fraiser had always been there with a kind word or a shoulder to cry on… something she could never allow herself to do with any of her teammates. And now it was time for her to try and repay that debt… if the private woman would let her.
Over the years, Sam had been in her friend's shoes as she worried about whichever one of them was lying in a infirmary bed after being injured for one reason or another. Therefore, she decided the very least she could do was ease their mind about herself. "I'm fine," Sam tried to say with a straight face but a grimace overwhelmed her will to back up that statement with a smile. At this point even her hair hurt… but no one needed to know that. If she felt this way she couldn't imagine how bad Janet must be feeling.
"Yeah, right!" Came the sarcastic response from the other side of the bed.
"Hey quiet. No comments from the peanut gallery," the blonde ordered as she slowly turned her gaze to her fellow inmate… she meant patient.
The others chuckled and it seemed to relieve some to the tension. Janet just slightly smirked… any more would have been painful.
"Glad to see some things never change," Daniel added at Janet's response. "So, Janet, how are you feeling?"
Janet knew better than to use Sam's response since she had just poked fun at it. "Well, Daniel, to tell you the truth Dr. Franklin has me so doped up that I feel pretty good... as long as I don't move too quickly."
"Yeah, Al's been sharing quite a bit of the good stuff," Sam agreed.
"I'm back," Cassie said as she skidded to a stop beside her Uncle Jack.
"Hey there, kiddo. Easy…" Jack told her as he grasped her shoulders to steady her. "No bumping the bed, okay?"
Blushing slightly, she said, "Sorry, Uncle Jack."
"No problem," he said.
As Jack ruffled her hair, she tried to bat his hand away. "Stop that, you big meanie," she said with a pout while trying to smooth down her unruly hair.
Janet thought her daughter looked so cute in Sam's clothes. The long-sleeved t-shirt and cotton pants were so big on Cassie that she looked to be twelve once again, but Janet knew her own clothes would've be too tight. As she watched the antics between them, Janet smiled as much as she could. It felt good to see the two of them acting normal after all that had happened, and to have everyone focused on their antics and not her and Sam.
The petite woman knew that she had lost it there for awhile, but she had been convinced that Sam was dead at the time. The roar of the gun and Sam's lack of response when she yelled at her had been too much for her heart and mind, and she lost her grip for awhile. With each passing second, she could feel a little more of her heart literally dying. It wasn't until she was forced to look deep into Sam's sky blue eyes that she realized that the love of her life… her soulmate… was alive and holding her securely in her arms.
Because of her loss of control, it made the petite doctor uncomfortable to have all of them just standing around in the room while staring at her… or at least that is how it felt. She really hated the veiled looks and the anger that was etched on the faces of people that she considered to be part of her family. Her head knew that they were angry of the situation and not her or Sam, but her heart was feeling very stress from the emotionally charged situation.
She had to admit though that she would take their deep concern and overbearing protectiveness over any looks of pity that might come later. There was no way she would allow any of them to treat her like a helpless victim that might shatter at a moment's notice. No matter what she refused to be a victim. No matter how much that son-of-a-bitch tried, it turned out for the best for she was the one that was still alive, and he was the one that ended up dead.
As Cassie and Jack continued to tease each other, she noticed that though Sam was trying to hide it, the young blonde was fading fast. Clearing her throat, she waited for them to settle down before saying, "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I think it is time we all got some rest."
Even though he had teasing around with Cassie, O'Neill had also noticed that both of his officers were fading fast, and raised his hand to stop any of the other's protests. "The Doc's right. We all could use some rack time. Now, Doc Franklin has already said we can't stay in here; so, let's get something to eat and then some sleep before anything else hits the fan. Got it?" He stressed. O'Neill had noticed both of his injured officers were showing signs of worrying about their friends and teammates, and he knew they wouldn't rest unless everyone else did, too. Of course, what went on outside the room would be a different matter and he planned to deal with that as well. Both officers were very popular with the SGC staff but right now what they needed the most was as much undisturbed rest as possible. For that reason, he would be posting a guard. SG-1 could take their turn after they got some rest.
After making eye contact with the rest of SG-1 to be sure that they got his meaning, O'Neill moved closer and bent down to whisper in Janet's ear. Noticing her flinching as he got close, he bent no further. "I'll be around. If you need me for anything at all have one of your staff to call me, okay?" After receiving a nod from her, he looked to Sam, and quietly ordered, "Rest, Carter, and that's an order."
The blonde soldier read the message his eyes were sending loud and clear: he was going to handle this situation, and not to worry. After all these years, Sam had learned when one of them was hurt or under undue stress from off base, O'Neill always had their back. Tonight, she was into too much pain, too tired, and too worried about her wife to fret about anyone or anything else. So, she was really glad he was going to take the burden on. "Yes, Sir," she told him with a small smile.
O'Neill nodded once, and then stepped back.
Daniel was next, and he gently took Sam's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. He was glad to see that she didn't flinch from his touch. It would have hurt if she had even if he had been expected it. "If you need me, I'm just a phone call away."
"I know, Daniel. Thanks," the blonde told him. Of all of her friends, she was most concerned about Daniel. Daniel had always been more of a brother than Mark had ever been, and now she hated to see all of the anger that seemed to be permeating his entire being because of what had happened to her and Janet. She could tell it was really eating at him.
When Vala took his place, Sam motioned for her to come closer. She whispered in her ear, "Vala, take him somewhere… the gym maybe. He had got to get it out before he blow up at someone. Just protect him from himself, okay?"
Vala nodded slightly, for she too was worried about all the rage that she saw within Daniel as well. "I promise, Samantha, as long as you and Janet take you medicine and rest. The both of you looking better will help him the most." She arched her eyebrow for she knew that if the petite doctor was like Samantha both would fight taking much more medicine. They were both stubborn women.
After looking over at Janet, the both of them nodded their agreement.
"Good," she told them before leaning over and gently kissing Sam's cheek, and reaching over to squeeze Janet's hand. "I am so glad the two of you're here, and he's not." She then put on a huge fake smile, linked her arm through Daniel's, and said, "Let go get some breakfast, Daniel," as she encouraged - and then pulled - the archeologist out of the room.
Although Cam Mitchell wasn't as close to the Doc and Sam as the other members of his team, he was still concerned for his teammates, and pissed that the son-of-a-bitch had been able to hurt them so badly. Like Dixon and Ferretti, he wished Shanahan hadn't died so easily. He so wanted his pound of flesh. No one had the right to do to anyone, but especially a woman, what had been done to Fraiser or Carter. "Carter, Fraiser, feel better. I'll check on you later but if you need me soon, just have someone to call."
Sam liked the young man. He was a good leader, and reminded her of what General O'Neill must have been like at that age. She was glad he was there for them this evening. "Thanks, Cam; we will."
After smiling at them, he turned around and followed after Vala and Daniel. He could hear them loudly arguing about what they were going to do next. Some things will never change, he thought, and smiled more genuinely.
"Colonel Carter, Doctor Fraiser, I am glad that you have triumphed in this situation. No other Warrior could have done better," Teal'c told them. He was very sad that these women that he consider to be part of his family had to endure such a situation, but he was very proud of how they had fought back and survived so well. He bowed slightly before he turned to leave.
"Uh, Mom, I don't want to hurt you guys," Cassie told them. Looking over her shoulder she suggested, "Maybe I should just sleep over there on that cot."
Before Janet could speak, Sam spoke up. "Cassie, just take it easy getting in and we'll be fine. It will make your mom feel better to have you where she can easily see that you are okay… and to be honest so would I."
Before Cassie could reply, she found herself scooped up into Teal'c's arms. "I can help you get where you need to be, Cassandra Frasier."
The young teen laughed in surprise. It had been a long time since Teal'c had picked her up like this but, like always, being in his arms made her feel safe and loved.
"Way to go, T," O'Neill said with a laugh. "Well, Doc, Carter, make a hole and we'll get you all tucked in."
With Abby's assistance, their covers were pulled back, a blanket was placed over the small crack between the two beds, and another pillow was added. Leaning over Doctor Fraiser, Teal'c gently placed the young teen into the space made for her. Quickly, she slid down and was soon snuggled between her two moms… and she wouldn't have it any other way.
"Cassandra Fraiser, if you need to get out just have one of the nurses to call and I will come to retrieve you," Teal'c ordered.
"Thanks, Uncle T. And I'll will," Cassie promised. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Cassandra Fraiser, Colonel Carter, Dr. Fraiser." Bowing once again, the tall man then turned and left the room.
With a wave, O'Neill turned and left as well.
"Night, baby. Love you," Janet told Cassie, and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Sleep tight."
After a huge yawn, Cassie said, "Night, Mommy. Love you, too." She reached over and gently hugged Janet. Turning over slightly, she pulled Sam close and hugged her carefully, as she whispered in her nearby ear, "Thanks, Sam, for saving my Mom and yourself. I don't know what I would do if I lost the two of you." She lost her struggle with her tears as they began to slide silently down her cheeks. She hadn't want either of her mothers to know how upset she really way but she just couldn't hold it in any longer.
Sam pulled Cassie as close as possible after her daughter rolled over and buried her face into her chest. She knew that Cassie needed to let it out so she just held her securely. Looking over her shoulder, she could see that Janet was crying silently as well as she stroked their daughter's back. It was then when she lost her control as well, and her tears soon joined her family's. "Cassie, we're going to be okay… and you're very brave, my daughter, very brave," she said as she tried to reassure her. "I will always be there for you and your mom… and no asshole will come between us," she said very firmly.
Finally, the tears ended for each of them. Cassie pulled back and smiled at Sam as she accepted the tissues Sam handed her. She knew without a doubt that her "other mother" would do everything within her power to keep that promise, and it was good enough for her. Speaking a little louder, she said, "Night, Sam. Love you."
"Love you, too, Sweetie," Sam said and squeezed her a little tighter before releasing her. Each of them snuggled close, and felt secure in each other's arms.
When Dr. Franklin walked into the room a half an hour later, she found all three women sound asleep.
TBC…
AN: I would love to hear your thoughts on how I captured the voices of the members of SG-1. For some reason I had a lot of trouble trying to capture their feelings, actions, and mannerisms.
AN 2: I have a question. Does anyone know the name of the weapon that was used to illuminate the Retu? I can't find my DVD of that episode… so help please.
- Until we met again…